Kentucky Derby Winner Rich Strike Headlines Friday’s Grade I, $750,000 Clark
At 0h04, on November 25, 2022 • By CHURCHILL DOWNS
RED-TR Racing’s Kentucky Derby (Grade I) hero Rich Strike will return to Churchill Downs and face a compact field of seven entered in Friday’s 148th running of the $750,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (GI).
The 1 1/8-mile Clark, which has been run every year since 1875 at Churchill Downs, will go as Race 11 of 12 with a post time of 5:56 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post for the “Black Friday” card is 1 p.m. and also will feature the 31st running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (GII) in Race 10. The 1 1/16-mile turf event will feature Chris Walsh’s Grade II-winning 3-year-old filly California Angel.
Rich Strike, the 80-1 upset winner of $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI), has run four times since his historic victory on the first Saturday in May. The 3-year-old son of Keen Ice tested straight 3-year-olds two times following the Derby, a sixth-place effort in the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (GI) and a fourth-place finish in the $1.25 million Travers (GI).
In his first try against older horses, Rich Strike finished a controversial second to Hot Rod Charlie in the $500,000 Lukas Classic (GII).
Rich Strike returned in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) where he finished a troubled fourth after being forced extremely wide on the backstretch around Epicenter whose jockey Joel Rosario was pulling him up.
