Pick of the Litter, Departing head Clark Handicap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A field of nine 3-year-olds and up has been entered for a well-matched renewal of the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark Handicap, to be run Friday for the 141st time at Churchill Downs.

Pick of the Litter and Departing, the respective 1-2 finishers in the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes last month at Keeneland, are 121-pound co-highweights in the 1 1/8-mile Clark. A pair of lightly raced 3-year-olds, Hoppertunity and Constitution, also figure among the top contenders.

From the rail, and with weights and jockeys, this is the Clark lineup:

Hoppertunity, 118 pounds, Martin Garcia; Prayer for Relief, 118, Ricardo Santana Jr.; Knights Nation, 114, Julien Leparoux; Departing, 121, Robby Albarado; Easter Gift, 117, Joel Rosario; Protonico, 117, Joe Bravo; Constitution, 119, Javier Castellano; Looking Cool, 112, Chris Landeros; and Pick of the Litter, 121, Corey Lanerie.

First post Friday is 12:40 p.m. Eastern, with the Clark, the 11th of 12 races, being run under the lights at 5:35 p.m.