Clark Handicap
| Clark Handicap | |
|---|---|
| Grade I race | |
| Location |
Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1875 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | www.churchilldowns.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs) |
| Track | Dirt, left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old & up |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | $500,000 |
The Clark Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November/early December at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. Currently a Grade I event, it is open to horses age three and older and is contested on dirt over a distance of 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs).
The race is named in honor of Colonel M. Lewis Clark, founder of the Louisville Jockey Club which built Churchill Downs.
Through 1901, it was restricted to three-year-old horses.
Since inception, the Clark Handicap has been run at various distances:
- 2 miles : 1875-1880
- 1 ¼ miles : 1881-1895
- 1⅛ miles : 1896-1901, 1922–1924, 1955–present
- 11/16 miles : 1902-1921, 1925–1954
The race was run in two divisions in 1953.
Records
Speed record: (at current distance of 1⅛ miles)
- 1:47.39 - Premium Tap (2006)
Most wins:
- 2 - Hodge (1915, 1916)
- 2 - Bold Favorite (1968, 1969)
- 2 - Bob's Dusty (1977, 1978)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 - Isaac Burns Murphy (1879, 1884,1885, 1890)
- 4 - Pat Day (1984, 1985, 1990, 2000)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 3 - Ben A. Jones (1942, 1946, 1951)
- 3 - Smiley Adams (1977, 1978, 1979)
- 3 - Bob Baffert (1996, 1998, 2014)
Winners of the Clark Handicap since 1875
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
| 2014 | Hoppertunity | 3 | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | Watson/Pegram/Weitman | 1:49.88 |
| 2013 | Will Take Charge | 3 | Luis Saez | D. Wayne Lukas | Willis D. Horton | 1:49.39 |
| 2012 | Shackleford | 4 | Jesus Lopez Castanon | Dale L. Romans | Lauffer/Cubbedge | 1:49.12 |
| 2011 | Wise Dan | 4 | John Velazquez | Charles Lopresti | Morton Fink | 1:48.95 |
| 2010‡ | Giant Oak | 4 | Shaun Bridgmohan | Chris M. Block | Virginia H. Tarra Trust | 1:50.82 |
| 2009 | Blame | 3 | Jamie Theriot | Albert Stall, Jr. | Adele Dilschneider/Claiborne Farm | 1:49.39 |
| 2008 | Einstein | 6 | Julien Leparoux | Helen Pitts-Blasi | M. L. Garretson, trustee | 1:49.79 |
| 2007 | A. P. Arrow | 5 | Ramon Dominguez | Todd Pletcher | Allen E. Paulson LT | 1:48.66 |
| 2006 | Premium Tap | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | John C. Kimmel | Kline/Alevizos/Whelihan | 1:47.39 |
| 2005 | Magna Graduate | 3 | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | Elisabeth Alexander | 1:50.89 |
