Study Guide: 2020 Clark Stakes
Nov 25, 2020
The final week of racing at the Churchill Downs fall meet is highlighted by the $500,000 Clark (G1). The 1 1/8-mile race has drawn a deep and competitive field with lots of logical contenders for handicappers to consider, setting the stage for enticing payoffs.
| Total 12 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (99) when prevailing in the Opening Verse S. |
| Wins: 5 | Total Earnings: $355,105 |
| Place: 2 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: Lucky Seven Stable | Sire: Scat Daddy |
| Breeder: Edward A. Cox Jr. | Dam: Eager Emma |
| Trainer: Kenny McPeek | Color: Dark bay/brown |
| Jockey: Brian Hernandez |
With a 2-for-2 record over the Churchill Downs main track, there’s no doubt Crafty Daddy has an appreciation for the local racing strip. Winner of the Opening Verse S. during the summer, the son of Scat Daddy enters the Clark off a gritty allowance win racing 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. However, a seventh-place effort in the Fayette (G2) two starts back suggests jumping into to Grade 1 company will be a stiff challenge for Crafty Daddy.
| Total 23 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (103) when finishing second in the Stymie S. |
| Wins: 4 | Total Earnings: $574,180 |
| Place: 6 | |
| Show: 4 |
| Owner: Charles E. Fipke | Sire: More Than Ready |
| Breeder: Charles Fipke | Dam: Title Seeker |
| Trainer: Dallas Stewart | Color: Dark bay/brown |
| Jockey: Corey Lanerie |
A veteran of 23 starts, Title Ready arguably outran expectations when finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), ahead of fellow Clark contender By My Standards. The Dallas Stewart trainee had previously come home third in the Fayette (G2), charging from behind a slow pace to finish just a length behind the winner. Stewart has a reputation for saddling live longshots in big races, but the Clark is another tough spot, and Title Ready may need improvement to finish on the board.
| Total 14 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (109) when winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). |
| Wins: 6 | Total Earnings: $2,553,320 |
| Place: 3 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: W. S. Farish | Sire: Noble Mission |
| Breeder: W. S. Farish | Dam: Reunited |
| Trainer: Shug McGaughey | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: John Velazquez |
Runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and victorious in the Travers (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) during a stellar 2019 campaign, Code of Honor has struggled to regain his best form in 2020, losing three of his four starts while compromised by unfavorable distances and pace scenarios. Stretching back out over 1 1/8 miles for the Clark should help his chances, and from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective he’s the fastest horse in the field. But can he be trusted to deliver a winning effort at a short price?
| Total 31 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (105) when finishing second in the Santa Anita H. (G1). |
| Wins: 3 | Total Earnings: $545,600 |
| Place: 6 | |
| Show: 4 |
| Owner: Wachtel Stable, George J. Kerr, and Gary Barber | Sire: Orb |
| Breeder: Mark Stansell | Dam: Trippi Street |
| Trainer: Peter Miller | Color: Gray/roan |
| Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione |
Although beaten just a neck when second in the Mar. 7 Santa Anita H. (G1), Multiplier has been struggling to reach the winner’s circle, with his last victory coming 2 1/2 years ago. He took a step in the right direction when finishing second in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race at Churchill last month, but this veteran 6-year-old will need better to fight for a spot on the board.
| Total 7 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (103) when winning a Fair Grounds allowance race. |
| Wins: 3 | Total Earnings: $212,114 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton, and Peter Leidel | Sire: Pioneerof the Nile |
| Breeder: Martell Bloodstock and Fifth Avenue Bloodstock | Dam: La Reina |
| Trainer: Steve Asmussen | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Ricardo Santana |
A delicate colt whose career has been dotted by layoffs, Aurelius Maximus appears to be putting everything together this fall. After beating fellow Clark contender Bodexpress in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs, Aurelius Maximus fought gamely to finish second in the Fayette (G2), beaten just a neck by four-time graded stakes winner Mr Freeze. However, Aurelius Maximus benefited from tracking a slow pace, and there’s no guarantee he’ll receive a similarly favorable setup against tougher competition in the Clark.
