Churchill's Clark morning line odds set with Tom's d'Etat favored

G M B Racing’s Fayette Stakes (G2) winner Tom’s d’Etat has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite when taking on 11 rivals in Friday’s 145th edition of  the Grade I, $600,000 Clark at Churchill Downs.

The Clark heads a duo of stakes races on the 12-race “Black Friday” card that's traditionally the most popular racing day of the Fall Meet. The main event is scheduled as the 11th race at 5:56 p.m. ET following the 29th running of the Mrs. Revere (G2) for 3-year-old fillies on turf.

Trained by Al Stall Jr., Tom's d'Etat, a 6-year-old son of Smart Strike, has been in top form since a nonplused ninth-place effort in the $9 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) in late January at Gulfstream Park. The campaign went on to include a victory in the $100,000 Alydar Stakes at Saratoga, a runner-up effort in the Alysheba (G2) and a third-place finish in the Stephen Foster (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Among the rivals to Tom’s d’Etat in the Clark is Calumet Farm’s homebred Bravazo, who will be making his first start in 10 months after he finished fourth in the Pegasus World Cup.

“I don’t think the time off has hurt him a bit,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “I think he’ll come back as a stronger horse.”

Bravazo, a 4-year-old colt by Awesome Again, danced in nearly every dance during his 3-year-old campaign, including a narrow runner-up effort behind eventual Triple Crown winner Justify in the $1.5 million Preakness and a neck defeat in last year’s Clark. Luis Saez has the mount in the Clark and will break from post 10.

The complete Clark field from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):

1. Draft Pick (Joe Talamo, Peter Eurton, 12-1)

2. Tom’s d’Etat (Joel Rosario, Stall, 8-5)

3. Mocito Rojo (Filemon Rodriguez, Shane Wilson, 15-1)

4. Major Cabbie (Paco Lopez, Peter Miller, 10-1)

5. Snapper Sinclair (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen, 8-1)

6. Fact Finding (Corey Lanerie, Charlie LoPresti, 8-1)

7. Mr. Buff (Junior Alvarado, John Kimmel, 5-1)

8. Owendale (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 15-1)

9. Mr Freeze (Robby Albarado, Dale Romans, 15-1)

10. Bravazo (Saez, Lukas, 30-1)

11. Seeking the Soul (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 12-1)

12. Pioneer Spirit (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro, 12-1).

New for 2019, the Clark is no longer a handicap race. All horses will tote 121 pounds with the exception of Grade I winner Seeking the Soul, who will carry 123 pounds, and 3-year-old Owendale at 118 pounds