Solid field of nine in Clark Handicap

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Meadowlands Handicap winner Diamond Stripes and runner-up Magna Graduate top a field of nine in Friday"s $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.

Diamond Stripes is coming off an eighth-place finish in the Breeders" Cup Classic. The four-year-old will start from the inside post with jockey Cornelio Velasquez. Owned by Four Roses Thoroughbreds, the gelding has won five of nine career starts for $742,461.

Magna Graduate will break from post two with John Velazquez in the saddle. The five-year-old is trained by Todd Pletcher for Elisabeth Alexander. Early this year Magna Graduate won the Razorback and Excesior Handicaps, and has lifetime earnings of more than $2.3 million.

Massachusetts Handicap winner Brass Hat will start from post five with Willie Martinez riding. Last time out Brass Hat was eighth in the Fayette Stakes at Keeneland. The six-year-old gelding has won eight of 20 lifetime starts for better than $1.5 million. He is trained by Buff Bradley for his father Fred.

Here is the complete field for the 1 1/8 mile Clark in post position order: Diamond Stripes, Magna Graduate, Purim, A.P. Arrow, Brass Hat, Plug Me In, Fairbanks, Istan and Going Ballistic.

The Clark Handicap has a post-time of 4:29 p.m. (et).