| Total 16 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (101) finishing sixth in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2). |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $1,792,930 |
| Place: 2 | |
| Show: 4 |
| Owner: Imperial Racing | Sire: Point of Entry |
| Breeder: Calloway Stables | Dam: Belvedera |
| Trainer: Brendan Walsh | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: Robby Albarado |
Distant runner-up in the Charles Town Classic (G2) two starts back, Plus Que Parfait hasn’t been the most consistent runner in training, but he’s capable of producing big efforts on his best day. The challenge will be upping his game against Grade 1 competition while running back just three weeks after a fifth-place effort in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G2) racing 1 5/8 miles.
| Total 17 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (107) when dominating the West Virginia Derby (G3). |
| Wins: 6 | Total Earnings: $1,581,950 |
| Place: 4 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: Jim Bakker and Gerry Isbister | Sire: To Honor and Serve |
| Breeder: Siena Farms | Dam: Heavenly Cat |
| Trainer: Dale Romans | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: David Cohen |
A four-time graded stakes winner with a victory in the 2019 Ack Ack (G3) at Churchill on his resume, Mr Freeze has displayed encouraging form over the last year or so. Victorious over Aurelius Maximus and Title Ready in the Fayette (G2) two starts back, Mr Freeze proved his worth against Grade 1 company when finishing third in the 2019 Clark and second in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup (G1). A spot on the board is well within reach for this capable Dale Romans trainee, though running back 20 days after finishing sixth in a fast-paced renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) could be tricky.
| Total 16 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (107) when dominating a Gulfstream Park West allowance race. |
| Wins: 3 | Total Earnings: $412,500 |
| Place: 4 | |
| Show: 3 |
| Owner: Top Racing, Global Thoroughbred, and GDS Racing Stable | Sire: Bodemeister |
| Breeder: Martha Jane Mulholland | Dam: Pied a Terre |
| Trainer: Gustavo Delgado | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Rafael Bejarano |
The flashy front-runner Bodexpress enters the Clark off a 1 1/16-mile powerful allowance victory at Gulfstream Park West, where he dominated by 11 1/4 lengths with a career-best 107 Brisnet Speed ratings. But all three of his career victories have come against maiden or allowance company at Gulfstream Park West, hinting that facing Grade 1 company away from his favorite track will be a tough task.
| Total 19 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (107) when finishing second in the Pimlico Special (G3). |
| Wins: 6 | Total Earnings: $1,302,935 |
| Place: 4 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: Rupp Racing | Sire: Into Mischief |
| Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings | Dam: Aspen Light |
| Trainer: Brad Cox | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Florent Geroux |
Runner-up in the 2019 Clark, Owendale reiterated his affinity for Louisville’s famous oval when battling to a runner-up effort in the Alysheba (G2) three starts back. A late-charging fifth-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) suggests the three-time Grade 3 winner can challenge again for the hot jockey/trainer duo Florent Geroux and Brad Cox, though a top-four finish seems more likely than a trip to the winner’s circle.
| Total 20 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (98) when winning a Churchill Downs allowance race. |
| Wins: 5 | Total Earnings: $325,670 |
| Place: 3 | |
| Show: 4 |
| Owner: Bourbon Lane Stable and Six Column Stables | Sire: Dialed In |
| Breeder: John W. Phillips and Pamela P. Gartin | Dam: Bestowed a Star |
| Trainer: Ian Wilkes | Color: Dark bay/brown |
| Jockey: Julien Leparoux |
A trifecta finisher in seven of his 10 starts at Churchill Downs, Bourbon Calling enters the Clark off runner-up efforts in the Ack Ack (G3) and a Churchill allowance race, beaten in the latter event by Crafty Daddy. His affinity for the local surface is encouraging, though with a career-best 98 Brisnet Speed rating, Bourbon Calling will be a longshot to finish in the money.
