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Weekend Lineup Presented By Fall Festival Of Racing At Laurel Park: Stakes Aplenty

The holiday weekend's Thoroughbred action is highlighted by the final live racing dates of the year at Churchill Downs, featuring the Grade 1 Clark, and at Del Mar, featuring both the G1 Hollywood Derby and G1 Matriarch, as well as the opening weekends at both the Fair Grounds and Tampa Bay Downs. At Laurel Park, the Fall Festival of Racing is offering six stakes on a nine-race Saturday program that gets under way at 12:25 p.m. ET.

Here's a brief look at some of the graded stakes action (all times Eastern):

Friday, Nov. 27

5:27 p.m. – $500,000 G1 Clark at Churchill Downs

W.S. Farish's multiple G1 winner Code of Honor will take on 13 rivals including graded stakes winners By My Standards, Mr Freeze and Owendale in the 146^th renewal of the $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) – the marquee race of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD112720USA10-EQB.html

6:30 p.m. – $200,000 G2 Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar

A wide-open edition of the Hollywood Turf Cup – a handicapping delight for those who like the challenge of a well-matched and highly competitive field – will be the day-after Thanksgiving treat this Friday at Del Mar. A trio of out-of-towners add special spice to the handicapping stew – Donegal Racing, Bulger and Coneway's Arklow, Manfred Ostermann's Laccario and Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Say the Word. They'll all be making their Del Mar debuts. The race also has drawn its defending champion – Messineo or Sands' Oscar Dominguez, who rallied through the lane to win by a neck over turf star United in last year's running. It additionally has lured back a pair of runners who have been there before – Mr. & Mrs. Larry Williams' Ward 'n Jerry, third in the Turf Cup last year, and Little Red Feather and Tavares' Marckie's Water, fourth in the 2018 edition of the race.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR112720USA7-EQB.html

Saturday, Nov. 28

4:57 p.m. – $200,000 G2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs

Harold Lerner LLC, Magdalena Racing and Nehoc Stables' Alcibiades (G1) winner Simply Ravishing will lead a field of 10 promising juvenile fillies in Saturday's Golden Rod. Among the other rivals to Simply Ravishing in the Golden Rod is Kueber Racing's undefeated $98,000 Rags to Riches winner Coach. Trained by Brad Cox, Coach is a perfect 3-for-3 in her young career. She'll be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Travel Column. Owned by OXO Equine, Travel Column dazzled on debut by 4 ¼ lengths and returned with a third-place effort behind Simply Ravishing in the Alcibiades.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD112820USA9-EQB.html

5:56 p.m. – $200,000 G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs

Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith's Breeders' Cup Juvenile third-place finisher Keepmeinmind will be in search of his first-career victory against a competitive field of nine 2-year-olds, which includes stakes winners King Fury and Sittin On Go, in Saturday's 94th running of the Kentucky Jockey Club.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/CD112820USA11-EQB.html

6:27 p.m. – $200,000 G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar

The Seabiscuit Handicap this Saturday at Del Mar brings together a big field of 13 turf horses from around North America in what should be an extraordinary race to watch and to wager on. Leading the field in career earnings at $1.8 million is Next Shares, who posted the 27 to 1 upset winning the 2019 Seabiscuit but who is winless this year in six races. Close at hand in terms of career accomplishments is Bowies Hero, who has earned more than $1.5 million with his last big win coming in the 2019 Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile. Next is My Boy Jack, who has banked more than three-quarters of a million. Starting his career on dirt, My Boy Jack was a top 3-year-old in 2018, including a fifth place effort in the Kentucky Derby before going on the sidelines in the fall of 2019 and making his return to the races in this race. Flavius appears to be a strong contender as well, having won the Tourist Mile Stakes this past summer before a troubled effort in the Shadwell Turf Mile.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR112820USA7-EQB.html

7:27 p.m. – $300,000 G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar

A field of 13 3-year-olds of both quality and quantity was entered the 79th running of the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Among the group were five shippers from East Coast-based trainers with two from Christophe Clement and one each from Chad Brown, George Weaver and Thomas M. Bush. Clement is sending out Decorated Invader, a winner of the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont Park and the G2 Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga last summer and Gufo, a winner as the favorite of the Belmont Derby on Oct. 3. Brown is dispatching Domestic Spending, a winner of the Saratoga Derby Invitational in August by a head over Gufo; Weaver will be represented by Ever Dangerous, fresh from a win in a $150,000 stakes at Keeneland on Nov. 6, and Bush sends Get Smokin, a wire-to-winner of the G2 Hill Prince on a yielding Belmont turf on Oct. 18.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR112820USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, Nov. 29

7:00 p.m. – $300,000 G1 Matriarch at Del Mar

A field of nine, one-third from the stable of mega-trainer Chad Brown, was entered today for Sunday's G1 Matriarch Stakes, the signature event of the final day of the Bing Crosby Season. Brown's trio of shippers from New York is comprised of graded stakes winners Tamahere and Viadera and graded stakes-placed Blowout.
https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/DMR112920USA9-EQB.html

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Churchill Downs: Overflow Field For Clark To Match Code Of Honor, By My Standards, Mr Freeze, Owendale

W.S. Farish's multiple Grade 1 winner Code of Honor will take on 13 rivals including graded stakes winners By My Standards, Mr Freeze and Owendale in Friday's 146^th renewal of the $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) – the marquee race of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The 1 1/8-mile Clark will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:27 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.

