Mr. Z, above, lovable and yet a bit of a nibbler. In the D. Wayne Lukas stable in June, 2015. The benefit is worth the risk if you are lucky enough to meet him.
Happy Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for this year and the blessings will keep coming. Churchill Downs has a very nice closing weekend lined up for us. 11/24-11/27 brings 4 days of racing with 7 nice stakes including the Grade 1 Clark Handicap!
Mr. Z, above, in the Ack-Ack Handicap in October, 2016.
The Clark Handicap is one of America’s older races. Occurring annually in the Fall, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, this year’s addition takes place on Friday, 11/25/16. The race is named for the founder of the Louisville Jockey Club, Colonel M. Lewis Clark. The Louisville Jockey Club built much of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. The 142nd running of the Clark Handicap is a dirt race of 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) for horses age 3 or older. The purse is $500,000. The Clark Handicap will post at 6:24 p.m. EST. We will be treated to a field of 10 horses on a card of 12 races. The competition is as follows by post, horse, jockey,trainer and morning line odds :
- Gun Runner/Florent Geroux/Steven M. Asmussen/4/1
- Effinex/Junior Alvarado/James A. Jerkens/4/1
- Are You Kidding Me/Alan Garcia/Roger L. Attfield/15/1
- Shaman Ghost/Javier Castellano/James A. Jerkens/8/1
- Hawaakom/Miguel Mena/Wesley E. Hawley/20/1
- Noble Bird/Julien R. Leparoux/Mark E. Casse/7/2
- Breaking Lucky/Luis Contreras/Reade Baker/8/1
- Mr. Z/Ricardo Santana, Jr./D. Wayne Lukas/30/1
- Hoppertunity/John R. Velazquez/Bob Baffert/5/2
- Prayer for Relief/Robby Albarado/Dale L. Romans/30/1
There are a lot of big talent horses in this race and a few more obscure Thoroughbreds as well. Any horse will be lucky to win but historically some Clark winners have really clinched the title and hit it twice. Hodge won in 1915 and 1916. Bold Favorite was 1st in both 1968 and 1969 and Bob’s Dusty won in 1977 and again in 1978. Hoppertunity and Effinex will both have the chance to win their second Clark Handicap in tomorrow’s race. Looking to the trainers, Bob Baffert will have a chance to win his 4th Clark Handicap, which would make him the trainer with the most wins. Currently, Ben Jones, Smiley Adams and Bob Baffert have all won the Clark thrice.
Mr. Z, above in the Hagyard Fayette Stakes in October 2016.
Gun Runner is the KY bred colt of Candy Ride and Quiet Giant. He is 3 years old. Gun Runner has won 5 of his 11 career starts. He is experienced at Churchill Downs and was 3rd in the 2016 KY Derby.
Effinex is the 5 year old son of Mineshaft and What a Pear. Bred in NY, he has won 9 of his 27 races. His only race at Churchill has been the Clark Handicap in which he dominated in 2015. He had a surprisingly late finish in the BC Classic this year. Can he win the Clark again?
Are You Kidding Me is a KY bred 6 year-old. He was born to Run Away and Hide and Sweet Awakening. He has won 9 of 31 races and holds the 2015 Sovereign Award for Champion Older Horse. He has primarily raced at Woodbine but he finished 5th at Churchill in the Stephen Foster Handicap this past June.
Shaman Ghost has not raced in 3 months. He had to scratch from the Breeders’ Cup Classic due to a brief illness. He is a ON bred colt by Ghostzapper and Getback Time. Shaman Ghost is trained by Jerkens, winner of the 2015 Clark. He has won half of his 12 starts and he holds the Sovereign Award for 2015 Champion 3 year Old Colt.
Hawaakom is a 6 year-old KY bred gelding born to Jazil and Nafisah. Hawaakom has won 7 of his 30 career starts. He has experience at Churchill, including a second place finish in the Lukas Classic in October.
Noble Bird is trained by Casse and I have had the extreme pleasure of visiting this KY bred horse while he was stabled at Keeneland. This 5 year old colt is sired by Birdstone. His dam is Anyhow. Noble Bird’s jockey, Leparoux, won the Clark in 2008 with Einstein. Noble Bird has won 7 of 19 starts. He frequents both Keeneland and Churchill. He won stakes races at both in October.
Breaking Lucky is another ON bred colt. He is the 4 year-old son of Lookin At Lucky and Shooting Party. He has won 3 of 15 career starts. His last time out was his only Churchill race where he finished 8th in the Lukas Classic.
Mr. Z is the KY bred 4 year-old colt of Malibu Moon and Stormy Bear. He has had 22 career starts including two Breeders’ Cup entries. Mr. Z broke his maiden in his first race, that was at Churchill Downs in 2014. He also won the Ohio Derby. He is clearly my favorite horse in this race and trained by my favorite trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. If Lukas wins this race and Baffert does not, it would put Lukas in as one of the few 3 time Clark winning trainers. Lukas won the 2013 Clark with Will Take Charge.
Hoppertunity won the Clark in 2014 and finished second in 2015. He is a KY bred horse by Any Given Saturday and Refugee. Hoppertunity has won 6 of 23 starts. He recently finished 4th in the BC Classic. Is it his turn to clinch a second Clark?
Prayer for Relief is the oldest horse in the race at 8 years-old. He is a KY bred horse by Jump Start and Sparklin Lil. He has raced an amazing 44 times with 8 wins. He raced in the Clark Handicap in 2011, 2013 and 2014. It must be a favorite race for him by now. His trainer, Romans, won with Shackleford in 2012.
Mr. Z, above, in the paddock before the 2016 Ack-Ack at Churchill Downs.
I hope everyone has plenty of blessings that they can be thankful for today. Enjoy your family, friends, lots of food and the last live races at Churchill Downs of 2016. I’ll be rooting for Mr. Z. I enjoy watching some of the more experienced horses in the game taking another shot at a nice stakes race. Happy Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for all of my readers and the support you have shown me. Thank you!
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