In a fierce battle down the stretch under the lights Friday at Churchill Downs, BBN Racing's 4-year-old gelding Trademark emerged the winner in the 149th running of the $600,000 Clark (G2) by prevailing by a nose in photo with 6-5 favorite First Mission.
Trademark, who collected his first graded stakes win and became racing's newest millionaire, clocked 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.95 under jockey Fernando De La Cruz, who rode the winner for trainer Vicki Oliver.
The lofty first prize of $357,600 lifted Trademark's earnings to $1,055,865 from a record of 6-3-1 from 22 starts.
New York invader Film Star, on the outside, and 3-year-old Lexington (G2) winner First Mission, along the rail, raced in tandem on the lead through the first six furlongs in quarter-mile fractions of :23.27, :47.97, and 1:12.45 as Trademark relaxed just behind the duo while pinned inside by Giant Game who tracked from the outside.
Leaving the final turn, First Mission put away Film Star and took the lead at the top of the stretch, but De La Cruz tipped Trademark out three-wide when a hole opened and he hit his best stride. First Mission had a half-length advantage with a furlong to run but Trademark was surging and caught the leader with a sixteenth of a mile remaining. Trademark poked his nose in front in the final 100 yards, but First Mission fought back along the rail. A photo at the finish had to determine the narrow winner.
“I thought at the sixteenth pole I had a big shot at winning,” De La Cruz said. “He relaxed early and I saved ground, just waiting for the right opportunity to get him outside. He's always been a very nice horse. I've been on him a couple of times and knew he was pretty tactical in his races. He showed a big turn of foot in the stretch and fought all the way to the wire.”
First Mission's trainer Brad Cox said: “He ran a huge race. I thought he was very game fighting back at the wire. We're proud of how he ran.”
Prior to the Clark, Trademark finished a disappointing seventh of eight as the 2-1 favorite in the Fayette (G2) on Oct. 28 at Keeneland after finishing second, a head behind Clapton, in the Lukas Classic (G2) Sept. 30 at Churchill Downs.
Trademark had won two prior stakes events but both were ungraded: the off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs last fall and July's Michael H. Schaefer Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
The Clark was Trademark's fourth win from six starts over the Churchill Downs main dirt track and sixth overall from 22 career outings.
“We knew he loves this track and he sure showed it tonight,” Oliver said. “He's run some of his best races here which gave us confidence going into the race. He doesn't like to be inside horses and I think when Fernando got him outside that was a big key to get him to show his best run.”
Trademark, the 13-1 betting choice, rewarded his backers with $28.20 to win.
Il Miracolo finished third another 5½ lengths behind First Mission.
Blue Devil finished fourth and was followed by Gasoline, Film Star, Straight Arrow, Giant Game, and Stage Raider. Happy American was scratched.
Stage Raider was never involved after he bungled the start and spotted the field several lengths.
Trademark is a son of Upstart out of the Creative Cause mare Creative Trick and was bred in Kentucky by the late Brereton C. Jones.
“He's had a long campaign this year (nine starts),” Oliver said. “We'll see how he comes out of the race, but the Pegasus (World Cup Invitational) (G1) (Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park) could be an option next year.”
The Clark, named for Churchill Downs founder Col. M. Lewis Clark, was run for the first time in 1875 during the first racing meet at Churchill Downs, which was then known as the Louisville Jockey Club. Like the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), the Clark has been renewed annually without interruption since its first running.
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The Cottonwood Stable LLC's homebred Seven's Eleven, beaten as the favorite in his prior start, bounced back by powering to a popular 2¾-length triumph in Friday's $75,000 Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial at Laurel Park.
The seven-furlong Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and up and $75,000 Politely for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs, both restricted to Maryland-bred or -sired horses, were the first two of five stakes worth $450,000 over Thanksgiving weekend.
Stakes action continues Saturday with three $100,000 events – the 1 1/8-mile Richard W. Small for 3-year-olds and up, City of Laurel for 3-year-olds, and Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies, each going seven furlongs.
Ridden by Angel Cruz for trainer Carlos Mancilla Jr., 3-year-old Bandbox gelding Seven's Eleven ($6.60) completed the distance in 1:23.34 over a fast main track for his fifth win from nine starts this year and second in a Laurel stakes following the six-furlong Maryland Million Sprint Oct. 14.
“He's a nice horse. In the mornings he's nice to gallop and in the afternoon he's even better,” Cruz said. “He's easy to ride and Carlos said, 'Just do whatever you want. You know him.' He did all the work.”
Cruz sent Seven's Eleven to the lead from their rail post and went the opening quarter-mile in :22.91 flanked on his right by 35-1 longshot Tenax with Sagamore Mischief in third and two-time Maryland-bred champion Joe, making his first start since mid-June racing between horses in the next flight.
