Trinity Farm's Red Knight returned from an 11-month layoff to score his ninth lifetime win Wednesday in the inaugural $150,000 Colonial Cup turf test at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va. The stakes attracted a field of 11 that battled 1 1/2 miles over the Secretariat Turf Course and was the first stakes race in Colonial's history to ever be contested at that distance.
The 8-year-old Pure Prize gelding crossed the finish 1 1/2 lengths the best and pushed his career bankroll to $893,258. The winner is trained by Michael Maker and was ridden by Horacio Karamanos.
Both Red Knight and runner-up Another Mystery had to steady shortly after the start when Nathan Detroit clipped heels with another horse and lost his rider, William Humphrey. Both horses stayed mid-pack through the one-mile distance while betting favorite Cellist and La Lune battled back and forth for the lead.
Karamanos maneuvered Red Knight into fourth approaching the final straightaway, came outside and passed Another Mystery and the two frontrunners en route to victory in 2:27.31.
“I got a good break and saved ground early”, said Karamanos. “The trainer told me the horse is ready to win so save ground and wait for your moment. In the second turn he wanted to go but I wouldn't let him go. I tried to hold him back as best I could. At the top of the stretch, I finally let him go. He gave me a nice kick. He's got a long beautiful stride so I just let him go. I've won many races at 1 1/2 miles,” added Colonial's all-time leading rider. “In my country, we run long distance so I love it. I'm very confident when I run long distance.”
Red Knight in fact set the Gulfstream Park track record at the two-mile distance in 2018 when he won the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes.
Owner Tom Egan of Trinity Farm was nearly as confident as his jockey heading into Monday's “Cup.”
“I had high expectations because this horse is a terrific race horse,” he said. “Mike Maker thought he'd run a very big race and he did. He was coming off a long layoff. He needed every bit of that layoff. He was in bad shape last September. He came back and came back all the way at the age of eight. He has a lot of zest for racing. We bred him and we owned his mother,” added Egan. “We love horse racing and it's been very kind to us.”
Team Block's Another Mystery finished second and Bruton Street's Snap Decision was third.
Rider Humphrey suffered a laceration on his right elbow which was stitched up at the track. He did not go to the hospital.
Colonial Downs continues its race season on Monday, Aug. 1. with first post at 1:45 p.m. ET. Featured race is the $100,000 Housebuster Overnight Handicap.
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