Horses based in New York, California and Kentucky will converge on Churchill Downs Friday for the GI Clark H. with the aptly named Diversify (Bellamy Road) likely the one to beat. The New York-bred 'TDN Rising Star' rides a three-race win streak into this event, having annexed a pair of restricted stakes before leading box to wire in the historic GI Jockey Club Gold Cup last out at Belmont Oct. 7. The 4-year-old was kept out of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic so as to avoid the likes of Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Arrogate (Unbridled's Song).
Hard-knocking veteran Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) annexed this race in 2014 at the end of his sophomore season, and has competed in it in each year since then, checking in second in 2015 and fourth 12 months ago. He kicked off this term with a victory in the GII San Antonio S. in February and, after a sixth behind the aforementioned divisional leaders in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 25, resurfaced at Santa Anita to check in second in the Oct. 28 Comma to the Top S. at a one-mile distance that is surely short of his best. “I'll never forget when he won the 2014 Clark,” Hoppertunity's Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert said. “He's always been right there all the time. He's made $4 million by being right there and has always been a barn favorite. It sounds like it will be a tough Clark, so it won't be a walk in the park by any means.”
Locally based The Player (Street Hero) showed glimpses of serious ability as a sophomore, and seemed to put it all together last time with a three-length score in the GII Fayette S. at Keeneland over this trip. “He couldn't be doing any better coming into this race,” trainer Buff Bradley said. “[Rider] Calvin [Borel] got off him the other morning when he worked (5f, 1:00, 1/32, Nov. 17) and I couldn't get him to stop smiling.”
Good Samaritan (Harlan's Holiday) blew away an accomplished field in his dirt debut in Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy S. July 29, but was fifth in the GI Travers S. and fourth in the Jockey Club. Shipped down to Payson Park in the interim, he appears to be training well leading up to this.
Destin (Giant's Causeway), who missed by a nose in last year's GI Belmont S., was fifth behind Diversify at Belmont before annexing the GII Marathon S. on Breeders' Cup weekend.
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