| 2004 | Saint Liam | 4 | Edgar Prado | Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. | M/M William K. Warren, Jr. | 1:50.81 |
| 2003† | Quest | 4 | Javier Castellano | Nick Zito | A. B. Hancock III/G. F. Healy | 1:52.42 |
| 2002 | Lido Palace | 5 | Jorge F. Chavez | Robert J. Frankel | John & Jerry Amerman | 1:49.13 |
| 2001 | Ubiquity | 4 | Craig Perret | William I. Mott | Gary & Mary West | 1:48.26 |
| 2000 | Surfside | 3 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1:48.75 |
| 1999 | Littlebitlively | 5 | Calvin Borel | Bobby Barnett | John A. Franks | 1:50.88 |
| 1998 | Silver Charm | 4 | Gary Stevens | Bob Baffert | Bob & Beverly Lewis | 1:49.00 |
| 1997 | Concerto | 3 | Jerry Bailey | William I. Mott | Kinsman Stable | 1:49.60 |
| 1996 | Isitingood | 5 | David Flores | Bob Baffert | Mike Pegram & Terry Henn | 1:48.80 |
| 1995 | Judge T C | 4 | Joe Johnson | Gary G. Hartlage | Bea & Robert H. Roberts | 1:49.80 |
| 1994 | Sir Vixen | 6 | Dean Kutz | Mark Danner | Mark & Vickie Copass | 1:51.20 |
| 1993 | Mi Cielo | 3 | Mike E. Smith | Peter M. Vestal | Thomas M. Carey | 1:51.40 |
| 1992 | Zeeruler | 4 | Garrett Gomez | Donnie K. Von Hemel | John A. Franks | 1:50.00 |
| 1991 | Out of Place | 4 | Herb McCauley | C. R. McGaughey III | Cynthia Phipps | 1:52.20 |
| 1990 | Secret Hello | 3 | Pat Day | Frank L. Brothers | Lazy Lane Farm | 1:50.60 |
| 1989 | No Marker | 5 | Danny Cox | Patti Johnson | Billy Ray Gowdy | 1:51.20 |
| 1988 | Balthazar B. | 5 | Kent Desormeaux | Paul J. McGee | Paul J. McGee et al. | 1:51.20 |
| 1987 | Intrusion | 5 | Larry Melancon | Lee J. Rossi | Carl J. Maggio | 1:51.40 |
| 1986 | Come Summer | 4 | Patrick Johnson | George R. Arnold II | Surf & Turf Stable | 1:49.80 |
| 1985 | Hopeful Word | 3 | Pat Day | Carl Bowman | M. Clifton/R. Doll/B. Morris | 1:51.00 |
| 1984 | Eminency | 6 | Pat Day | C. R. McGaughey III | Happy Valley Farm | 1:49.00 |
| 1983 | Jack Slade | 3 | James McKnight | David Kassen | A. Adams | 1:49.80 |
| 1982 | Hechizado | 6 | Randy Romero | Ray Lawrence, Jr. | Charles Schmidt, Jr. | 1:52.20 |
| 1981 | Withholding | 4 | Larry Melancon | Ronnie Warren | M/M Russell Michael, Jr. | 1:52.00 |
| 1980 | Sun Catcher | 3 | Don Brumfield | Dianne Carpenter | Sundance Stable/D. Nedeff | 1:53.40 |
| 1979 | Lot o' Gold | 3 | Julio Espinoza | Smiley Adams | Robert N. Lehmann | 1:50.80 |
| 1978 | Bob's Dusty | 4 | Richard dePass | Smiley Adams | Robert N. Lehmann | 1:50.20 |
| 1977 | Bob's Dusty | 3 | Richard dePass | Smiley Adams | Robert N. Lehmann | 1:49.80 |
| 1976 | Yamanin | 4 | Garth Patterson | George T. Poole | Hajima Doi | 1:54.40 |
| 1975 | Warbucks | 5 | Larry Melancon | Don Combs | E. E. Elzemeyer | 1:54.40 |
| 1974 | Mr. Door | 3 | William Gavidia | Thomas W. Kelley | NF | 1:52.20 |
