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A. Bianco Holding Limited's Pioneering Spirit will see a cutback in distance for the 63rd running of Friday's $150,000 Knickerbocker (G3) for 3-year-olds and upward going nine furlongs over the outer turf at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, Pioneering Spirit arrives from a seventh-place finish in the 12-furlong Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) on October 7 over yielding ground at Belmont at the Big A.

The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah entered that event from a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch on September 4 over firm inner turf at Saratoga Race Course, where he ran a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pioneering Spirit, haltered for $40,000 in March, returned to turf for the first time since December 2021 when graduating at 13th asking for a $40,000 tag on May 11 at Belmont Park to kick off a four-race winning streak. He then defeated starter allowance company on June 4 going nine furlongs at the same track before winning two events at allowance and allowance optional claiming level.

“He's doing fine. There are limited opportunities before we stop on him for a winter break,” Rice said. “He'll get some time off over the winter instead of going south and running at a different location. It seems like he's a little better at a shorter distance than a longer distance. He can go longer, but maybe he needs a firm course.”

Jose Lezcano will ride from the outermost post 8.

Grade 1 winner Rockemperor [post 5, Manny Franco] will look to give trainer Chad Brown a third Knickerbocker win after he saddled Devamani [2020] and Sacred Life [2021].

The 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor gelding won the 2021 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) at Belmont Park as well as last year's 11-furlong Bowling Green (G2)  at Saratoga, but is looking to round back into winning form this season. He was last seen posting a runner-up finish in the 10-furlong Singspiel (G3) on September 9 at Woodbine.

Owned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael E. Kisber and Michael J. Caruso, Rockemperor is the lone millionaire in the field with $1,208,397 in earnings.

Veteran conditioner Jimmy Toner will have two chances for a Knickerbocker triumph with Commandeer [post 3, Dylan Davis] and Siege of Boston [post 7, Jorge Ruiz].

Owned by AJ Suited Racing Stable, Commandeer will cut back in distance from a fourth-place finish in the 12-furlong Cape Henlopen on September 16 at Delaware Park. The son of Street Boss had previously dead heated for victory in an August 3 allowance optional claimer at Colonial, but was subsequently disqualified from purse money. A three-time winner over the main track, Commandeer made his turf debut when second beaten a neck in a 1 1/16-mile Keeneland turf allowance on April 20.

“He improved when we got him on the grass. I had been waiting to get him on grass for a long time and I finally did,” Toner said. “Last time, he ran well. I thought he would get up for third, but he was wide and the ground was a little too soft. He always tries and he tried that day. He's a tough old guy. I think a mile and an eighth is his best distance. He's knocking on the door and we'll get there one of these days.”

Joseph Allen's Kentucky homebred Siege of Boston returns to the site of his sixth-out maiden victory in November. The 4-year-old War Front bay came from 13 lengths off the pace before he unleashed a devastating late run in deep stretch to score by 3 1/4 lengths. Since his maiden score, Siege of Boston has picked up allowance optional claiming triumphs when going gate-to-wire on March 25 at Gulfstream Park and stalking the pace from fifth en route to a 5 1/2-length win on June 18 at Laurel Park.

Siege of Boston enters from a pair of placed efforts on the Kentucky circuit when third beaten one length in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup on August 6 going 10 furlongs at Ellis Park, one month before finishing second going one mile at Kentucky Downs.

“He was impressive last fall and he's been right along all summer,” Toner said. “He's run well every time we've run him, he's been right there for us. He ran two good races in Kentucky. The race at Ellis, he maybe hung a little bit but when we cut him back at Kentucky Downs, he just couldn't catch the winner. He's been solid in every race he's run in so far.”

Alice Bamford's Kentucky homebred St Anthony [post 4, Javier Castellano] enters from a pair of victories over the Monmouth Park turf for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale. Following a respective third and fifth going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park, the 4-year-old Noble Mission gelding captured a July 28 allowance optional claimer at the same distance at Monmouth before earning his career third stakes triumph in the one-mile Red Bank on September 4.

St Anthony was a two-time stakes winner during his sophomore season, taking the Alcatraz at Golden Gate Fields and the Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa.

Nice Guys Stables' King Cause [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] returns in pursuit of a repeat Knickerbocker conquest for trainer Mike Maker, looking to join Shady Character [1974-75], Charge d'Affairs [1999-2000], Boisterous [2011-12] and Blacktype [2017-18] as back-to-back winners. The 8-year-old son of Creative Cause set an easy tempo in last year's Knickerbocker en route to a two-length score over dual graded stakes-winner Pixelate.

