Rattle N Roll Faces Familiar Foes in Clark Repeat Try

The venue may be changing from Keeneland to Churchill Downs, but it would not be surprising to see the same three horses that battled in the Fayette Stakes (G3) last month again vying for supremacy in the $600,000 Clark Stakes (G2). The top three finishers of that 1 1/8-mile contest—Hit Show (3-1), Rattle N Roll (7-2), and Gosger (4-1)—are back at the same distance and listed in their finishing order on the Nov. 28 morning line. Friday will be the sixth meeting between Hit Show and Rattle N Roll, with the former coming out ahead on four previous occasions. However, it was last year's Clark that stands as the lone decision in Rattle N Roll's favor, and owners Sharaf Mohamad Alhariri and Lucky Seven Stable hope for the same outcome this year. After being a non-factor in September's Lukas Classic (G2)—his return from a five-month freshening after spending the winter in the Middle East—the 6-year-old veteran son of Connect showed a return to his old self with a late rally from last that came up just a length short with a very wide turn into the stretch. A grade 1 winner at 2 who has won a graded stakes in all five years of his career for trainer Kenny McPeek, his return to form was no surprise to jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who returns to the horse's saddle for the first time since last year's Clark. "It almost seems like he's made of iron," Hernandez said on the Nov. 24 episode of the BloodHorse Monday podcast. "Every time you think that we've gotten to the bottom of him, he just comes back for more. He just trains better and keeps showing up. He's been one of the coolest horses I've been around. For as long as he's been doing it, he just keeps showing up and keeps offering his best effort." Hernandez said that Rattle N Roll is one that "tips his hat" in the mornings. He won the 2024 Clark off a pair of strong workouts over the Churchill Downs surface, and appears to be entering this year's edition the same way. "When he's doing really, really well in the morning time, he runs a really, really big race," Hernandez said. "After that big race he had over at Keeneland in the Fayette, he's come back and had two tremendous works." The pace should set up for his late kick with Cooke Creek, Chunk of Gold, Who Dey, and Willy D's all offering early speed at double-digit morning line odds. Also known to show early foot is Winchell Thoroughbreds' Magnitude, who did display a new dimension when rallying from off the pace to finish second in the Sept. 20 Pennsylvania Derby (G1). At 9-2, the Steve Asmussen trainee possesses the lowest odds outside of the Fayette trifecta. That pace scenario should also prove to be beneficial for Wathnan Racing's Hit Show as trainer Brad Cox plots a course he hopes will return the 5-year-old son of Candy Ride (ARG) to Dubai in the spring for a shot at winning a second Dubai World Cup (G1). Hit Show has shown versatility throughout his career and would give Irad Ortiz Jr. no issues sitting back in mid-pack as the pace horses go about their business in the early stages. "He's a horse that's always been ultra consistent all year, always brings a big race," Cox said. "We'll need one from him, and I expect to get one from him." While Hit Show has clear targets on future races, the same is not true for Cox's other entrant, First Mission, who is looking to retire in style before standing the 2026 breeding season at Darley's Jonabell Farm for a $10,000 fee. "Hopefully we can go out with a bang," Cox said of the four-time graded stakes-winning son of Street Sense. "We've had some ups and downs with him in regards to some of the results, but he's trained consistent throughout the season. I expect him to run well." Friday's results will help Brendan Walsh determine what the immediate future will hold for Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables' homebred Gosger. Wide on both turns in the Fayette, the 3-year-old Nyquist colt held a brief lead in the stretch before being run down by his two elders. Gosger has been a part of multiple top races this season, bringing his A-game on all but one occasion. He has had the lead in deep stretch in most of those starts, only to lose it late in heartbreaking fashion. Walsh is hoping he can solve that problem by adding blinkers for the Clark. "I think sometimes he loses his focus a little bit at the end of his races," Walsh said. "We'll give (blinkers) a try, see if they help. Hopefully, he keeps improving like he's done all year; it should give him a very good chance."