Clark Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 Clark Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 Clark is set for November 24 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Clark Stakes Preview
- Race: Clark Stakes
- Purse: $600,000
- Track: Churchill Downs
- Date: November 24
- Post Time: 5:48 PM (ET)
- Live: Clark Stakes Odds: Click Here
Before we can give you our expert 2023 Clark Stakes free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2023 Clark Stakes Handicapping
Thanksgiving weekend holiday racing offers up a pair of graded stakes on Friday under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs, including the (G2) Clark Stakes.
Long known as the Clark Handicap, the Clark Stakes is open to horses age three and older and is run at 1 1/8 miles on the Churchill dirt. Past winners of the Clark include 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Hall of Famer Wise Dan, and Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm.
For 2023, the Clark features a solid field of 10 starters, with no clear-cut favourite and lots of betting value.
Odds listed here are provided by the Churchill track oddsmaker.
2023 Clark Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: First Mission Race Odds: 3-1
The slight morning-line favourite for trainer Brad Cox, First Mission is only 3/4 of a length away from having an unbeaten record in the first four starts of his career.
Since finishing second in his maiden debut, he has rattled off three consecutive victories, although the winning margins have diminished in each of those wins. Two back he took the (G3) Lexington Stakes over Arabian Lion who then won two in a row himself, including the (G1) Woody Stephens. In fact, all three of his wins have come over horses that came back to win their next start.
Here he tries to stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time.
2023 Clark Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Gasoline Race Odds: 5-1
Taking his first shot at stakes-level racing, Gasoline was away from the races for six months through the spring and summer, but returned with a vengeance in September and has now won two in a row.
Last out he was a 5 1/4 length winner at the highest level of the allowance ranks, and with improving speed figures over both of those two races this is the next logical step, although a tougher field than he has faced before. For him, distance shouldn’t be a problem as he already has a win going 1 1/8 miles as well as the even longer 1 3/16.
Film Star Race Odds: 5-1
After spending the summer exclusively in New York and running first-or-second in seven straight allowance-level races, Film Star tried stakes company two back and managed a decent runner-up finish behind 2022 Triple Crown contender Zandon in the (G2) Woodward Stakes.
He was a bit of a disappointment last out when he was only fourth in the (G2) Forty Niner Stakes, albeit only 1 3/4 lengths back of the winner. He has lots of early speed and will likely be one of the ones pushing the pace right out of the gate.
Blue Devil Race Odds: 10-1
Another with only a single previous stakes start to his name, Blue Devil was a very competitive third by just 3/4 of a length last out in the (G3) Lukas Classic behind a much more experienced pair. That race was also on the Churchill dirt and at this 1 1/8 mile distance.
He’s an improving four-year-old who has hit triple-digit Equibase speed figures his last three starts and owns a win at the distance.
Here’s My 2023 Clark Stakes Free Pick.
On paper this is a very competitive race and you could make a good case for any of the four listed above to win and maybe even perhaps one or two others.
There is some early speed here with Film Star, Gasoline and a couple of the longer shots, and that being the case I think it might set up well for First Mission, who has shown before a good ability to stalk and pounce. The question might be the distance, but his ML of 3-1 seems fair odds to play him for the win. I’d be very tempted to throw the up-and-coming Blue Devil into the mix to spice up the exacta.
Full Field: 2023 Clark Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Straight Arrow 8-1
- #2 – First Mission 3-1
- #3 – Il Miracolo 4-1
- #4 – Gasoline 5-1
- #5 – Trademark 6-1
- #6 – Film Star 5-1
- #7 – Giant Game 12-1
- #8 – Happy American 20-1
- #9 – Giant Game 12-1
- #10 – Blue Devil 10-1
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