Bodexpress , best known for unseating jockey John Velazquez at the start of the 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1) and running riderless, made headlines for another reason Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs. Racing in the $500,000 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1), the 4-year-old son of Bodemeister became a major stakes winner by defeating favored Code of Honor by a length.
The colt was professional throughout in Friday's race. He broke alertly under Rafael Bejarano, settled into a comfortable outside pressing position in the middle portion of the race, and then outkicked the competition. He raced 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.12, paying $25.40 at odds of 11-1.
"When he came to the stretch, he showed a big turn of foot," Bejarano said.
It was Bejarano's first grade 1-winning ride since he piloted Cupid to capture the Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes (G1) in May 2017. Amid slumping business in California, the jockey relocated to ride in Kentucky and other tracks in the Midwest this year.
Bodexpress earned $282,100 for owners Top Racing, Global Thoroughbred, and GDS Racing Stable to increase his bankroll to $694,600. He has a 4-4-3 record from 17 starts.
Code of Honor, in traffic when sixth down the backstretch and on the second turn, rallied from behind fractions of :23.39, :47.94, and 1:12.77 to grab second, a length in front of third-place Owendale.
"We had a nice position going into the backstretch. I followed the eventual winner thinking he was the horse to beat," said Velazquez, who rode Code of Honor. "I got loose at the three-sixteenths pole. I came to him—he seemed to have another gear."
Coastal Defense was fourth, followed by Mr Freeze in fifth. Silver Prospector, By My Standards , Bourbon Calling, Crafty Daddy, Title Ready , Multiplier, Aurelius Maximus, Plus Que Parfait, and Phantom Currency completed the finish in the capacity 14-horse field.
The Clark was the first stakes win for Bodexpress. He finished second in the 2019 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and third in the 2019 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) and this year's Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) and Alydar Stakes.
Three of those four stakes placings came at Gulfstream Park in South Florida, where the colt is based. He has been training this fall at Gulfstream Park West, where he rolled by 11 1/4 lengths in an allowance optional claimer Oct. 17 in his race preceding the Clark.
Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado, said the colt would likely be pointed to another race in Florida: the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream.
"This is a different horse than we saw last year during the Triple Crown campaign," Delgado Jr. said. "He's really matured. Turning for home, I thought we had a really good shot. The horse deserves this most of all. I'm very happy for everyone involved, but we are so happy for Bodexpress."
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Bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Mulholland, Bodexpress is the lone winner from three foals of racing age out of the unraced City Zip mare Pied a Terre, who was sent from the United States to Korea in 2017.
Bodexpress twice failed to meet his reserve at public auction before competing for his current owners. He was a $45,000 RNA from the Mulholland Springs consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and then went unsold for $37,000 the next year at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
He raced at Churchill Downs twice previously, finishing 13th as a maiden in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and running second in an allowance optional claiming race Sept. 5.
Silver State Wins Fast Allowance With Dennis' Moment Last in Return
Earlier Friday at Churchill Downs, Silver State and Dennis' Moment, former participants on this year's Road to the Kentucky Derby, turned in opposite efforts in the third race, an $85,208 second-level allowance optional claimer.
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Silver State, a Hard Spun colt who was second in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) and third in a division of the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, won his second consecutive race following a seven-length score at Keeneland last month. The Steve Asmussen trainee pressed the pace before pulling clear by 2 3/4 lengths to finish seven furlongs in 1:21.58 under Ricardo Santana Jr.
Albaugh Family Stables' Dennis' Moment, trained by Dale Romans, turned in his third consecutive last-place finish since winning the Iroquois Stakes (G3) last fall at Churchill. The beaten favorite in last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park stalked the pace before retreating to finish last of five, beaten 13 lengths under Joe Talamo.
Friday's race was his first start since he was 10th in the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream.
