Illusioned Breaks Track Record in Churchill Stakes Win

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Illusioned broke the Churchill Downs track record for 7 1/2 furlongs in earning his first career graded stakes win in Sunday's $114,300 Ack Ack Handicap (gr. III) on opening day of the fall meet at Churchill Downs. Under Pat Day, the Bill Mott-trained 3-year-old son of Woodman completed the distance in 1:28.63 on a fast track in winning by 3 3/4 lengths.

Illusioned trimmed .17 seconds off the previous record, set last November by Liberty Gold, the sixth-place finisher in Sunday's feature.

Pacesetter Strawberry Affair, a 43-1 longshot, finished second, a neck ahead of Fappie's Notebook. Chindi, Dream Run, Liberty Gold, Sure Shot Biscuit, District, Panner, Murph's Encore, and Fan the Flame completed the order of finish.

Earlier this year, Illusioned won two straight races -- including Calder's Carry Back Stakes -- then finished second in both the King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) and Jerome Handicap (gr. II), to Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) champion Squirtle Squirt and Mile (gr. IT) runner Express Tour, respectively. Illusioned earned $70,866 for the win, his fifth in eight starts. Owned by Team Valor Stables, Heiligbrodt Stable, and Kinsman Stable -- the latter of whom also bred the colt -- Illusioned began his racing career earlier this year at Tampa Bay Downs while conditioned by Richard Ciardullo Jr. He won his first two starts in Ciardullo's care, then was switched to Mott's barn following a third-place finish in the Bahamas Stakes.

Illusioned is out of Undeniably, by In Reality, dam of multiple graded stakes winner Concerto and stakes placed Wondertross.

Sent off as the odds-on favorite, Illusioned returned $3.80, $3, and $3. Strawbery Affai paid $19 and $10.40 and completed the $113.80 exacta. Fappie's Notebook returned $4.60 to show. (Chart, Equibase)

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