Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Einstein Wins Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs
Posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008
Einstein, a 6-year-old son of 1985 Kentucky Derby winner Spend a Buck, collared 2-5 favorite Commentator at the head of the stretch and then held off a late surge from Delightful Kiss to win Friday’s 134th running of the $440,400 Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs by 1 1/2 lengths.
Trained by Helen Pitts, Einstein ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.79. The Clark Handicap victory was the fifth of the day for jockey Julien Leparoux, who earlier in the card established a Fall Meet record for victories.
Commentator, ridden by jockey John Velazquez and carrying high weight of 124 pounds, led the field of 7 through early fractions of :24.57, :48.58 and 1:12.64 with Einstein, toting 119 pounds, as his closest pursuer. Jockey Julien Leparoux moved Einstein to the outside of Commentator at the top of the stretch, dueling on even terms for a sixteenth of a mile before beginning to draw clear.
Delightful Kiss, ridden by jockey Calvin Borel, rallied from far back to be a clear second, but was no threat to Einstein, who took home the Clark Handicap winner’s check of $267,588 to raise his career earnings to $1,634,019.
Racing for court-appointed owner Matthew Garretson, Einstein posted his first career graded-stakes victory on dirt. Einstein, who had run second to 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin in this summer’s Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs, owns three Grade I victories on the grass.
Einstein rewarded his backers with mutuels of $11.80, $5.20 and $2.60. Delightful Kiss returned $10.80 and $3.80 in finishing 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Commentator, who paid $2.10 to show.
Completing the Clark Handicap field in order were Magna Graduate, Wayzata Bay, Dominican and Anak Nakal.
Belmont Stakes Winner Da’ Tara
Two races before the Clark Handicap, 2008 Belmont Stakes winner Da’ Tara finished third in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming race. Da’ Tara was the first Belmont Stakes winner to run at Churchill Downs since 1999 winner Lemon Drop Kid ran in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Jockey Julien Leparoux
Jockey Julien Leparoux broke a 23-year-old Fall Meet record for victories when he recorded his 56th win. The victory in the third race aboard Just Like William eclipsed the mark of 55 set in the 30-day meet of 1985 by Pat Day. Leparoux’s total entering Saturday’s card is 59.
Tags: Anak Nakal, Commentator, Da'Tara, Delightful Kiss, Dominican, Einstein, Magna Graduate, Wayzata Bay
"Einstein Wins Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs" was posted on Friday, November 28th, 2008 at 11:06 pm and is filed under Churchill Downs, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Results & Payouts, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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