Last Two Winners Back for Clark

Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) and Effinex (Mineshaft), the 2014 and 2015 winners of Churchill's GI Clark H., respectively, square off Friday in a renewal of the race that features just about everybody you'd want to see from this division barring the two superstars that stand firmly atop it.

Hoppertunity shipped into Effinex's back yard for the Oct. 8 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, and employed his typical grinding style to wear down that foe–who he finished second to in the '15 Clark–by a half-length. He came up a neck short of a distant third in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5, and will look to break trainer Bob Baffert out of a three-way tie for most Clark trophies at three.

Effinex, a somewhat surprising second in last year's Classic behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), earned a first Grade I here 12 months ago and seemed poised for a solid 2016, but has been sort of hit or miss this term despite victories in the GII Oaklawn H. in April and GII Suburban H. in July. He finished seventh, beaten 24 lengths, in the Classic last time.

Effinex will be joined in the starting gate by fellow Jimmy Jerkens trainee Shaman Ghost (Ghostzapper), who was a day-of scratch from the Breeders' Cup Classic after spiking a fever. The 2015 Queen's Plate winner has had a productive year since transferring from the Brian Lynch barn. He aired in Belmont's 12-panel GII Brooklyn Invitational S. June 11, but settled for fifth in the Suburban after traveling on a dead rail for much of that affair. Brought back in Saratoga's GI Woodward S. Sept. 3, he out-kicked a group that included a curiously ridden MGISW Frosted (Tapit) and fellow Canadian Classic winner and GSW Breaking Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) to score in a blanket finish.

Noble Bird (Birdstone) is another who occasionally turns in a head scratcher, but who is awful tough to beat when he's on his game. Last year's local GI Stephen Foster H. hero snapped a four-race winless streak when crushing a weak field in the GIII Pimlico Special H. May 20, but he failed to fire behind Frosted in either the GI Metropolitan H. or GI Whitney H. in New York over the summer. Back under the Twin Spires for the Oct. 1 Lukas Classic S., the John Oxley colorbearer controlled things up front to defeat Hawaakom (Jazil) by daylight. He dominated in gate-to-wire fashion in Keeneland's GII Fayette S. Oct. 29, and is the one they'll have to reel in again Friday.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimeys Farm's ultra-consistent Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) looks to complete a season in which he's hit the board in seven of eight tries while earning more $1.676 million. A debut winner here at two, the bay kicked off his sophomore season with back-to-back victories in the GII Risen Star S. and GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Third in the GI Kentucky Derby, he took a step down in class and stayed at Churchill to cruise in the June 18 GIII Matt Winn S. The chestnut was third in the GI Travers S. Aug. 27, runner-up in the GII Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 24 and settled for second after striking the front and seeming to be on his way to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4.