2009 Clark Handicap (G2)

I loved this race
I was there
I cashed on this race
My Favorite
Date/Track:
11/27/2009, Churchill Downs
Distance:
1 1/8 m (Dirt)
Age/Sex:
3+ M
Time:
1:49.39

What the Nation is saying about the 2009 Clark Handicap (G2)...

The graded stakes committee fights a double-edged sword when they release their updates each year. Blame, who won the Clark Handicap one week ago, is now a grade two winner. His victory in the race and those who competed against him (along with those who ran in years past) were catalysts to making t...Read More
  • arazi · They absolutely should. But it has two strikes against it - first, it requires extra work and secondly, it makes too much sense. · 794 days ago ·
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  • cigar · Both are legit excuses in this game! · 794 days ago ·
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We had some quality horseflesh blow through Louisiana Downs this summer, and a couple did LAD proud over the weekend. First up was Blame, the 2009 Super Derby runner-up. He was my top selection when he ran at LAD, and I thought he was just as good if not better than wire job winner Regal Ransom. The...Read More
Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone. There are no more Grade I races this year east of the Mississippi and only one graded stakes race in NY. What does that mean? Very little in the grand scheme of things as one of the biggest money-making seasons in New York racing is set to begin. Racing begins...Read More
Lightly raced Blame, ridden by Jamie Theriot, impressively rallied down the lane to win Friday's Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. The three-year-old son of Arch covered the 1 1/8-mile race in...Read More
Three-year-old Blame ensconced himself as a leading player in next year's national handicap picture when he seized the lead from fellow sophomore Misremembered at the eighth pole and held on for a neck victory in the $460,600 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (gr. II) at Churchill Downs ...Read More
  • Rossington · I was really impressed by Blame's effort in the Clark Handicap today. Not really having the best of trip's and being able to overcome Misremembered and late charging Einstein and Giant Oak. This is definitely a colt to watch for in the future after making his "I'm for real" announcement in the Clark today. · 801 days ago ·
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arazi, I sure agree with you in the fact that Einstein is indeed one of those rare horses that has the ability to win over any surface. But frankly, of the three, I think turf has been his most affective by far.
Blame ran a big race. Not an easy trip. Not an easy trip for Misremembered or Einstein, and both ran good races as did Giant Oak. Blame is the real deal and he could lead the handicap division in 2010. Stall's got a good one on his hands... and he will be sure to plan an Eclipse-winning campaign for him next year that will end up in the BC at Churchill.
The Clark Handicap was my first time in getting to see Blame race in person. I had heard some previous buzz about him that he was a legitimate horse, but he more than proved that today leaving the like's of horses like Macho Again, Bullsbay, Etched, Demarcation, and Dubious Miss far behind in his wake. Misremembered ran a terrific race, stubbornly settling for 2nd, and Einstein, being the great champion he's always been, fought hard all the way to the end for 3rd. I also thought Giant Oak ran a more than respectable race as well. If not for having broken so slowly he may have well ended up in the money himself, narrowly missing anyway.
Agree with Rossington that Giant Oak is very, very interesting here. This horse has showed flashes of brilliance in the IL Derby and then with a monster move in the Arlington Classic... but he's been stuck behind very slow paces most of the year. Really like him for the exacta in here, maybe the win. Blame figures and could be bet a lot more than 6-1. I would also give a chance to Misremembered to press the pace and get a piece. Einstein's a tough competitor... so it wouldn't surprise to see him in the dogfight, but it doesn't seem like dirt is his best game so I would be surprised to see him in the exacta, especially from the 14 hole. Thought he had a good shot in the BC Classic, but the pace was way too much.
Tip of the hat to Helen Pitts on always placing Einstein where he can win. I am sure she had no choice but to run Einstein in the Classic though on paper he was clearly over matched. Very good horse but definitely over rated and no chance here today.
George Jacobs hopes Friday's $400,000 Clark Handicap is one to remember. Or, more specifically in the California restaurateur's case, one to be Misremembered.Read More
They call it a handicap, but not because of post positions, for crying out loud. And yet here's Einstein being asked not only to carry high weight of 123 pounds Friday in the 135th Clark Handicap, but to start from the outside in post 14 of the Churchill Downs starting gate. "What can you do?" asked...Read More
Obviously, for sentimental reason's I'd love it if Einstein went out a winner and was able to redeem himself from a poor Classic finish against a very tough field that's taking shape in the Clark Handicap. But that said, I have a gut feeling that after running an extremely competitive 2nd to Misremembered in the Indiana Derby that this might just be the day that Giant Oak put's it all together and make's it into the winner's circle. Every since finishing 2nd to Musket Man in the Illinois Derby back in April, this has been a colt that has shown flashes of potentially being a top 3yr.old but has alway's fallen just short. And at 20-1 I definitely like his chances to at least hit the board. But racing against Einstein, Bullsbay, Macho Again, Etched, Misremembered, and Blame he'll definitely have to bring his "A" game to accomplish that.
It's been a long and storied career for Einstein and his trainer Helen Pitts-Blasi. The long road which featured victories on all surfaces from coast-to-coast comes to an end when on Friday he takes on a full field for the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.Read More
  • Show All 4 Comments
  • dustino140 · I'm reading that he's been supplemented to a race in Hong Kong in December, so he might have one more race in him before he's done. · 803 days ago ·
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  • bband · Maybe after drawing the 14-hole... yuck... they decided to pencil in one more. Always feels good to hit your last shot before calling it a day! · 803 days ago ·
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This weekend's lineup is tremendous, with 16 graded stakes at Churchill, Aqueduct, and Hollywood. I'm especially looking forward to the 2-year-old races, as well as the Cigar Mile and Clark Handicap.Read More
Jason, Tom, and James Scully of twinspires preview the Clark Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs on November 27.Read More
Etched started his racing career with an aversion to the winner's circle. He didn't mind finishing first; he just didn't like the postrace ritual.Read More
Thanksgiving is not only a time for families to gather together and celebrate everything they have to be appreciative for but to reflect on the best parts of their lives.  For racing fans Thanksgiving is that plus the unofficial end to the racing season.  There are only two Grade I stakes ...Read More
Three Clark H. (G2) hopefuls put in half-mile moves on Sunday, gearing up for their runs in Friday's $400,000 test going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs. Stronach Stables' EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck) covered four furlongs in :48 3/5 over Churchill's fast main track as he readies for his first start...Read More
The heavy lifting is all done and according to trainer Dallas Stewart, MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno) is "ready to roll" for Friday's 135th running of the Clark H. (G2) at Churchill Downs. "I feel good about our chances," Stewart said of Macho Again, who is owned by West Point Thoroughbreds. "I like where ...Read More

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