The Ack Ack Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older, over a distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in September at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky.
The race is named for the great Ack Ack, inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Horse of the Year in 1971, as well as ranking number 44 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.
At age 3, he won the 1969 Derby Trial in his lone start at Churchill Downs with a time of 1:34.40, which was a track record at the time.
[1] Since inception in 1991, the Ack Ack has been contested at three different distances:[2] The inaugural running of the event was on 27 October 1991 with Seven Spades the longest price runner in the field of 12 at 40-1 holding on to win by a neck in a time of 1:37.62 for the mile on the sloppy track.
[2] Previously a Listed race, it was upgraded to Grade III status for 1997 by the American Graded Stakes Committee.