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Red Knight Cruises To Stakes-Record Victory In Thursday’s Sycamore

Trinity Farm's homebred Red Knight surged to the front at midstretch and cruised to a 2-length victory over Postulation to win the 26th running of the $150,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on an overcast Thursday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by James Graham, Red Knight covered the 1½ miles on a firm turf course in 2:28.81 to smash the stakes record of 2:29.55 established by Sharbayan (IRE) in 2003. It is the third victory in the Sycamore for Graham, who won in 2007 aboard Transduction Gold and 2013 on Najjaar.

Postulation led the field of 10 through fractions of :24.84, :51.08, 1:16.04 and 1:40.76 while Red Knight raced near the back of the pack.

On the far turn, Graham angled Red Knight off the rail and began splitting horses. He swung three wide into the stretch, collared Postulation at the eighth pole and drew clear for the victory.

“I saw what was happening around me,” Graham said. “Manny (Franco on Ziyad [GB]) moved out around the backside. Brian (Hernandez)'s horse (Eons) started to come out under pressure, and I split two horses and (Red Knight) came right back on the bridle, which was great. And then he accelerated turning for home. Everything went great. He was probably 2 lengths further back than I wanted to be, but it worked out.”

It was the first graded stakes victory for Red Knight, a 6-year-old New York-bred son of Pure Prize out of the Skip Away mare Isabel Away. The victory was worth $90,000 and increased his earnings to $732,158 with a record of 21-8-6-1.

Sent off as the favorite, Red Knight returned $6.80, $4 and $3. Postulation, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $6.80 and $4.20 and finished a head in front of Ziyad (GB) who paid $3.40 to show under Manny Franco.

It was another head back to North Dakota who was followed in order by He's No Lemon, Big Agenda, Aquaphobia, Eons, Split the Wickets and Morning Stride.

Racing continues Friday with a 10-day program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET and featuring the 30th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The Pin Oak Valley View will be run as the ninth race with a 5:30 p.m. post time.

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Olympico Will Try To Go One Better In Sunday’s Rescheduled Knickerbocker

After running second in last year's edition, the Chad Brown-trained Olympico will get another chance to earn a trip to the winner's circle when he competes as part of a five-horse field in the Grade 2, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on Belmont Park's inner turf on Sunday.

The Knickerbocker was originally scheduled for the Monday, Oct. 12 holiday card but was moved to Sunday's third race at 1:28 p.m. Eastern due to inclement weather. That provided Olympico with a few days of extra rest as he makes his first appearance since running fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Lure on Sept. 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Olympico made his 2020 debut off a nearly nine-month layoff, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch on July 26 at the Spa. That marked his first start since finishing just one length back to Lucullan in the 2019 Knickerbocker.

After arriving from his native France last year, the now 5-year-old son of Rajsaman won his North American debut by capturing the Grade 3 Fort Marcy in May 2019 over Belmont's softer turf at the Knickerbocker distance. After six straight winless starts, he will look to recapture that form, drawing post 1 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. retaining the mount.

His stablemate, Devamani, was also bred in France and stared his career there before making the cross-Atlantic trek. Since arriving in the United States in 2018, the Dubawi gelding has been competitive. With Brown taking over the training duties for his 6-year-old campaign, Devamani has finished on the board in four of his five starts, starting 2020 with back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay on Feb. 8 and the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on June 6 at Belmont.

He ran third last out in the Lure and will return to Belmont for his eighth race at the track, drawing post 3 with Joel Rosario in the irons.

Juddmonte Farms' Seismic Wave will return to stakes company for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The 4-year-old Kentucky homebred ran second in a 1 1/8-mile race moved off the turf last out on August 27 at Saratoga. Before that effort on a sloppy and sealed track, the son of Tapit had run in 11 consecutive stakes contests dating to 2019, including a win in the English Channel going one mile over the Belmont turf last October and a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Poker on July 4.

“I think for his style of running, a racetrack at Belmont is going to suit him better to get the trip he needs,” said Garrett O'Rourke, the general manager of Juddmonte Farms. “It's a spot worthy of taking a shot in. He's a sound horse and a good servant. He's been a fun horse to have around. Horses like him are good to have around because they're reliable and usually perform really well.”

Seismic Wave broke his maiden at the Knickerbocker distance on turf in his third career start in February 2019 at Gulfstream Park. A stakes win could also help his value at the upcoming sale next month, O'Rourke said. Seismic Wave is 3-4-2 in 15 career starts with earnings of $362,800.

