Churchill Downs spot plays for Clark Handicap, Mrs. Revere Stakes

Come November 29, while looking forward to a delicious evening of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, be sure to check out the appetizing race card Churchill Downs has assembled.

Two graded stakes races are on the agenda, including the $600,000 Clark Handicap (G1), a prestigious 1 1/8-mile race featuring some of the better two-turn dirt runners in North America.

Let’s tackle the card with a pair of $30 spot plays.

Race 9: Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2)

Top turf trainer Chad Brown has two runners in this 1 1/16-mile grass race for sophomore fillies, with #12 New and Improved appearing particularly formidable. This lightly raced daughter of Cairo Prince debuted with an impressive maiden victory at Saratoga, and following a close fourth over yielding turf in the Riskaverse Stakes, she bounced back to narrowly win the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point Stakes (G2).

New and Improved has found it difficult to break cleanly from the starting gate, but she offsets her slow-starting tendency with powerful bursts of acceleration. In her debut she sprinted the last quarter-mile in :22.94, and in the Sands Point she flew home the final three furlongs in :34.17 to earn a 100 Brisnet Late Pace rating.

With her strong turn of foot, New and Improved will be tough to hold off down the homestretch. We’ll keep things simple and bet her heavily to win.

$30 to win on #12 New and Improved

Race 11: Clark Handicap (G1)

Which horse has the best record at Churchill Downs? #11 Seeking the Soul. Which horse seems poised to receive a perfect pace setup? Seeking the Soul. Which horse am I picking to win the Clark Handicap? You guessed it—Seeking the Soul.

With a 4-2-4 record from 12 starts at Churchill Downs, including victories in the 2017 Clark and 2019 Stephen Foster Handicap (G2), Seeking the Soul has shown a clear affinity for Louisville’s legendary oval. A disappointing three-race summer/fall campaign in California has muddied Seeking the Soul’s recent form, but his last two efforts were better than they appear at first glance.

Seeking the Soul was compromised by a speed-favoring track when he finished fourth in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1), and his sixth-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) was respectable, given the caliber of competition he was facing over a deep and tiring track. The 1 1/4-mile distance of the Classic, coupled with the condition of the track, likely stretched the limits of Seeking the Soul's stamina.

The return to Churchill Downs should benefit Seeking the Soul, and with a half-dozen speed horses in the Clark field, he figures to receive a favorable pace setup. A big rebound should be in the offing.

Let’s bet Seeking the Soul to win and key him on top in a trifecta.

$15 to win on #11 Seeking the Soul $1 trifecta: 11 with 2,3,9 with 2,3,4,8,9,10 ($15)

Good luck!