| 1973 | Golden Don | 3 | Mike Manganello | Oscar Dishman | Archie Donaldson | 1:52.80 |
| 1972 | Fairway Flyer | 3 | David Whited | John J. Greely III | William Floyd | 1:53.80 |
| 1971 | Sado | 4 | Don Brumfield | Harold Tinker | W. Cal Partee | 1:53.60 |
| 1970 | Watch Fob | 5 | Danny Gargan | George T. Poole | C. V. Whitney | 1:51.20 |
| 1969 | Bold Favorite | 4 | Doug Richard | Del W. Carroll | Michael Grace Phipps | 1:50.40 |
| 1968 | Bold Favorite | 3 | Robert Nono | Del W. Carroll | Michael Grace Phipps | 1:49.20 |
| 1967 | Random Shot | 4 | Billy Phelps | James R. Cowden, Jr. | James R. Cowden, Sr. | 1:50.80 |
| 1966 | Flick II | 4 | Hector Pilar | Larry H. Thompson | NF | 1:49.60 |
| 1965 | Big Brigade | 4 | Jimmy Nichols | E. S. Brumfield | M/M R. F. Roberts | 1:50.80 |
| 1964 | Lemon Twist | 4 | Billy Phelps | Pete Keiser | T. D. Buhl | 1:50.60 |
| 1963 | Copy Chief | 3 | Don Brumfield | S. Bryant Ott | Fourth Estate Stable | 1:49.20 |
| 1962 | Crimson Satan | 3 | Herb Hinojosa | Charley Kerr | Crimson King Farm | 1:50.00 |
| 1961 | Aeroflint | 3 | Eugene Curry | K. G. Hall | Mrs. Raymond Bauer | 1:48.40 |
| 1960 | Counterate | 3 | John L. Rotz | John J. Greely III | C. V. Whitney | 1:49.00 |
| 1959 | Las Olas | 4 | F. A. Smith III | C. E. Eads | Harry N. Eads | 1:48.40 |
| 1958 | My Night Out | 5 | E. J. Knapp | R. Grundy | Mr. Wells | 1:50.00 |
| 1957 | Ezgo | 3 | John Delahoussaye | Larry H. Thompson | NF | 1:50.80 |
| 1956 | Swoon's Son | 3 | David Erb | Lex Wilson | E. Gay Drake | 1:50.60 |
| 1955 | Happy Go Lucky | 6 | Lois C. Cook | Harold G. Bockman | Harold G. Bockman | 1:51.60 |
| 1954 | Bay Bloom | 5 | J. King | F. H. Pohl | F. H. Pohl | 1:44.00 |
| 1953 | Second Avenue | 6 | Carroll Bierman | Lex Wilson | NF | 1:45.60 |
| 1953 | Chombro | 6 | Lois C. Cook | John Hanover | NF | 1:45.60 |
| 1952 | Seaward | 7 | Kenneth Church | Harry Trotsek | Hasty House Farm | 1:44.40 |
| 1951 | Wistful | 5 | Douglas Dodson | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm | 1:44.00 |
| 1950 | Mount Marcy | 5 | Steve Brooks | Sylvester Veitch | C. V. Whitney | 1:44.60 |
| 1949 | Shy Guy | 4 | Conn McCreary | Jack C. Hodgins | Dixiana | 1:45.20 |
| 1948 | Star Reward | 4 | Steve Brooks | Jack C. Hodgins | Dixiana | 1:46.60 |
| 1947 | Jack S. L. | 7 | Steve Brooks | J. O. Ravannack | NF | 1:49.60 |
| 1946 | Hail Victory | 4 | Douglas Dodson | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm | 1:47.80 |
| 1945 | Sentiment Sake | 4 | F. Wirth | Milton Rieser | NF | 1:47.20 |
| 1944 | Alquest | 4 | Johnny Adams | Jack H. Skirvin | Ernst Farm | 1:45.20 |
| 1943 | Anticlimax | 4 | Carroll Bierman | K. Osborne | Hal Price Headley | 1:46.00 |
| 1942 | Whirlaway | 4 | Wendell Eads | Ben A. Jones | Calumet Farm | 1:44.80 |
