1. Cooke Creek (12-1 morning line odds): Former plaintiff does not have a good track record in ranked betting. He has been no better than sixth in his last three attempts at that level, including last year’s Clark Stakes. Others are more attractive.
JOCKEY: Francisco Arrieta; TRAINER: Mike Maker
2. First mission (5-1): Will be part of the early pace and has enough talent to stick around until the end. It is a big plus at the moment to have Flavien Prat on board.
JOCKEY: Flavien Prat; TRAINER: Brad Cox
3. Hit Show (3-1): He won the Dubai World Cup earlier this year, so he has enough class to handle this field. But Churchill Downs may not be his favorite surface. He has won just two of seven starts, with no seconds or third-place finishes. We will face him in the victory spot.
JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Brad Cox
4. Gosger (4-1): This three-year-old is very consistent, but has a tendency to stall in the final furlong, as he did when finishing second in the Preakness Stakes and in the NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes. He’s adding blinders here and that may help, but he may not provide much value in the profit pools.
JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Brendan Walsh
5. Piece of gold (10-1): The three-year-old is coming off an impressive win at Keeneland, but will face older rivals for the first time. This should be a test for the Grade 3 winner.
JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado TRAINER: Ethan West
6. Rattle and Roll (7-2): He is a streaky type and maybe he will become good again at an appropriate time. He loves this song and won the 2024 Clark Stakes. Had to make up ground last time out and closed quickly to finish second behind Hit Show in the Grade 3 Hagyard Fayette Stakes. Expect another big effort here.
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JOCKEY: Brian J. Hernandez Jr.; TRAINER: Ken McPeek
7. Wie Dey (30-1): The consistent runner has won eight of 13 starts but lacks the speed numbers to be considered a major.
JOCKEY: Luan Machado; TRAINER: Tom Drury Jr.
8. Willy D’s (12-1): Got a few months off after a lackluster effort in September’s Lukas Classic. It will take a career effort to be a major force here.
JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Mike Maker
9. Size (9-2): Another 3 year old with a lot of potential. Was well beaten in the Draft Kings Travers Stakes and then showed a new dimension when running second in the Pennsylvania Derby. If he can duplicate that Penn Derby performance, he will be a major player.
JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen
THE CHOICE: Rattle N-Roll
LIVE LONG SHOT: Piece of gold
SUPERFECT: 6-4-2-9
#Clark #Stakes #glance