“He's entered in the Keeneland November Sale [under the WinStar consignment], so we'll see how he runs and take it from there,” O'Rourke said.

Seismic Wave will break from post 2 under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano.

Phipps Stable's Breaking the Rules started his 5-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins against allowance company, besting a 10-horse field going 1 1/8 miles on June 20 at Belmont before following with a one-length score on July 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey moved the dark bay son of War Front back up to stakes company last out in the Lure on Sept. 7 at the Spa, where he ran fourth in his first stakes appearance since an eighth-place performance in the Grade 3 Poker in June 2019.

Breaking the Rules did not start again after the Poker for 12 months but has registered Beyer Speed Figures of 90 or greater in all three starts back, including a personal-best 101 for his July victory.

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, aboard for his two wins this year, will return to ride from post 5.

Waterford Stable's En Wye Cee has only one previous stakes race out of his six total starts to his credit – fourth in the Grade 3 Discovery last November at the Big A – but enters the challenge with momentum following a six-length win against optional claimers in a race taken over the turf on August 29 at Saratoga. The Todd Pletcher trainee's only previous start on grass was a third in a blanket finish on Aug. 1 at the Spa, finishing a neck behind King Cause. After earning a 93 Beyer, Pletcher will try the 4-year-old Declaration of War colt on turf again, retaining the services of jockey Jose Ortiz from post 4.

Sunday's 10-race card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Mitchell Road Headlines 13-Horse Field In Saturday’s Floral Park Stakes

Graded stakes-winner Mitchell Road will get her first career test at Belmont Park when she competes as part of a full 13-horse field in Saturday's $80,000 Floral Park for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up contesting six furlongs on the Widener turf course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Mitchell Road enters off a runner-up effort in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies on September 12, earning a personal-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure after finishing a neck behind Regal Glory on September 12.

Owned by Mrs. J.V. Shields, Jr. and E. J. M. McFadden, Mitchell Road won the 2019 Grade 3 Gallorette at Pimlico Race Course as a 4-year-old and also has compiled a stakes win in the current campaign in the Ellis Park Turf on July 5 going 1 1/16 miles.

Jockey Junior Alvarado will pick up the mount from post 6.

Athlone Racing's Rose Flower will look for class relief after running sixth in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 6 over a yielding Belmont turf. Trainer Christophe Clement said he's been looking forward to getting the German-bred daughter of Dabirsim back on the track.

“Everything is good and she's training forwardly,” Clement said. “I've been waiting to race her for quite a while. There's been no problems going forward.”

Rose Flower has gone 1-0-2 in four starts since arriving from Europe last year, showing a propensity to sit near the rear of the field before employing a late kick, which resulted in her first North American win in October 2019 at Belmont.

“She's fine on soft turf but she can run on anything, firm or soft,” Clement said. “She's mostly a come-from-behind-type filly, but the main thing is that she hasn't run for a while, so we want to get her going.”

Joel Rosario has the call from post 9.

Owned by VinLaur Racing Stables, Dark Horse Racing Stables and Taste of Victory Stables, I'llhandalthecash won her first career stakes in her last appearance on the Belmont grass, digging in after a three-wide move in the upper stretch before outkicking Dalika by a half-length to capture the License Fee, held at the Floral Park distance, on July 3.

Trainer Ray Handal, for whom the horse is named, ran the 4-year-old Point of Entry filly back in the 5 ½-furlong Caress on August 1 at Saratoga, where she ran sixth. Following a 12th-place effort last out in her graded stakes debut over a soft turf course at Kentucky Downs in the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs on September 12, Handal said he is excited to return to a venue where she has already achieved success, earning a career-best 90 Beyer in her last win.

“She's doing good; she didn't do a whole lot of running last time,” Handal said. “I think we got shuffled back a bit early and we weren't in the spot we wanted to be in and couldn't do much about it. She got stuck on the inside and the track that day wasn't good anywhere, but it was at its absolute worst at the rail. It was like a bog. So I just treaded lightly and I penciled this spot in and she came out of it really well and she's given me all the signs that she's ready to get back at it.”

Jockey Dylan Davis will pick up the mount for the first time, drawing post 3.

With the forecast calling for a chance of rain Saturday, Handal also entered Overheated for the main track only. The 5-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor, out of the multiple graded-stakes winning Malibu Moon mare Hot Summer, ran second on August 6 at Saratoga and mostly recently was fourth in a starter allowance on September 27 at Belmont.