| 1941 | Haltal | 4 | Conn McCreary | Steve Judge | NF | 1:44.80 |
| 1940 | Up the Creek | 4 | G. Wallace | Roy Waldron | NF | 1:46.00 |
| 1939 | Arabs Arrow | 5 | Carroll Bierman | Gilbert Hardy | Louise J. Hickman | 1:45.80 |
| 1938 | Main Man | 4 | W. F. Ward | Howard Hoffman | Jerome B. Respess | 1:46.80 |
| 1937 | Count Morse | 4 | Irving Anderson | Frank J. Kearns | Calumet Farm | 1:45.20 |
| 1936 | Corinto | 4 | Charley Kurtsinger | Bert S. Michell | Mrs. Emil Denemark | 1:44.80 |
| 1935 | Beaver Dam | 3 | R. Montgomery | G. Gould | T. S. & J. S. Mulvihill | 1:47.40 |
| 1934 | Esseff | 4 | L. Humphries | Clyde Van Dusen | NF | 1:44.00 |
| 1933 | Osculator | 4 | Silvio Coucci | Ben Creech | NF | 1:45.40 |
| 1932 | Pittsburgher | 4 | Charles Corbett | J. H. Moody | Shady Brook Farm | 1:50.20 |
| 1931 | Bargello | 5 | K. Russell | Mose Goldblatt | NF | 1:44.80 |
| 1930 | Stars and Bars | 4 | L. Jones | Edward Haughton | Greentree Stable | 1:47.40 |
| 1929 | Martie Flynn | 4 | Carl Meyer | R. McGarvey | Syl Peabody | 1:46.60 |
| 1928 | Jock | 4 | Eddie Ambrose | John F. Schorr | John W. Schorr | 1:45.00 |
| 1927 | Helen's Babe | 4 | Walter Lilley | W. W. Taylor | NF | 1:46.00 |
| 1926 | San-utar | 5 | Mack Garner | Pete Coyne | NF | 1:45.40 |
| 1925 | Spic and Span | 4 | G. Fields | H. Unna | NF | 1:47.60 |
| 1924 | Chilhowee | 3 | G. Harvey | John C. Gallaher | John & Allen Gallaher | 1:54.40 |
| 1923 | Audacious | 7 | B. Kennedy | A. Baker | Wilfrid Viau | 1:54.60 |
| 1922 | Exterminator | 7 | B. Kennedy | Henry McDaniel | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | 1:50.00 |
| 1921 | Ginger | 5 | T. Murray | K. Spence | H. H. Hewitt | 1:45.00 |
| 1920 | Boniface | 5 | Earl Sande | H. Guy Bedwell | J. K. L. Ross | 1:45.80 |
| 1919 | Midway | 5 | Harold Thurber | J. S. Ward | NF | 1:46.60 |
| 1918 | Beaverkill | 4 | O. Willis | S. M. Henderson | Ogden Stable | 1:48.20 |
| 1917 | Old Rosebud | 6 | D. Connelly | Frank D. Weir | F. D. Weir & H. C. Applegate | 1:45.20 |
| 1916 | Hodge | 5 | C. Hunt | W. J. Weber | K. Spence | 1:45.40 |
| 1915 | Hodge | 4 | Charles Borel | W. J. Weber | K. Spence | 1:44.60 |
| 1914 | Belloc | 3 | A. Mott | E. Cunningham | NF | 1:45.00 |
| 1913 | Buckhorn | 4 | Roscoe Goose | J. D. Adkins | R. J. MacKenzie | 1:48.20 |
| 1912 | Adams Express | 4 | Carroll H. Shilling | F. M. Taylor | NF | 1:45.20 |
| 1911 | Star Charter | 3 | J. Wilson | G. M. Johnson | John W. Schorr | 1:47.80 |
| 1910 | King's Daughter | 7 | Ted Koerner | George Denny | Thomas C. McDowell | 1:45.60 |
| 1909 | Miami | 3 | Matt McGee | W. L. Lewis | Johnson N. Camden, Jr. | 1:45.20 |
| 1908 | Polly Prim | 5 | Vincent Powers | Fred Luzader | J. R. Wainwright | 1:58.80 |
| 1907 | The Minks | 4 | David Nicol | W. Wells | NF | 1:50.80 |
