Rattle N Roll 2024 Clark Winner, Courtesy Kurtis Coady
Churchill Downs Press
Lucky Seven Stable and Sharaf Mohamad Alhariri’s Rattle N Roll is set to defend his title against eight accomplished rivals in next Friday’s 151st running of the $600,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (Grade II), the marquee race of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs.
Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Clark carries a storied history with past winners including champions Gun Runner, Will Take Charge, Wise Dan, Blame, Saint Liam and Silver Charm.
Friday’s Clark field will go to post at 5:54 p.m. (all times Eastern) in Race 11. The 12-race “Black Friday” program also features the 34th running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies on turf as Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. First post is 1 p.m.
Some of the top horses joining Rattle N Roll in the starting gate for the Clark include Dubai World Cup (GI) winner Hit Show; multiple graded stakes winner First Mission; and graded stakes-winning 3-year-olds Chunk of Gold, Gosger and Magnitude.
Trained by Kenny McPeek, Rattle N Roll scored a gutsy three-quarters of a length victory in last year’s Clark over Most Wanted. Following that race, the son of Connect competed in Saudi Arabia and Dubai where he won the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup (GIII) and then finished fifth in the Saudi Cup (GI) and eighth in the Dubai World Cup (GI). Since returning to the U.S., Rattle N Roll has finished sixth in the Lukas Classic (GII) and second in the Fayette (GII) to fellow Clark rival Hit Show. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be reunited with Rattle N Roll on Friday and break from post No. 6.
Brad Cox stablemates First Mission (post 2, jockey Flavien Prat) and Hit Show (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.) were entered in the Clark in search of a final graded stakes triumph of 2025.
Owned and bred by Godolphin, First Mission has been well traveled throughout his 15-race career with notable victories in the 2024 Alysheba (GII) and 2025 Oaklawn Handicap (GII). A son of Street Sense, First Mission finished second by a nose in the 2023 Clark to Trademark.
Wathnan Racing’s Hit Show boasts an impressive resumé headlined by his upset victory in the Dubai World Cup earlier this year. The 5-year-old son of Candy Ride (ARG) has won 11 of 22 starts while banking more than $8.7 million in purses.
Cox won the 2018 Clark with Steve Landers Racing’s Leofric, who was ridden by Florent Geroux.
While the Clark field includes several accomplished older horses, a trio of 3-year-olds is entered led by Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables’ Gosger. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Gosger scored a two-length victory in the Lexington Stakes (GII) before runner-up finishes in the Preakness Stakes (GI) and Haskell (GI). He was the 8-5 favorite in last month’s Fayette at Keeneland but finished third by 1 ¼ lengths to Hit Show and Rattle N Roll. Jockey Luis Saez will ride from post 4.
Walsh will attempt to win his second Clark after winning the race in 2021 with Godolphin’s Maxfield.
Another talented 3-year-old in the field is Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Risen Star (GII) winner Magnitude. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Magnitude has been pointed to the Clark since finishing second to Baeza in the Pennsylvania Derby (GI). The son of Not This Time will be ridden by Jose Ortiz from post 9.
Winchell, Asmussen and Geroux teamed to win the 2016 Clark with future Hall of Famer Gun Runner.
Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold earned his way into Kentucky Derby 151 in part with his runner-up finish to Magnitude in the Risen Star. He followed that effort with a second-place effort in the Louisiana Derby (GII) and a ninth in the Kentucky Derby (GI). Trained by Ethan West, Chunk of Gold’s resumé is highlighted by his dominant 4 ¼-length score in the West Virginia Derby (GIII) on Aug. 3 at Mountaineer. Jockey Junior Alvarado will ride for the first time and break from post 5.
Since the Clark was moved to the Fall Meet in 1953, 23 3-year-olds have won the race but only one in the past decade: Gun Runner. The Clark was run during the Spring Meet from 1875-1952 and previously served as a target for many 3-year-olds following the Kentucky Derby.
The field for the Clark from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Cooke Creek (Francisco Arrieta, Mike Maker)
First Mission (Prat, Cox)
Hit Show (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox)
Gosger (Saez, Walsh)
Chunk of Gold (Alvarado, West)
Rattle N Roll (Hernandez, McPeek)
Who Dey (Luan Machado, Tommy Drury Jr.)
Willy D’s (Tyler Gaffalione, Mike Maker)
Magnitude (Jose Ortiz, Asmussen)
GRADE I WINNER LUSH LIPS ATTEMPTS TO ADD ANOTHER VICTORY IN $300,000 MRS. REVERE
Grade I winner Lush Lips (GB) will be back in the spotlight for next Friday’s 34th running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (GII) at Churchill Downs where she’ll lead a full field of 12 3-year-old fillies on the turf.
Run at 1 1/16 miles, the Mrs. Revere is the penultimate graded stakes for 3-year-old turf fillies in North America with the American Oaks (GI) concluding the season on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita.
Friday’s race shares the spotlight on the 12-race card with the $600,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GII). First post is 1 p.m. with the Mrs. Revere going as Race 10 at 5:25 p.m.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Lush Lips scored a 1 ¼-length victory as an 8-1 longshot in last month’s Queen Elizabeth II Cup (GI) at Keeneland under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Prior to that race, Lush Lips was victorious in the Tepin Stakes (Listed) and finished second in the Edgewood (GII) to top 3-year-old filly Nitrogen at Churchill Downs. Gaffalione has the return call in Friday’s race and the duo will break from the rail.
Walsh also entered Somethinabouther in the Mrs. Revere. Owned by X-Men Racing IV, Madaket Stables and SF Racing, Somethinabouther won last year’s Mazarine Stakes (GIII) at Woodbine. Axel Concepcion rides from post 8.
Other notable 3-year-old fillies entered in the race include the runner-up and third place finishers of the Sands Point Stakes (GII), respectively, Hit The Bid Racing Stable’s Fast Market and Three Chimneys Farm’s Pretty Picture; Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ stakes winner Classic Q; G Watts Humphrey Jr.’s duo of recent allowance winner In the Stars and stakes-placed Princess Attitude; and Tranquility Lake Farm’s local allowance winner Table Flirt.
The field for the Mrs. Revere from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Lush Lips (GB) (Gaffalione, Walsh)
Fast Market (Samuel Marin, John Terranova II)
Table Flirt (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott)
Classic Q (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse)
Sea To Sky (IRE) (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cherie DeVaux)
Princess Attitude (Cristian Torres, Vicki Oliver)
Bracelet (Irad Ortiz Jr., Brad Cox)
Somethinabouther (Axel Concepcion, Walsh)
In the Stars (Luis Saez, Rusty Arnold II)
Pretty Picture (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown)
Caviar Breakfast (Manny Esquivel, Kenny McPeek)
J N J Heartandsoul (Danny Sheehy, Tommy Molloy)
