Expert Pick of the Week: 2024 Clark Stakes

Nov 26, 2024

A strong field of 10 will travel 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill Downs dirt in Friday’s $600,000 Clark S. (G2). The lucrative feature is one of two Grade 2 races on the card and attracted a well-matched cast of contenders in a challenging betting endeavor.

Conditioner Mike Maker claimed Cooke Creek on May 27 and the son of Uncle Mo has reached new heights since changing barns. The five-year-old was very impressive in dusting allowance foes beneath the Twin Spires on June 29, registering a 101 Brisnet Speed figure in the process, and he followed that tally up with another sharp allowance victory at Saratoga in August.

Cooke Creek led early and battled bravely through the stretch when coming home second best by a neck in the Lukas Classic S. (G2) on this strip in his latest appearance, and the dark bay has trained forwardly in the interim. The gelding shows seven well-spaced morning moves in advance of Friday, and he has displayed vast improvement since being put into his races in the early going as of late. I expect Luis Saez to ask the top pick for speed out of the gate and to have him force the pace from second on the back side. He will be difficult to fend off with another step in the right direction in this encounter.

#7 Cooke Creek makes it two in a row in R6 at Churchill Downs for trainer Mike Maker with @jose93_ortiz aboard! 💪

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/F7TshMtLxq

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 29, 2024

Brad Cox’s unbeaten Most Wanted is a horse that I like a lot and I envision him putting his best foot forward in the event. By Candy Ride, the Gary and Mary West homebred is 4-for-4 while displaying big early foot, as well as a sturdy closing kick, to this stage of his development. The dark bay colt hasn’t been winning by large margins, but he is very game and difficult to get by in the lane. Most Wanted is a potential pacesetter in the group, and while he will need a lifetime best to topple his elders in the Clark, the colt might be up to the task with regular pilot Florent Geroux in the silks.

Hit Show, also from the Cox shedrow, has reeled off a trio of graded stakes wins in succession and has to be given a lot of respect as the morning-line choice. The Wathnan Racing color bearer has come out on top in his last pair of runs on the strip including a score in the Lukas Classic (G2) two prior, and the gray son of Candy Ride will be making his presence felt approaching the turn for home while picking up Tyler Gaffalione.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #9 Cooke Creek on top of #5 Most Wanted and #6 Hit Show in the 2024 Clark Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.