“She always shows up and runs her race and it's all dependent on where she lands,” Handal said. “She's worth a lot of money as a broodmare, so we're picking our spots and placing her properly. She's always been in a little above her head because we don't want to put her in for a tag. But she's improved since she's been here and she doesn't mind a sloppy track.”

Barry Ostrager's Sunny Dale has run second in back-to-back races, starting with the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial in September at Parx before another runner-up effort against allowance company on the same track on September 30. Trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sunny Dale has finished second or third in her last five starts.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the irons from post 11.

VinLaur Racing Stables' Xanthique has one win and two second-place efforts in four starts of her 4-year-old year. The Tom Morley trainee bested allowance company in her previous Belmont start, winning at one mile on the turf on June 28.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano drew the assignment and will break from post 5.

Getmotherarose, winner of the Grade 3 Honey Fox in February at Gulfstream Park, will make her eighth consecutive stakes start and is looking to atone for an eight-place finish in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel going one mile on the Belmont grass on September 26.

Conditioned by Tom Bush, Getmotherarose has registered three of her five career wins at Belmont. Eric Cancel will ride from post 4.

Rounding out the field is Bohemian Bourbon, third in the Grade 2 Royal North on July 18 at Woodbine, for trainer Ian Wilkes [post 1, Jose Lezcano]; Saratoga Treasure, who ran third in both the Hessonite and Smart N Fancy in two of her last three starts [post 10, Jose Ortiz]; for conditioner David Donk; Lead Guitar, winner of two straight optional claimers, including on September 20 at Belmont, for George Weaver [post 8, Luis Saez]; My Sassy Sarah, an allowance winner on July 19 over Saratoga's turf before running seventh in the Grade 3 Lake George last out on August 28, for Jorge Abreu [post 2, Hall of Famer John Velazquez]; and Elle's Town, an allowance winner in her previous start for trainer Karl Broberg [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche].

The David Cannizzo-trained Slimey is also entered for the main track only.

Saturday's 10-race card will feature a 12:20 p.m. Eastern first post. America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the 27-day fall meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete America's Day at the Races broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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Saratoga Oaks Winner Antoinette Among 12 Going In Friday’s Pin Oak Valley View

Godolphin's Antoinette, winner of the Saratoga Oaks Invitational and recently runner-up in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), tops a field of a dozen 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday's 30th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

The Valley View, run at 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course, will go as the ninth race on Friday afternoon's 10-race program with a 5:30 ET post time. First post is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Bill Mott, the homebred daughter of Hard Spun will be ridden Friday by Manny Franco and break from post position 12.

Headlining the competition to Antoinette is Merriebelle Stable's Walk In Marrakesh (IRE), who came within a nostril of winning the Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland in July.

Trained by Ignacio Correas IV, Walk In Marrakesh has been on the wrong end of three photos in graded stakes company since coming to North America late last summer. She was beaten a nose in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine in September and in her 2020 debut was beaten a head in the Florida Oaks (G3).

Sixth in the Edgewood (G2) at Churchill Downs in her most recent start, Walk In Marrakesh will be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and break from post position four.

Figuring to also attract support are Marc Detampel, TSK Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen's Outburst (GB) and Paradise Farms Corp. and Parkland Thoroughbreds' Stunning Sky.

Winner of the aforementioned Florida Oaks in March, Outburst enters Friday's race off a fourth-place finish in the Music City at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, Outburst will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post position 10.

Stunning Sky comes into the Valley View off a solid summer that featured runner-up finishes at Saratoga in the Lake Placid (G2) and Saratoga Oaks Invitational. In her most recent start, she was fourth in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs trailing Micheline and Harvey's Lil Goil, the top two finishers in Saturday's Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland.

Trained by Mike Maker, Stunning Sky will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position 11.

The field for the Valley View, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Duopoly (Tyler Gaffalione, 118 pounds), In Good Spirits (Miguel Mena, 118), Princess Grace (Shaun Bridgmohan, 118), Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) (Hernandez Jr., 118), Witez (Julien Leparoux, 118), How Ironic (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Pranked (David Cohen, 118), Lucky Betty (Declan Cannon, 118), Sugar Fix (Adam Beschizza, 120), Outburst (GB) (Geroux, 120), Stunning Sky (Santana Jr., 118) and Antoinette (Franco, 120).

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