Super Screener: Seeking the Soul's lone Clark Handicap threat

Typically, horses that come back in November just a few weeks after putting it all on the line in a Breeders’ Cup race don’t run back to that performance and will get over-bet, says Mike Shutty, author of Horse Racing Nation's Super Screener handicapping system. But Friday's Grade 1, $500,000 Clark Handicap favorite Seeking the Soul appears poised to buck that trend at Churchill Downs.

Who's best suited to upset him?

The Super Screener analyzes key races run each weekend throughout the year. What's offered here is a small sample of the full product, which will handicap other major Thanksgiving week stakes.

When it comes to the Clark Handicap, Shutty says he's "not crazy about playing Breeders' Cup contestants right back, especially at a low price," which Seeking the Soul should be off his runner-up to City of Light in the Nov. 3 Dirt Mile.

"But this one makes sense," Shutty added.

Seeking the Soul got to run a Breeders' Cup race at his home track, Churchill Downs, where he won last year's Clark and has finished in the trifecta in seven of nine tries. The Dallas Stewart trainee also hits key Super Screener criteria for the Clark as a horse still relatively fresh this late in the year.

There's one clear choice to play either as an upsetter, or just underneath Seeking the Soul: Leofric, who enters off a victory in Keeneland's Fayette Stakes (G2) and has run closer to the pace in his recent races.

"He is in good form now for the top barn of trainer Brad Cox and will move forward off that last effort in this his second race off the layoff," Shutty said. "Leofric has only missed the trifecta once in 13 lifetime starts, so he is quite reliable."

Shutty's full Super Screener analysis runs down each horse in the field of eight, plus lays out the data-driven Super Screener criteria that establishes his selections. Of course, suggested wagers are included as well. No need to wait -- get the Super Screener advantage with your handicapping today!