Trademark wears down First Mission to win Clark in a photo

Two months ago, the 4-year-old gelding Trademark took a tough loss in the Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs. Late Friday afternoon at Churchill, he handed one to heavily favored First Mission, winning the Grade 2, $600,000 Clark Stakes by a nose.

Jockey Fernando De La Cruz gave Trademark a perfect trip for trainer Vickie Oliver and the gelding’s owner, BNB Racing. De La Cruz spends much of his year based at Horseshoe Indianapolis but has twice ventured to Kentucky in recent months to take down important races, having ridden Get Smokin’ to victory in the $1.7 million Kentucky Turf Cup.

Trademark, a son of Upstart and the Creative Cause mare Creative Trick, notched the richest and most important win of his career. Bred in Kentucky by the late Brereton Jones, Trademark was purchased at auction for $42,000; banking the winner’s share of the Clark purse, he has earned more than $1.05 million.

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Trademark paid $28.20 as the seventh choice in a nine-runner field. The Clark is a weight-for-age race and Trademark carried 121 pounds, three more than 3-year-old First Mission. The top two were much the best, with Il Miracolo third, 5 1/2 lengths behind First Mission. He was followed by Blue Devil, second-choice Gasoline, Film Star, Straight Arrow, Giant Game, and Stage Raider, who acted up badly at the break and lost all chance with a terrible start. Happy American was scratched.

Trademark exited a dud in the Oct. 28 Fayette at Keeneland, where he finished seventh with no apparent excuse as the 2-1 favorite. His previous start came in the Grade 2, $438,000 Lukas Classic, where Trademark breezed past the leaders at the furlong grounds and briefly sailed clear, only to be tagged on the wire by Clapton. He nearly gave away the Clark, too.

First Mission broke from the gate as the 6-5 favorite, a silly price on a horse with no speed-figure edge and was making his first stakes start against older horses while trying nine furlongs for the first time. The Brad Cox-trained Godolphin homebred had hinted at star potential, but his win odds didn’t come close to matching his level of accomplishment.

Both First Mission and Trademark broke well, First Mission from post 2 coming inside to race head and head with Film Star through early fractions of 23.27 and 47.97. Drafting just behind First Mission came Trademark, hard held by De La Cruz through the slowing second quarter-mile down the backstretch. Luis Saez on First Mission tried to walk a fine line, holding his position inside Film Star without actually battling for the lead and quickening the pace, tactics that appeared to be working as the horse came out of the second turn.

Saez began asking First Mission early, not far past the three-furlong pole, but the colt was responding, putting away Film Star in upper stretch and briefly taking a clear lead. Then Trademark swung into action. As De La Cruz left the fence at the quarter pole, Giant Game, who had raced outside him, kindly faded, leaving Trademark plenty of room to get to the outside.

At the eighth pole Trademark nearly had caught First Mission and was going the better of the pair, but as First Mission drifted right into Trademark’s path, Trademark, who had switched leads professionally after turning for home, swapped back to his “wrong” lead. Even as he got a half-length on First Mission, the Clark was starting to look like the Lukas Classic all over again. Fifty yards to the wire, it was First Mission with the momentum, edging ever closer to Trademark. Heads bobbed, the photo finish camera flashed – Trademark by a whisker. First Mission galloped out past Trademark in a couple strides, too late.

Trademark clocked 1:49.95 over a fast track. This time, he was just fast enough to get the money.

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