Ten horses will vie in the elite race of Churchill Downs' fall schedule, the $500,000 Clark Handicap (gr. II) Friday in Louisville. The Brazilian-bred Lundy's Liability will carry high weight of 120 pounds over the nine furlongs.
The biggest name in the race is Perfect Drift, the hard-knocking 5-year-old gelding who is still in search of his first 2004 victory. He trains locally and has performed well over the layout, besting eventual Horse of the Year Mineshaft in the 2003 Stephen Foster (gr. I).
This year's Foster winner, Colonial Colony, will also contest the Clark. The son of Pleasant Colony has not won since that effort, in which he defeated Southern Image and Perfect Drift.
Lundy's Liability, trained by Bobby Frankel, is one-for-one in North America, having taken the Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Santa Anita in October. Saint Liam, who ran second to eventual Breeders' Cup Classic - Powered by Dodge (gr. I) victor Ghostzapper in a memorable nose-and-nose battle in the Woodward (gr. I) at Belmont in September, also tries his hand here.
A quartet of 3-year-olds will try their elders in the Clark, with Suave, Eurosilver, Fantasticat and Pies Prospect hoping to make names for themselves in the handicap division. Super Derby (gr. II) winner Fantasticat was questionable for the Clark due to concern over a quarter crack in the colt's left front foot, but trainer Bobby Barnett announced Wednesday that the son of
Storm Cat would compete.
The entries for the Clark, in post position order with jockeys and weights:
1) Colonial Colony (Pat Day, 116)
2) Saint Liam (Edgar Prado, 117)
3) Seek Gold (Larry Melancon, 111)
4) Lundy's Liability (David Flores, 120)
5) Sir Cherokee (Brice Blanc, 116)
6) Suave (Dean Sarvis, 113)
7) Fantasticat (Eddie Martin Jr., 113)
8) Eurosilver (Javier Castellano, 113)
9) Perfect Drift (Kent Desormeaux, 118)
10) Pies Prospect (John McKee, 112)
