Seeking the Soul aiming for repeat win in Clark Handicap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s been 40 years since a horse repeated in the Clark Handicap, but that streak could be in jeopardy. Seeking the Soul surely will be favored Friday to duplicate his 2017 victory in the annual fall showcase at Churchill Downs, making him the first horse since Bob’s Dusty (1977-78) to pull off the feat.

Seeking the Soul figures to have Leofric and Prime Attraction as his top opponents in the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark, but if those two lock horns like they did when finishing one-two last month in the Fayette Stakes at Keeneland, things could fall neatly into place for Seeking the Soul, a stretch-running 5-year-old whose 2018 campaign has been shrewdly managed by trainer Dallas Stewart.

“He had a late start on the year because of a minor injury,” said Stewart. “He got through everything very well and has really come around. Obviously, he won this race last year and likes this track. He’s a very tough horse. I think he’ll come back and run good.”

The leading earner in the field with more than $1.65 million, Seeking the Soul most recently was second behind City of Light in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill, earning a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure. Before that, the Charles Fipke homebred won the Grade 3 Ack Ack going a one-turn mile at Churchill.

John Velazquez, a two-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, will be in from New York to ride Seeking the Soul, and they will break from post 3 in the 1 1/8-mile Clark. Seeking the Soul will carry high weight of 123 pounds, spotting the opposition two to nine pounds.

Velazquez will be looking to become the first jockey to repeat in the Clark since his fellow Hall of Famer Pat Day won with Eminency in 1984 and Hopeful Word in 1985. Bob’s Dusty, incidentally, was ridden in both of his Clark victories by Richard DePass, now the agent for Luis Saez.

Stewart, who entered the final five-day stretch of the 21-day Churchill fall meet as the leading trainer with eight wins, said he is hoping the Clark will be a springboard to another shot at the $9 million Pegasus World Cup, to be run Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park. Seeking the Soul was a distant fifth behind Gun Runner in the Pegasus last January.

As for the Fayette returnees, both have trained forwardly at Churchill in recent weeks. Leofric (post 5, Florent Geroux) shows a pair of half-mile breezes in the interim for trainer Brad Cox, while Prime Attraction (post 1, Kent Desormeaux) has had two five-furlong moves under the supervision of Christopher Cassidy, son of California-based trainer Jim Cassidy.

For Cox, a Clark victory would further punctuate what has been another breakthrough season. The lifelong Louisvillian already has enjoyed a number of firsts this year through Monomoy Girl – first Grade 1 win, first Kentucky Oaks win, and surely his first Eclipse champion – while posting career-high stable earnings of nearly $14 million into this week.

Leofric, said Cox, “has done nothing wrong all year.”

“He really fought hard to win the Fayette but bounced out of it great,” Cox said. “We’re looking forward to another big race from him.”

Prime Attraction, whose California form was flattered by the BC Classic victory by Accelerate, performed admirably in the Fayette, making all of the pace and losing by a head.

“Kent was really happy with the way he ran,” said Jim Cassidy, who will be on hand for the race.

This renewal marks the 30-year anniversary of Desormeaux winning his first Clark as an 18-year-old phenom aboard Balthazar B. in 1988. The Hall of Fame jockey also won in 2006 with Premium Tap.

The balance of the Clark field consists of Hence (post 2, Ricardo Santana Jr.), Hawaakom (post 4, Joe Rocco Jr.), Bravazo (post 6, Joel Rosario), and the Loooch Racing duo of Storm Advisory (post 7, Albin Jimenez) and Sightforsoreeyes (post 8, Tyler Gaffalione).

Of that quintet, Bravazo probably rates the best chance after finishing third behind City of Light and Seeking the Soul in the BC Dirt Mile. As the lone 3-year-old in the lineup, he can claim a certain slice of racing history, having finished closer than any horse to Triple Crown winner Justify when beaten just a neck in the Preakness.

Either of the Loooch pair – both high-dollar claims in September – would qualify as a major upsetter, but, as usual, stable founder Ron Paolucci is undeterred. “Both are training lights-out over the surface, especially Storm Advisory,” he said.

This will be the 144th running of the Clark and the ninth straight year the race will be held under the lights. First post Friday is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the Clark going at 5:56 as the 11th of 12 races. The Grade 2 Mrs. Revere directly precedes the Clark as race 10 (post, 5:27).

As always, attendance will be the largest of the meet, not counting the two Breeders’ Cup dates. The local forecast calls for cloudy skies and a daytime high of 55.

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