How to bet the 2024 Clocker’s Corner Stakes

A total of eight horses will run 6 1/2 furlongs going down the hill at Santa Anita in Sunday’s $100,000 Clocker’s Corner S. The grassy feature attracted an especially well-matched cast in what looks to be a wide-open betting affair.

Clocker’s Corner Wagers

• $15 win and place: #8 Sumter ($30)
• $5 exacta key box: 8 with 1,7 ($20)
• $1 trifecta: key 8 with 1,7 with all ($12)

Richard Mandella’s #8 Sumter gets a fine post slot for the dash and will get the upset nod with Umberto Rispoli in the controls. The five-year-old is winless in his last 10 tilts in succession, but the dark bay has been facing some fine foes along the way and will race as a gelding for the initial time on Sunday. The War Front Kentucky-bred has pace in a field without an abundance of early gas, and even though he will have the blinkers removed for this assignment, I still envision the top pick to be forcing the action from the break.

Sumter led to late stretch prior to finishing a solid fourth in the Seabiscuit (G2) going long at Del Mar in his latest venture, and even slight improvement off of that showing will make him a dangerous commodity on this occasion.

#7 I’m A Gambler was fifth as the favorite in the Joe Hernandez S. (G2) against a deeper cast last time out and makes a lot of sense for conditioner Mark Glatt. The talented son of No Nay Never has been in the mix late on numerous occasions without breaking through since arriving in the states, but the multiple stakes victor has a lot of ability and appears to be a prime top-three player, in my opinion, with Diego Herrera in the stirrups. The Irish-bred will be stalking the pace from the early stages of the dash.

#1 Mucho Del Oro is a course specialist who is 5-for-8 at Santa Anita, as well as 3-for-4 at this unique distance. Claimed by Doug O’Neill recently, the dark bay ran one of the better races of his career when dominating lesser on this course in gate-to-wire fashion, and he will be a major factor in the heat with anything resembling his latest effort. The Kentucky-bred six-year-old doesn’t need the lead in order to succeed, and he will benefit from having local standout Juan Hernandez in the controls.