Code of Honor, a 4-year-old son of Noble Mission (GB), achieved Grade 1 glory in last year's $1.25 million Travers and $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). Trainer Shug McGaughey III had his sights set on a strong 2020 campaign but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he was forced to alter the colt's plans.

“He's just been a victim of circumstances with the COVID situation,” McGaughey said. “I would've liked him to run him in the Westchester which would've been the start of the Belmont Meet in the spring. I would've spaced the races out that way. That didn't' work out so we couldn't run until June 6 in the Westchester. He won that and I really had in my mind I wasn't going to run him back until the Whitney. He's run a lot better with his races spaced.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride Code of Honor from post position No. 3.

“Johnny told me after the Met that this horse definitely wants two turns,” McGaughey said. “His race in the Kelso against Complexity, who was the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, was a really good race. We had to change riders on him that day. Javier (Castellano) is obviously a great rider but may not have known him as well as Johnny did. All in all, it was sort of just a messed up year. Now he's gotten his space and he's run good over this Churchill track.”

Code of Honor was one of the top 3-year-old prospects in 2019 following his victory in the $400,000 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park. He placed second in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prior to his Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup victories.

Among the other top older horses that entered the race is Allied Racing Stable's $400,000 Alysheba (G2) winner By My Standards. Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Gabriel Saez, By My Standards finished eighth in this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), his only off the board finish through seven starts in 2020.

“He loves this track at Churchill Downs so I think he'll do a lot better getting back here,” Saez said. “We didn't get the best of trips in the Breeders' Cup and he didn't like the surface that day. He worked really well (on Friday). He just has such a big stride and covers a lot of ground.”

By My Standards sports a stout overall record of 13-6-4-1 with earnings of $1,824,430. He drew post 12 for Friday's Clark.

Also entered is Rupp Racing's three-time Grade 3 winner Owendale. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale finished second behind By My Standards in the Alysheba. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief began his 2020 campaign with a victory at Churchill Downs in the $100,000 Blame Stakes. Owendale enters the Clark following a fifth-place effort in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

“In the Alysheba there was no pace,” Cox said. “He doesn't really like kickback so we have to make sure he gets out in the clear. I think his efforts this year have put him in contention with some of the older horses in this handicap division.”

Owendale was the runner-up finisher behind Tom's d'Etat in last year's Clark. Florent Geroux has the call on Owendale from post 9.

Another top older horse that entered the Clark is Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's four-time graded stakes winner Mr Freeze. Trained by Dale Romans, Mr Freeze scored a narrow victory in last month's $200,000 Fayette (G2) at Keeneland. The six-time winner finished third in last year's Clark under jockey Robby Albarado. Following that race he finished second in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), beaten 4 ½ lengths by Mucho Gusto.

Jockey David Cohen will ride Mr Freeze in the Clark from post 7.

Finishing just a neck behind Mr Freeze in the Fayette was Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton and Peter Leidel's Aurelius Maximus. The 4-year-old colt was transferred from trainer Chad Brown to Steve Asmussen at the end of 2019 and immediately found success reeling off consecutive allowance victories.

Aurelius Maximus is one of two horses entered in the Clark for Asmussen. The other is Ed and Susie Orr's four-time winner Silver Prospector. The 3-year-old son of Declaration of War rallied to win a 1 1/8-mile allowance event on Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs. Earlier in his career, the gray colt was on the Kentucky Derby trail with victories in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3).

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call on Aurelius Maximus from post 5 while Gerardo Corrales picks up the call on Silver Prospector from post 14.

Invading from South Florida for the Clark is Top Racing, Global Thoroughbred and GDS Stable's multiple graded stakes placed Bodexpress. The 14^th place finisher in the 2019 Kentucky Derby arrived at Churchill Downs on Friday with trainer Gustavo Delgado's son Gustavo Jr. The 4-year-old son of Bodemeister enters the Clark following a dominating 11 ¼-length allowance score at Gulfstream Park West in mid-October.

Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Bodexpress and will break from post 8.

Rounding out the Clark field is Bourbon Lane Stable's stakes winner Bourbon Calling; Albaugh Family Stable and Helen K Groves Revocable Trust's improving 4-year-old colt Coastal Defense; Lucky Seven Stable's five-time winner Crafty Daddy; Wachtel Stable, George Kerr, and Gary Barber's Grade 3 winner Multiplier; Susan and Jim Hill's recent allowance winner Phantom Currency; Imperial Racing's $2.5 million UAE Derby (G2) winner Plus Que Parfait; and Charles Fipke's Fayette third-place finisher Title Ready.Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's recent turf allowance winner In Love (BRZ) is on the also-eligible list with the lowest earnings in the field.

