11/22-23 (CD): Falls City H. (G2); Clark H. (G1)
 

THURSDAY 11th (4:21) Falls City H. (G2)

1 1/8 Miles | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Joyful Victory Albarado R J 119 L
2 Arena Elvira Alvarado J 118 L
3 Aint She a Saint Franklin M 113 L
4 Sea Level Drive Hernandez B J Jr 114 L
5 Maristar Cohen D 114 L
6 Brushed by a Star Lanerie C J 122 L
7 Afleeting Lady Rosario J 119 L

FRIDAY 11th (5:35) Clark H. (G1)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $400,000

1 Pool Play Lanerie C J 118 L
2 Eye of the Leopard Court J K 115 L
3 Shackleford Castanon J L 120 L
4 Bourbon Courage Goncalves L R 117 L
5 Cease Mena M 117 L
6 Take Charge Indy Borel C H 117 L
7 Fast Falcon Bridgmohan S X 113 L
8 Stealcase Hernandez B J Jr 115 L
9 Mission Impazible Castellano J J 115 L
10 Lunar Victory Alvarado J 116 L

Really like Cease in the Clark.

I think Shackleford takes this because on paper, it seems that the only speed horse he has to outrun early is Take Charge Indy...and if Shackleford hasn't declined in form, he should control the pace.
http://thoughtsonracinglifeandmore.c...clark-handicap

With that said, Shackleford will likely be underlaid as always. I'm hoping some of the attention will be off him because he ran poorly in the BC Mile.

(Much as I like Burbon Courage) I think this race belongs to Mission Impazible.

It's always interesting to see how horses do their next start after any Breeders Cup race. Usually they seem to regress because of being pointed for the one specific BC race. Conversely, if a horse runs terrible in the BC then they seem to run better the next start after. Generalizing I'm sure but it's a fun stat to follow. With that being said..............I'm a little interested in Pool Play here. He just has to be better than his BC performance and has shown a little affinity for CD. Fun betting race for sure....................

Tossing Shackleford out of the top 3 here. I don't think he wants this distance and I think he's out of form and over the top.

5,6,10.....one of them wins the Clark.

Gutty performance from Shack. I'm glad he got to go out on top.

SHACK :tro::{>:

Still got it.

He got way with pretty easy fractions. I still don't get why Cease was not placed much closer to the pace.

Shackleford throws in a huge clunker everytime he gets caught behind horses.

Even his very good half sister Afleeting Lady has had an excellent year other than the two times she got caught behind horses, and both times she bombed in non-efforts.

Maybe it's because he's temperamental or maybe he's just an animal.

Maybe Mena was drunk...again.



I know, I know...demons and such.

I've seen plenty of people mention it on Twitter and in conversation, but the race riding (lack of) in the Clark was pretty amazing.

Shackleford, a CD homer who is a proven G1 winning pacesetter going a route of ground, was allowed to post fractions 24.31, 48.65 and 1:12.49 in a G1, $400k race at a track that has been very kind to speed this meet.

I thought Bourbon Courage ran well given the circumstances.