Churchill Downs: Handicapping the Grade 1 Clark

By Rick Francis —-

The Churchill Downs Fall Meet starts it’s final weekend with one of it’s signature contests the Grade 1 Clark Handicap. An accomplished field of twelve 3-year-olds and up will look to close out their 2019 season with a coveted Grade 1 victory on their resume. We’ll take a look at the contenders, the possibles and the maybe next times so let’s get started.

Race 11) Grade 1 Clark Handicap 1&1/8th Mile Post Time 5:56 EST

THE CONTENDERS

2) Tom’s d’Etat (Stall/Rosario); winner of 2-of-3 and was game two back running fourth in the Woodward. Smart Strike 6- year-olds form is on the rise; gets his first Grade 1 victory.

4) Major Cabbie (Miller/Lopez); rolls in off a pair of solid wins at Keeneland; obvious class and distance test; a hot horse is a hot horse.

6) Fact Find (LoPresti/Lanerie); gelding out of The Factor also enters having won two straight, both sprints and against tough company here and at Keeneland; once again, hot is hot.

7) Mr. Buff (Kimmel/Alvarado); has won 3-of-4 and owns seven victories at this distance; however the bulk of those scores have come against New York-breds, nevertheless he knows how to get a check.

8) Owendale (Cox/Geroux); Into Mischief colt, winner of both the Ohio and Oklahoma Derby’s, has demonstrated a keen ability to bounce back off a poor effort, which it was last out in the BC Classic; Cox will have him ready to fire.

11) Seeking the Soul (Stewart/Hernandez, B.); never overlook this veteran who has hit the board in 10-of-12 Churchill starts, including the Grade 1 Foster back in June; this however maybe his swan song start.

POSSIBLES

9) Mr. Freeze (Romans/Albarado); winner of the G3 Ack Ack two back stayed on for second to Tom’s d’Etat last out in the Fayette; is 2-for-2 here.

12) Pioneer Spirit (Diodoro/Cohen); claimed from the Cox barn last out, a pricey 150k OC contest; is one across the board here.

MAYBE NEXT TIME

1) Draft Pick (Eurton/Talamo); a solid West Coast player; not here.

3) Mocito Rojo (Wilson/Rodriguez); owns five wins on the year, including the Lukas here two back; offered little last out in the Fayette slop.

5) Sinclair Snapper (Asmussen/Santana); three of his five wins have been on the turf that’s where he should be.

10) Bravazo (Lukas/Saez); on the shelf since Pegasus back in January, needs one.

Selections: 2, 8, 4, 9