In total, the Clark field has accumulated 58 wins with earnings of more than $12.4 million.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Crafty Daddy (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Title Ready (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart); Code of Honor (Velazquez, McGaughey); Multiplier (Tyler Gaffalione, Peter Miller); Aurelius Maximus (Santana, Asmussen); Plus Que Parfait (Robby Albarado, Brendan Walsh); Mr Freeze (Cohen, Romans); Bodexpress (Bejarano, Delgado); Owendale (Geroux, Cox); Bourbon Calling (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes); Coastal Defense (Joe Talamo, Romans); By My Standards (Saez, Calhoun); Phantom Currency (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch); and Silver Prospector (Corrales, Asmussen). Also-Eligible: In Love (Albarado, Paulo Lobo).

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McGaughey Hoping Code Of Honor Back On Schedule For Big Effort In Clark

W.S. Farish's two-time Grade 1 winner Code of Honor had to alter his schedule multiple times in 2020 but his Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey III hopes Friday's Grade 1, $500,000 Clark at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., gets the colt back to the winner's circle.

“He's just been a victim of circumstances with the COVID situation,” McGaughey said. “I would've liked him to run him in the Westchester (G3) which would've been the start of the Belmont Meet in the spring. I would've spaced the races out that way. That didn't' work out so we couldn't run until June 6 in the Westchester. He won that and I really had in my mind I wasn't going to run him back until the Whitney. He's run a lot better with his races spaced.”

Following Code of Honor's half-length victory in the $100,000 Westchester, McGaughey decided to run the colt one month later in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

“He ran in the Derby and then didn't run again until Fourth of July weekend and then didn't run again until the Travers during the last part of Saratoga. The Metropolitan Mile is a prestigious race so we decided to run in that race. He was doing really good and he ran a really good race that day. I think if we may have missed that we could've made a better showing in the Whitney.”

Code of Honor finished fourth in the aforementioned Grade 1 Whitney behind the wire-to-wire winner Improbable. The 4-year-old Noble Mission (GB) colt will enter Friday's Clark off a runner-up effort behind Complexity in the $150,000 Kelso (G2).

Friday's Clark is the marquee race of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet. Entries for the 1 1/8-mile event will be taken Sunday. The field is also expected to include graded stakes winners By My Standards, Mr Freeze and Owendale.

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By My Standards Joins Clark Probables Following Friday Work

Allied Racing Stable's multiple graded stakes winner By My Standards is probable to enter next Friday's $500,000 Grade 1 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare following a half-mile move in :49.40 Friday at Churchill Downs.

Also donning the Friday morning work tab was Rupp Racing's three-time Grade 3 winner Owendale who worked an easy half-mile in :49.20 for trainer Brad Cox.

On Friday morning, trainer Bret Calhoun reported via text that By My Standards, the recent eighth-place runner in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, would likely be his lone entrant to the 1 1/8-mile race.

The Clark is the centerpiece of a fantastic Thanksgiving week of racing beneath the Twin Spires. Inaugurated in 1875, the Clark will be the featured race on the Friday program at Churchill Downs. Entries will be taken Sunday. The likely entrants to the race include Bodexpress, By My Standards, Code of Honor, In Love (BRZ) and Plus Que Parfait. Coastal Defense and Mr. Freeze are possible to enter the race, according to trainer Dale Romans.

One day prior on Thanksgiving will be the 105th running of the $200,000 Falls City (GII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles. Entries for Thursday's card will be drawn Saturday.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, the card will feature all 2-year-olds races for “Stars of Tomorrow II.” The headlining races will be the 94th running of the $200,000 G2 Kentucky Jockey Club and its counterpart for fillies, the $200,000 G2 Golden Rod.

The likely field for the Kentucky Jockey Club includes Arabian Prince (trainer Dallas Stewart), Inspector Frost (Brad Cox), King Fury (Kenny McPeek), Super Stock (Steve Asmussen) and Swill (Cox).

The likely field for the Golden Rod includes Coach (Cox), Lady Traveler (Dale Romans), Roc's Princess (Billy Gowan), Simply Ravishing (McPeek) and Travel Column (Cox).

Entries for Saturday's program will be drawn Wednesday.

Out of an abundance of caution, there will be no turf racing at Churchill Downs through the remainder of the meet because the course has not satisfactorily responded to this fall's climate. Grass racing will resume next spring when the conditions become more optimum. As a result, there will be no turf entries taken for races scheduled to be run on turf from Nov. 25-29. All scheduled turf races in the condition book during this time period will be transferred to the main track and entries taken for the same conditions will be dirt only. Additionally, the $100,000 G3 Cardinal and $100,000 G3 River City will be put on hiatus this year.

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