The marquee race of the 2020 Fall Meet is the Grade I, $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare on Friday, Nov. 27. Nominations for the 1 1/8-mile race are due Saturday but several horses are ramping up their preparation for the race including two-time Grade I winner Code of Honor and multiple graded stakes winners Mr Freeze and Owendale.
The Clark is one of six graded stakes events that are staged on closing week of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs:
· Thursday, Nov. 26:
o $200,000 Falls City (GII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles
o $100,000 Cardinal (GIII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf
· Friday, Nov. 27:
o $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles
o $100,000 River City (GIII) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf
· Saturday, Nov. 28:
o $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles
o $200,000 Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles
Mr Freeze finished sixth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (GI) and was defeated 5 ¾ lengths by front-running Knicks Go. Finishing just ahead of Mr Freeze in the race was the six-time winner Owendale. The Into Mischief colt was the runner-up in last year's edition of the Clark behind Tom's d'Etat.
One of the other early top contenders for the Clark is Bill Farish's two-time Grade I winner Code of Honor. Based at Belmont Park with trainer Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor most recently finished second behind Complexity in the one-mile $150,000 Kelso (GII). Code of Honor was a top 3-year-old in 2019 after recording victories in the $1.25 million Travers (GI), $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and $250,000 Dwyer (GIII). The homebred son of Noble Mission finished second in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) behind Country House.
Nominations to all six races close Saturday and will be released early next week. To nominate, visit www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen or call (502) 636-3806.
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