King Cause will look to get back to winning form, entering from two unplaced finishes after winning the Texas Turf Classic on June 24 at Lone Star Park.

Completing the field are graded stakes winner Master Piece [post 6, Irad Ortiz Jr.] for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. and stakes-placed Wicked Finn [post 1, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Kelly Blake.

The post ‘He’s A Little Better At A Shorter Distance’: Pioneering Spirit Shortens Up For Knickerbocker appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In 2-year-old stakes action at Woodbine Sunday, filly Tripolina took on the boys and captured the $125,000 Display Stakes, and A Little Frisky gave jockey Ryan Munger his first career stakes win in the $125,000 Glorious Song for fillies.

Tripolina, trained by Kevin Attard and ridden to victory by Woodbine leading jockey Kazushi Kimura, is owned by X-Men Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and SF Racing LLC. The Kentucky-bred Constitution filly is now perfect in two starts, the first being a maiden special weight on August 13 at Woodbine.

Out of the gate, Western Whirl took the lead while favorite Tripolina settled in the midfield among the eight runners.

After an opening quarter of :23.15, Western Whirl was passed by Gotts Got It and Magic Slips, the latter leading through a half mile in :45.53.

Around the turn, Tripolina surged up to the leaders from the outside. Down the stretch, she pushed past the front-runners, winning by 2 3/4 lengths. Two Ghosts was second, Western Whirl was third, and Break the Spell was fourth after a photo for the show spot.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.81 on the Tapeta main track.

Tripolina was entered into both of Woodbine's Sunday stakes, but ultimately Display was decided upon.

“We kind of looked at the race set up and obviously we're trying to see if we can win both divisions,” Attard said. “We thought this filly here suited this race best. It just worked out like we planned.”

“She's very smart, she is big, kind of scopey filly. I don't like to rush them off their feet too early, if she broke well and kind of wanted to be in the early fight, we would have let her do that. But on paper it looked like there would be plenty of speed, so we hoped it would transpire like it did and it worked out in our favor today.”

Tripolina was bred WinStar Farm LLC from the Street Boss mare Ballykiss. Offered at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Vinery Sales, she sold to X-Men Racing for $70,000. With Sunday's win, she has $87,031 in purse earnings.

Tripolina paid $4.70 to win.

In the Glorious Song for fillies, A Little Frisky earned her first win with a last-to-first rally to score by three-quarters of a length in her second career start.

A Little Frisky, trained by Josie Carroll and owned by Mark Dodson, was the runner-up in her debut in a maiden special weight on September 1 at Woodbine but made amends in fine style Sunday.

Mystic Lake broke ahead of the pack and maintained the lead through the opening quarter in :22.75 with Bolt Enoree in second and Witwatersrand in third. A Little Frisky, out of post 7, was last in the field of eight.

The field reached the half in :44.69, A Little Frisky remained at the back of the pack. Mystic Lake led, 2-1 favorite Witwatersrand was second, Rosa was third, and Bolt Enoree was fourth.

Just before the turn, A Little Frisky quickly began making up ground along the rail. Down the stretch, jockey Ryan Munger found a gap between Witwatersrand and Rosa, passing the duo to challenge the leader. Just before the wire, A Little Frisky took the lead from Mystic Lake, who finished second. Witwatersrand was third, and Uphill Dance was fourth.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:21.87 on the Tapeta main track.

“Got the monkey of my back, it feels great. It all worked out and the plan came together,” said Munger, who captured his first stakes. “Josie Carroll gave me a lot of instructions and big thanks to her, she had the filly in spot on condition.”

“It was actually a funny race, I didn't get the best of jumps, which was a bit unfortunate. There were four horses abreast, and I decided it is a very competitive field and the only way I can knockout punch was to save ground and take a chance. So that's what I did, then I just waited for the gaps to open.”

Carroll sees a bright future for A Little Frisky, an Ontario-bred daughter of Army Mule.

“We loved this filly from the start, but she is still very immature, there's nothing but upside to her,” Carroll said. “She's got a lot of growing up and learning to do. But she was brave and bold today, we are very proud of her.”

Bred by Josham Farms Limited from the Zensational mare Tulsa, A Little Frisky has $78,858 in purse earnings. Ben McElroy, agent, signed the $140,000 sales ticket for her at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Hill 'n' Dales Sales Agency consigned her.

A Little Frisky paid $15 for the win.

The post Juvenile Fillies Tripolina, A Little Frisky Shine In Stakes At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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