By Mike Kane
When last seen at Saratoga Race Course, jockey Kerwin Clark was guiding a 55-1 longshot to a second-place finish in a Grade 1 race. He has fond memories of his ride in the historic GI Travers S.
Ten days shy of 25 years later, Clark–he's 56 now– will make his second career start at America's oldest racetrack in Saturday's GI Whitney S. Clark will be aboard Normandy Invasion (Tapit), who, at 30-1, is the longest shot on the morning line in the 10-horse field.
With a strong group entered in the Whitney, there is very good chance that Normandy Invasion could go off at the same type of odds that Shot Gun Scott did when he was runner-up to Rhythm in the 1990 Travers. Odds should mean nothing to Clark, who is beating them daily in the second full year of a career renaissance in a partnership with trainer Larry Jones.
Clark has no trouble recalling his first and only trip to Saratoga. He was a riding at Arlington Park that summer.
“I can give it to you the blow-by-blow,” Clark said Wednesday. “I was in front until inside the eighth pole and Rhythm came down the middle of the racetrack and beat me. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Though victory was snatched away from him in the stretch, Clark said it was a satisfying second.
“I had more reporters around me after the race than Craig Perret and he rode the winner.” Clark said. “What made it so good–and I didn't know it at the time–was that the guy who trained, bred and owned him got all the money for second. I think at that time the purse was $1.1 million. So he wrote me a check for probably the most money I had ever made to that point as a rider. It was unbelievable. I was ecstatic. I felt like I had won. It was great.”
Only two other riders from the 1990 Travers are still active–Hall of Famers Mike Smith and Gary Stevens–and Smith will be in the Whitney aboard 'TDN Rising Star' Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song).
Clark's break with Jones came when Rosie Napravnik opted for another horse in a Nov. 24, 2013 maiden race at Fair Grounds. He picked up the assignment on Albano (Istan), who prevailed over Napravnik's choice, the 4-5 race favorite. Thirteen races later, Clark is still with Albano and rides all of Jones's horses. That alliance of 50-somethings produced the first two GI victories of Clark's career earlier this year when he piloted Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection) to wins in the Ashland and the Kentucky Oaks.
All his recent good fortune, Clark said, is the result of the support he has received from Jones and his two main owners, Airdrie Stud's Brereton Jones and Rick Porter, who operates Fox Hill Farm, which owns Normandy Invasion.
“Without them I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be getting this opportunity,” he said. “I won the Ashland and the Oaks at 56 years old. Are you kidding me? Jockeys just don't get opportunities like that. To be associated with these people has been a absolute blessing. I wouldn't be getting these opportunities with them. They are putting me on some really good horses. I love my job. I've got a barn full of good horses. It's the most exciting time of my life and my career.”
A year ago, Martin Panza, NYRA's new Senior Vice-President of Racing, doubled the Whitney purse to a Saratoga-record $1.5 million as part of his big-event strategy. Panza didn't realize his goal of drawing all the top handicap horses in the country to the Whitney. It was a good field, led by Palace Malice (Curlin) and Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), but this year's edition, vying for a purse of $1.25 million, has more quality and depth. The 2014 Whitney won by Moreno (Ghostzapper) had three Grade I winners. Seven top-level winners, including Moreno, were entered on Tuesday afternoon, making the Whitney the best race of 2015 thus far. It is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge, a “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic.
John Oxley's Noble Bird (Birdstone) most recently joined the Grade I club with his win over Whitney rival Lea (First Samurai) in the Stephen Foster on June 13 at Churchill Downs. His competition in the Whitney includes GI Met Mile winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Honor Code (A.P. Indy); GI Belmont S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Tonalist (Tapit), another 'Rising Star'; GI Travers winner V. E. Day (English Channel); and GI Wood Memorial winner and Travers runner-up Wicked Strong (Hard Spun). Noble Bird has three wins and was second by a head in his last four starts.
“It took him a while to get his act together, but he's run well,” trainer Mark Casse said. “He's come here and trained really well. This is quite a race.”
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