| Total 8 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (97) when winning a Churchill Downs allowance race. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $132,516 |
| Place: 2 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Albaugh Family Stables and Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust | Sire: Curlin |
| Breeder: Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust | Dam: Trensa |
| Trainer: Dale Romans | Color: Chestnut |
| Jockey: Joe Talamo |
A stoutly-bred son of Curlin out of a Giant’s Causeway mare, Coastal Defense has shown improvement since stretching out around two turns on dirt. After wiring a 1 1/16-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs by 2 1/2 lengths, the chestnut 4-year-old endured a severely troubled trip in the Fayette (G2), getting checked, bounced around, and blocked in traffic before rallying to finish fourth by 1 1/4 lengths. A clean trip can produce an improved performance at enticing odds in the Clark.
| Total 13 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (107) when finishing second in the Stephen Foster (G2). |
| Wins: 6 | Total Earnings: $1,824,430 |
| Place: 4 | |
| Show: 1 |
| Owner: Allied Racing Stable | Sire: Goldencents |
| Breeder: Don Ladd | Dam: A Jealous Woman |
| Trainer: Bret Calhoun | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Gabriel Saez |
Four-time Grade 2 winner was a comfortable winner of the Alysheba (G2) back in September, his sixth straight exacta finish during a busy 2020 campaign. But the typically tactical 4-year-old failed to flash his usual speed against tougher company in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), weakening to finish eighth. On his best day, By My Standards is fast enough to vie for victory in the Clark, and he’s a logical candidate to prevail in Friday. The question is, will he rebound to peak form while facing easier foes, or was the Classic a sign that By My Standards is winding down at the end of a long campaign?
| Total 11 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (101) when finishing fourth in a Keeneland allowance. |
| Wins: 3 | Total Earnings: $161,475 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 0 |
| Owner: Susan and Jim Hill | Sire: Goldencents |
| Breeder: Sally Thomas and New Dawn Stable | Dam: Phantom Rising |
| Trainer: Brian Lynch | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Declan Cannon |
Although Phantom Currency has been campaigning primarily on turf, the son of Goldencents handled dirt just fine in a 1 1/4-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs last month, leading all the way to win by 2 1/2 lengths. But Phantom Currency failed to fire in his lone start against stakes company, fading to finish tenth in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup S., so the jump in class for the Clark is a big hurdle to overcome.
| Total 11 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (96) when winning the Southwest (G3). |
| Wins: 4 | Total Earnings: $775,314 |
| Place: 0 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: Ed and Susie Orr | Sire: Declaration of War |
| Breeder: Hargus Sexton, Sandra Sexton, and Silver Fern Farm | Dam: Tap Softly |
| Trainer: Steve Asmussen | Color: Gray/roan |
| Jockey: Gerardo Corrales |
Silver Prospector ranked among the leading 2-year-olds of 2019 after battling to victory in a tough renewal of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, with future Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law among his beaten rivals. And while Silver Prospector’s form deteriorated during the spring, he bounced back after a freshening to defeat Multiplier in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race on Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs. As the lone 3-year-old in a tough field of older horses, Silver Prospector is bound to be overlooked in the betting, especially while breaking from post 14. But if he steps forward in his second start off the layoff, Silver Prospector can outrun expectations for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
| Total 7 start(s) | Top Speed Rating: (89) when winning a Keeneland allowane race. |
| Wins: 2 | Total Earnings: $63,110 |
| Place: 1 | |
| Show: 2 |
| Owner: Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I | Sire: Agnes Gold |
| Breeder: Fazenda Mondesir/Stud Rio Dois Irmaos | Dam: Last Bet |
| Trainer: Paulo Lobo | Color: Bay |
| Jockey: Robby Albarado |
The field’s lone also-eligible runner will need a scratch from the main body of the field in order to compete. A late-running allowance winner racing 1 1/16-mile over the Keeneland turf, In Love was a stakes winner on dirt in Argentina, but returning to the main track while ascending to Grade 1 company is a tough combination.
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