Rattle N Roll Determined In Clark Victory Over Most Wanted

In a season highlighted by victories in the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, the training job Ken McPeek has done with the overachieving Rattle N Roll (Connect) is equally deserving of plaudits. Making his second start off a 363-day absence and having shipped to the West Coast and back when failing to draw into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 2, Rattle N Roll returned to something approaching his best under the Friday night lights at Churchill, rallying wide into the stretch before outfinishing Most Wanted (Candy Ride {Arg}) for his sixth career victory in graded competition in the GII Clark Stakes.

Most Wanted, a perfect four-from-four in his career and exiting a victory in the GIII Oklahoma Derby, won the break and led the Clark field under the line with a circuit to travel, but he was displaced on top by 67-1 Grand Aspen (Dialed In), who railed through to take up the running into the clubhouse turn. Favored Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) secured a good spot just in behind the pace, a spot or two ahead of Rattle N Roll, who raced handier than is his custom given the moderate early tempo.

Racing just to the outside of Hit Show entering the second turn, Brian Hernandez, Jr. went for Rattle N Roll three furlongs out, showing superior acceleration to the favorite and enabling him to work his way into a threatening position three wide at the quarter pole. Most Wanted took over from Grand Aspen in upper stretch, but his lead was short-lived, as Rattle N Roll was bearing down. The two raced in unison for most of the final furlong, but Rattle N Roll got the better of his younger rival in the run to the line. Hit Show crossed the line third, but was deemed to have interfered with both Uno Mas Bourbon (Macho Uno) and Crupi (Curlin) and was ultimately placed sixth.

“Winning this race is such a testament to this horse,” the winning rider commented. “He's such a good horse. He was able to give us a perfect trip by naturally getting in a really good position early and finished the job late. He's such a talented horse to do what he's done over the years and just a special individual.”

Rattle N Roll entered the Clark as the horse for the course at Churchill, with a record of 3-1-3 from eight previous appearances, including the 2023 GIII Blame Stakes ahead of a near-miss second to Gary and Mary West's West Will Power (Bernardini) in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Sixth as the favorite in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga last September, he went missing off a fourth in this track's GIII Lukas Classic Stakes and returned with a useful third to Hit Show in the same race on Sept. 28. He was consigned to the also-eligibles in the Classic and was unable to earn a run.

Pedigree Notes:

Under the name of his St. Simon Place, Tommy Wente purchased the winning Jazz Tune for $20,000 in foal to Mineshaft at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale and had the mare entered carrying the foal that would become Rattle N Roll at the 2018 November Sale. Wente decided to retain Jazz Tune when bidding stalled out at $55,000 and Rattle N Roll's victory in the 2021 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity ensured that the mare would be significantly more coveted at that year's November Sale. Carrying to Liam's Map, Jazz Tune was knocked down to Hunter Valley Farm for $585,000.

Jazz Tune is also the dam of a yearling colt by Quality Road, a weanling filly by Epicenter and is due to the latter for 2025.

Friday, Churchill Downs
CLARK S. PRESENTED BY NORTON HEALTHCARE-GII, $600,000, Churchill Downs, 11-29, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:49.60, ft.
1–RATTLE N ROLL, 121, h, 5, by Connect
                1st Dam: Jazz Tune, by Johannesburg
                2nd Dam: Rap and Dance, by Pleasant Tap
                3rd Dam: Dance Review, by Northern Dancer
($55,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $210,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin); B-St. Simon Place (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. $360,700. Lifetime Record: GISW, 23-9-2-3, $2,141,641. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Most Wanted, 120, c, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor. O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $117,000.
3–Uno Mas Bourbon, 118, c, 3, Macho Uno–Camielee, by Harlan's Holiday. ($75,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Bourbon Lane Stable (J. Hill, M. McMahon) and Six Column Stables, LLC; B-T/C Stable, LLC (KY); T-Ian R. Wilkes. $58,500.
Margins: 3/4, 3 1/4, 1. Odds: 4.76, 3.19, 46.38.
Also Ran: Crupi, Hit Show, Cooke Creek, Red Route One, Grand Aspen. Scratched: Bolzy, Piroli.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

Rattle N Roll outduels Most Wanted in the G2 Clark! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/SMMXf6sVgK

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 29, 2024