Friday’s $400,000
Clark H.
(G2) features a number of interesting storylines. Top older horses EINSTEIN
(Brz) (Spend a Buck), MACHO AGAIN (Holy Bull) and BULLSBAY (Tiznow) have all
garnered major prizes on the main track this season and can make a strong case
for championship honors with a victory. The promising four-year-old ETCHED
(Forestry), who improved his U.S. record to five-for-five with a victory in the
Meadowlands Cup (G2) last out, will look to keep his momentum rolling in his
toughest test to date. And a couple of up-and-coming, Grade 2-winning
sophomores, MISREMEMBERED (Candy Ride [Arg]) and BLAME (Arch), merit serious
respect versus their elders.
A deep and contentious field of 14 runners will head to the starting gate at
Churchill Downs for the 1 1/8-mile event.
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Rajivh Maragh will pick up the mount on the well-built dark bay, who faces a
potential wide trip from post 14.
Macho Again notched his first Grade 1 win in the Stephen Foster, rallying
boldly to a one-length decision, and he also won this year’s New Orleans H. (G2)
at Fair Grounds. The gray four-year-old colt gave Horse of the Year contender
Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) all she could handle in the stretch of the
Woodward S. (G1) two starts back, finishing a head short of the tremendous
filly, and he didn’t appear to handle the sloppy footing when checking in fourth
in the Jockey Cup Gold Cup (G1) last out. Freshened for this appearance by
Dallas Stewart, Macho Again is three-for-five under the Twin Spires. Listed as
the 9-2 second choice on the morning line, the major
contender is well-drawn in post 2 with regular rider Robby Albarado.
Bullsbay brings solid credentials into the 135th running of the Clark. Winner
of the Whitney H. (G1) three starts back, the Graham Motion five-year-old also
scored in the Alysheba S. (G3) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard and
registered a respectable third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Woodward. His last
effort, a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), is a potential throw out
due to the synthetic track at Santa Anita. Three-for-four at Churchill, Bullsbay
finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in the Stephen Foster. The 6-1 co-third
early choice will keep Jeremy
Rose in the saddle.
The lightly-raced Etched, who is also 6-1, is looking to establish himself as a serious force
in the older horse ranks. He opened his racing career in the fall of 2007 with a
pair of smashing victories, including a 6 1/2-length tally in the Nashua S.
(G3), and wound up wintering in Dubai. He suffered his only career setback, a
fourth in the 2008 U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2), when opening his sophomore season, but
wasn’t seen again until November, winning an allowance/optional claiming event
at Aqueduct 12 months ago. Following another lengthy stay on the sidelines, the
Kiaran McLaughlin trainee returned this year with a good-looking
allowance/optional tally at Saratoga, and he exits a narrow but comfortable neck
decision in the Meadowlands Cup. The Darley colorbearer has earned BRIS Speed
ratings of 102 and 107 in his last two starts, both at Friday’s trip, and Alan
Garcia will retain the mount on the interesting colt.
Misremembered is a two-time stakes winner this season for Bob Baffert,
proving best in the Indiana Derby (G2) and Swaps S. (G2), and he shows a pair of
bullet workouts in preparation for his first start against older horses. The
improving sophomore will bring jockey Victor Espinoza with him from the
West Coast, and he’s 8-1 on Mike Battaglia’s morning line. Blame could also be a factor. The bay colt knocked off older rivals
over the Polytrack at Keeneland last time, defeating Grade 2 winner Parading
(Pulpit) by 1 1/4 lengths in the Fayette S. (G2), and the Al Stall Jr. pupil
owns commendable form on the dirt this season. He won the Curlin S. at Saratoga
prior to a runner-up effort to Regal Ransom (Distorted Humor) in the Super Derby
(G2) two starts back, registering BRIS Speed ratings of 103 and 105 for those
efforts, and he’s trained well at Keeneland since his last start. Jamie Theriot
has the return call, and Blame is listed at 6-1.
DEMARCATION (Gulch) will stretch out to nine furlongs off a 1 1/2-length
victory in the Ack Ack H. (G3) on November 6, and KISS THE KID
(Lemon the Day) and DUBIOUS MISS (E Dubai) will each enter the Clark in solid
form for their connections.
The $100,000
River
City H. (G3) will be offered earlier on the program. KARELIAN (Bertrando),
who dead-heated in the 2008 running with Demarcation and finished second by a
nose in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) two starts back, returns for a title defense. Sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile (G1) 20 days ago, the seven-year-old
gelding will face a stiff group of challengers in the 1 1/8-mile turf affair.
Other top contenders in the 10-horse field include 2008 Canadian turf champion RAHY’S ATTORNEY (Crown Attorney), a two-time Canadian Grade 2 winner this season
who exits a victory in the Bunty Lawless S. at Woodbine; Grade 1 victor WICKED
STYLE (Macho Uno), a good third in the Fayette most recently; Grade 3 winners
BRAVE TIN SOLDIER (Storm Cat) and PLEASANT STRIKE (Smart Strike); and the New
York-bred turf ace BANROCK (Go for Gin), a nose second to Presious Passion
(Royal Anthem) in the Monmouth S. earlier this year.