Dortmund, Effinex lead Clark Handicap cast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dortmund and Effinex were among the standouts expected in the entry box Tuesday at Churchill Downs, whose 21-day fall meet will hit its apex Friday with the 142nd running of the Grade 1 Clark Handicap.

Dortmund, the “other” top 3-year-old in the Bob Baffert barn this year, was scheduled to arrive here Tuesday from California with stablemate Hoppertunity in advance of the $500,000 Clark, a 1 1/8-mile race in which the colt is among the highweights.

Dortmund came to prominence a year ago this weekend when romping in an allowance race on the Stars of Tomorrow card. The imposing colt returned some five months later to finish third behind his Baffert stablemate, American Pharoah, in the May 2 Kentucky Derby. He then was a distant fourth in the Preakness before getting a break, returning Oct. 24 with an easy score in an ungraded stakes at Santa Anita.

Effinex, based in New York with trainer Jimmy Jerkens, gave closest chase to American Pharoah for much of the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic before settling for second at 33-1. The 4-year-old colt breezed Saturday on the Belmont training track.

“He’s really risen to the occasion,” Jerkens told Churchill publicity last weekend. “He’s beat some real good horses this year. At this point, you just have to hope that we’re as good as we were last time.”

As of Monday, in order of weight assignments, this was the lineup expected for the Clark: Effinex, 122 pounds; Race Day, 122; Dortmund, 121; Hoppertunity, 121; Keen Ice, 121; Protonico, 117; Frivolous, 115; Mr. Z, 114; Looks to Spare, 113; and Shotgun Kowboy, 113.

Race Day and Protonico, both trained by Todd Pletcher, were scheduled to arrive here Monday from New York. Race Day won the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes on Breeders’ Cup weekend at Keeneland and will be making his career farewell in the Clark before heading to stud at Spendthrift Farm.

Frivolous was expected to be cross-entered in the Clark after also being entered in the Falls City Handicap on Thursday. Either way, the 5-year-old mare will be making her final start.

The Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf also will be run Friday on a card starting at 12:40 p.m. Eastern. The Friday after Thanksgiving always is the biggest day of the Churchill fall meet in years when the Breeders’ Cup is not held here.

◗ A solid 10-race Wednesday card at Churchill includes three straight allowance races, culminating with the nominal ninth-race feature at a mile on the main track. Good Lord, the resurgent 8-year-old gelding trained by Forrest Kaelin, is a lukewarm morning-line favorite while in for an $80,000 claiming option in the feature, a $64,000, third-level allowance.

Race 7 is a $60,000, second-level allowance, and race 8 is a $57,000, first-level allowance. First post is 12:40 p.m.

◗ With the final five-day stretch of the fall meet starting Wednesday, Steve Asmussen has forged to the top of the trainers’ standings with nine wins, just ahead of Chris Richard (eight) and Mike Maker (seven). Corey Lanerie, with 24 wins, appears well on his way to topping the riders’ standings for the 10th time in 11 Churchill meets, while Ken and Sarah Ramsey hold a clear lead atop the owners’ standings with seven wins.