Churchill Downs: Trademark nips First Mission in Clark Stakes

Louisville, Ky.

Whether it was the raw, cold wind or the build-up of attention in the paddock or just plain, old impatience, Trademark was on his toes at Churchill Downs before Saturday evening’s Grade 2, $600,000 Clark Stakes.

“I don’t know why,” his trainer Vicki Oliver said. “I think he was just sharp.”

Oh, he was sharp, all right.

Stalking from fourth place on the backstretch, jockey Fernando de la Cruz tipped Trademark (13-1) four wide turning for home. The 4-year-old Upstart gelding went on to reel in post-time favorite First Mission (6-5) in the final furlong and got his nose in front for the upset in the 149th running of the fall meet’s signature race.

“After the wire I said that was really close,” de la Cruz said before he found out he definitely won. “My horse drifted a little bit, but then he came back again. That’s why I was thinking I probably don’t win.”

Maybe it seemed that was at ground level, but it was clear from afar that Trademark had all the momentum at the end of the 1 1/8-mile race. Never more than two lengths behind at any call, the now three-time stakes winner owned by Brian Klatsky and Brendan O’Brien’s BBN Racing was tucked in along the rail in the second turn.

With First Mission in the two path at the top of the stretch, De La Cruz found clear air angling out with Film Star (9-1) running second in the three path and Il Miracolo (6-1) conceding the four path to Trademark.

At the eighth pole, First Mission was veered out by jockey Luis Sáez so he could go eyeball to eyeball with Trademark. From there to the sixteenth pole, they matched each other stride for stride.

“(Trademark) came with the momentum,” Sáez said. “(First Mission) is the kind of horse I feel like he likes to be with somebody right there. It looked like (Trademark) just came and surprised him.”

First Mission’s trainer Brad Cox thought experience may have made the difference at the end, especially since Trademark was making his 22nd start, and 3-year-old First Mission, who won the Lexington (G3) two starts ago in April, was finishing only his fifth race.

“You’d like to come out on the other end of the photo,” Cox said, “but overall it was a good effort for a lightly raced horse. He’s going to be better for this race. He galloped out well, and I haven’t lost any confidence in him.”

A Godolphin homebred by Street Sense, First Mission shared the early lead with 4-year-old Film Star. With José Lezcano up, Film Star was clocked at 23.27 and 47.97 seconds for the first quarter and half-mile. First Mission took his turn on the lead through three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.45.

The whole way, Trademark was being revved up for a decisive run, something he did not have when he finished seventh as the favorite last month at Keeneland in the Fayette (G2). This time that run had to come at just the right time.

“We had to wait a little bit longer, and then we turned for home, and we were able to see him on the outside,” Oliver said. “That might have helped him catch (First Mission) right at the wire. Sometimes if he gets daylight too soon, and he hits the front a little too early, he gets a little lackadaisical. So it worked out well.”

Trademark got the mile in 1:37.25 on the way to a winning time of 1:49.95 on a 43-degree night with a wind chill of 38.

Il Miracolo finished 5 1/2 lengths back in third followed in fourth by Blue Devil (10-1), who closed from next to last in the field of nine. Gasoline (7-2), Film Star, Straight Arrow (10-1), Giant Game (23-1) and Stage Raider (20-1) finished fifth through ninth, in that order. Stage Raider, in particular, completely missed the break, bucking in the gate and conceding 20 lengths to begin. Happy American, who was 20-1 on the morning line, was scratched.

Trademark returned $28.20, $10.24 and $5.96; First Mission $3.90 and $2.78; and Il Miracolo $4.22.

Oliver said the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park could be in Trademark’s future.

“The Pegasus is in the cards,” she said, “but we’ll just take it one day at a time and see where we go.”