Seven's Eleven was still in command after going a half-mile in :46.11 as Grade 3 winner Double Crown made a strong move up the rail and Holy Synchronicity swept up on the outside to get into contention. Cruz set Seven's Eleven down for a drive once straightened for home and had plenty left to turn back Double Crown late, improving to 4-0 at seven furlongs.
Double Crown was 2¾ lengths ahead of Star de Naskra winner Super Accelerate in third with Holy Synchronicity another 1¼ lengths back in fourth. Joe, Sagamore Mischief, Coffeewithchris, Tenax, and Hello Hot Rod completed the order of finish.
“I wasn't concerned. I know he's versatile. He can go from off the pace or on the lead. This is his distance. Seven furlongs is good for Seven's Eleven. I knew we had it at the top of the stretch,” Cruz said. “Every time the other horse was by me I had so much horse, I just waited until the top of the stretch.”
Seven's Eleven was produced by the Senor Swinger mare Senorita Siete.
Late longtime owner-breeders Howard and Sondra Bender were fixtures at Maryland racetracks for nearly four decades. Among their more than 500 winners were graded-stakes winners Secret River, Foufa's Warrior, Promenade Girl, Green Darlin, London Lane and La Reine's Terms.
Intrepid Daydream Makes It Four Straight In Politely
Paul Fowler Jr.'s 4-year-old homebred filly Intrepid Daydream wrested the lead from pacesetting Response Time at the top of the stretch and opened up through the lane to extend her win streak to four races with a 5¼-length victory in the $75,000 Politely.
It was the third win of the day for jockey Jevian Toledo, coming in 1:10.85 over a fast main track, and the third stakes win for Intrepid Daydream following the Shine Again Sept. 16 at Pimlico Race Course and last month's Maryland Million Distaff at Laurel.
Response Time, beaten three lengths when second to Intrepid Daydream in the Distaff, was hustled to the lead by jockey Jerion Barbosa from their rail post. Toledo and Intrepid Daydream, who broke alongside, pressed two wide through a quarter-mile in :22.70 before taking over the top spot leaving the far turn after the half went in :46.07.
“I was just hoping she would have plenty to keep going, and she did,” Fowler said. “Thank God.”
Toledo dropped Intrepid Daydream ($2.40) down to the inside once clear and she went on to register her seventh career win from 13 starts. Response Time was second, four lengths ahead of Utterly Enchanting, followed by Canoodle, Malibu Beauty and Moonboots.
Intrepid Daydream, a daughter of Jess's Dream out of the Jump Start mare Intrepid Tour, was entered but scratched from the 1 1/16-mile Thirty Eight Go Go Nov. 11 at Laurel to await the Politely. She improved to 3-0 lifetime against fellow Maryland-breds.
Bred and raced by Mrs. Richard du Pont, Politely won 13 stakes and placed in eight others from age 2 to 5, setting an Atlantic City track record in the 1967 Matchmaker and matching it the following year. Retired following the 1968 season, she won 21 of 49 career starts and was a member of the inaugural Maryland-bred Thoroughbred Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
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Cash is King and LC Racing's Dr B scored her first graded stakes triumph one year ago in the $200,000 Go for Wand (G3), a one-mile main track test for fillies and mares at Aqueduct Racetrack, and will look to score a repeat win in this year's edition Dec. 2.
Trained by Butch Reid Jr., the 5-year-old daughter of Liam's Map was last seen finishing fourth in the Parx Dirt Mile when facing males on Sept. 23 at her home base of Parx Racing. That effort was her first outside of the graded ranks this year after four starts at the top level, including a game second to Caramel Swirl in the Vagrancy (G3) when making her seasonal bow in May at Belmont Park, and a distant runner-up effort to 2021 champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu in the Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) in July at Saratoga Race Course.
“She's doing great and she'll breeze tomorrow,” said Reid. “We've given her a freshening since her last start with an eye to a title defense in the Go for Wand, so we're going to go ahead and take a shot. She likes the Aqueduct course and she's been in some really tough spots – she's taken on some of the best in the country and certainly hasn't embarrassed herself. We're looking for a little bit easier than she's been up against. We expect her to show good speed. I wouldn't mind a little rain, either.”
In addition to the Go for Wand, Dr B has made one other start at the Big A when a good second to Boston Post Road in the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie last October.
Bred in Kentucky by Eico Ventures, Dr B has earned $473,240 in total purses through a record of 21-5-7-2. She is a half-sister to Stand Up Comic, who won the 2021 Parx Futurity for the same ownership and Reid.
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