| 1906 | Hyperion II | 3 | W. McIntyre | J. S. Hawks | J. S. Hawks & Co. | 1:49.00 |
| 1905 | Batts | 4 | David Nicol | R. P. Brooks | NF | 1:53.75 |
| 1904 | Colonial Girl | 5 | Lucien Lyne | C. E. Rowe | C. E. Rowe | 1:48.75 |
| 1903 | Love Labor | 6 | Scully | A. Hazlett | NF | 1:48.00 |
| 1902 | Death | 7 | J. Slack | H. Robinson | NF | 1:47.00 |
| 1901 | His Eminence | 3 | James Winkfield | Frank B. Van Meter | Frank B. Van Meter | 1:55.00 |
| 1900 | Lieut. Gibson | 3 | Jimmy Boland | Charles H. Hughes | Charles Smith | 1:54.00 |
| 1899 | Corsini | 3 | Nash Turner | Edward Corrigan | Edward Corrigan | 2:01.60 |
| 1898 | Plaudit | 3 | Robert Williams | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 1:56.50 |
| 1897 | Ornament | 3 | Alonzo Clayton | C. T. Patterson | C. T. Patterson & Co. | 1:55.00 |
| 1896 | Ben Eder | 3 | Willie Simms | NF | Hot Springs Stable | 1:56.50 |
| 1895 | Halma | 3 | Soup Perkins | Byron McClelland | Byron McClelland | 2:15.50 |
| 1894 | Chant | 3 | William Martin | H. Eugene Leigh | Leigh & Rose | 2:19.50 |
| 1893 | Boundless | 3 | Eddie Kunze | W. McDaniel | Cushing & Orth | 2:12.00 |
| 1892 | Azra | 3 | Alonzo Clayton | John H. Morris | Bashford Manor Stable | 2:20.00 |
| 1891 | High Tariff | 3 | Monk Overton | NF | Eastin & Larabie | 2:12.00 |
| 1890 | Riley | 3 | Isaac Burns Murphy | Edward Corrigan | Edward Corrigan | 2:16.25 |
| 1889 | Spokane | 3 | Thomas Kiley | John Rodegap | Noah Armstrong | 2:12.50 |
| 1888 | Gallifet | 3 | Andrew McCarthy, Jr. | NF | Melbourne Stable | 2:15.25 |
| 1887 | Jim Gore | 3 | L. Jones | NF | A. G. McCampbell | 2:11.25 |
| 1886 | Blue Wing | 3 | Edward Garrison | NF | Melbourne Stable | 2:10.00 |
| 1885 | Bersan | 3 | Isaac Burns Murphy | Green B. Morris | Morris & Patton | 2:09.25 |
| 1884 | Buchanan | 3 | Isaac Burns Murphy | William Bird | William Cottrill | 2:12.00 |
| 1883 | Ascender | 3 | John Stoval | J. Pate | R. C. Pate | 2:18.00 |
| 1882 | Runnymede | 3 | Jim McLaughlin | James G. Rowe, Sr. | Dwyer Bros. Stable | 2:15.50 |
| 1881 | Hindoo | 3 | Jim McLaughlin | James G. Rowe, Sr. | Dwyer Bros. Stable | 2:10.25 |
| 1880 | Kinkead | 3 | Jim McLaughlin | NF | NF | 3:37.75 |
| 1879 | Falsetto | 3 | Isaac Burns Murphy | Eli Jordan | J. W. Hunt Reynolds | 3:40.50 |
| 1878 | Leveller | 3 | Robert Swim | NF | R. H. Owens | 3:37.00 |
| 1877 | McWhirter | 3 | C. Miller | NF | Abraham Buford II | 3:30.50 |
| 1876 | Creedmore | 3 | Howard D. Williams | NF | Williams & Owings | 3:34.75 |
| 1875 | Voltigeur | 3 | McGrath | B. Green | W. G. Harding | 3:30.75 |
† In 2003, Evening Attire won the race but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and set back to second.
‡ In 2010, Successful Dan won the race but was disqualified and placed third for interference.