Rich Strike leads field of 7 in Friday's Clark Stakes

Kentucky Derby hero Rich Strike will return to Churchill Downs and face a compact field of seven entered in Friday’s 148th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Clark.

The 1 1/8-mile Clark, which has been run every year since 1875 at Churchill Downs, will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. EST.

First post for the “Black Friday” card is 1 p.m. and the card also will feature the 31st running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (G2) in Race 10. The 1 1/16-mile turf event will feature Chris Walsh’s Grade 2-winning 3-year-old filly California Angel.

Rich Strike, the 80-1 upset winner of Kentucky Derby, has run four times since his historic victory on the first Saturday in May. The 3-year-old son of Keen Ice tested straight 3-year-olds two times after the Derby, a sixth-place effort in the Belmont Stakes and a fourth-place finish in the Travers (G1).

In his first try against older horses, Rich Strike finished a controversial second to Hot Rod Charlie in the Lukas Classic (G2).

Rich Strike returned in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished a troubled fourth after being forced extremely wide on the backstretch around Epicenter, whose jockey Joel Rosario was pulling him up.

“After the Breeders’ Cup we weren’t originally thinking the Clark but he came out of the race so good,” trainer Eric Reed said. “In the Classic he was forced wide after Epicenter pulled up and he still managed fourth. He ran a good race and he’s trained well (at the Mercury Training Center) since then. We’re excited to get him back to his favorite track here at Churchill.”

Although the Clark is the next target on Reed’s radar for Rich Strike, he already is thinking ahead to 2023. The veteran conditioner stated Rich Strike could run in the March 25 Dubai World Cup (G1).

Leon will have the return mount on Rich Strike for the Clark, and the duo will break from post No. 4.

Trademark, a long shot entered for the Clark, instead might go next Sunday in the Commonwealth Turf (G3), trainer Vicki Oliver told Horse Racing Nation. Oliver said she might not decide before Thu's Commonwealth draw. If Trademark comes out, Rich Strike would be the only 3-year-old in the Clark.

Among Rich Strike’s competition in Friday's race are the top three finishers in the Fayette (G2) at Keeneland: West Will Power, Fulsome and Last Samurai.

In the Oct. 29 Fayette, West Will Power scored a 6 3/4-length front-running victory over his Brad Cox stablemate Fulsome, who finished three-quarters of a length in front of the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Last Samurai.

West Will Power, a homebred son of Bernardini, began his delayed 5-year-old campaign in August at Ellis Park as the 5-2 second choice in the R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes. In the one-mile event, West Will Power finished a head behind fellow Clark runner Injunction. In his next start on Sept. 28, West Will Power won a 1 1/8-mile allowance event at Churchill Downs prior to his dominate victory in the Fayette. Jockey Luis Saez will ride West Will Power from post 7.

Another top entrant in the Clark is Godolphin’s three-time winner Proxy. Trained by Mike Stidham, Proxy was on the road to the Kentucky Derby in 2021 where he finished second in the Lecomte (G3) and Risen Star (G2). The son of Tapit went to the sidelines after his fourth-place effort in the Lexington (G3). In his 4-year-old campaign, Proxy has yet to finish outside the top three, with runner-up efforts in the New Orleans Classic (G2) and Blame and third-place finishes in the Ben Ali (G3) and Stephen Foster (G2). Jockey Joel Rosario will ride Proxy from the rail.

The Clark field is rounded out by Ack Ack (G3) runner-up Injunction and BBN Racing’s recent allowance winner, 3-year-old gelding Trademark.

The early National Weather Service forecast for Louisville calls for a high of 47 degrees Friday with a 30 percent chance of showers.