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Red Knight Earns Grade I Glory In Man o’ War S.

By the age of nine, most racehorses have left their best days well behind them. However, 5-1 shot Red Knight (Pure Prize) clearly did not get that memo, pulling off the most important victory of his career in Saturday's GI Man o' War S. at Belmont.

Breaking from the inside gate under Irad Ortiz, Jr., the chestnut trailed the field early while racing inside of favored 3-5 European import Warren Point (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was caught napping at the start with Frankie Dettori in the irons.

Up front, Channel Maker (English Channel) and Strong Tide (English Channel) carved out modest splits of :23.54 and :49.18, however, the early trailers soon began to pick up the tempo, closing on the front rank up the backstretch. As Strong Tide turned up the heat on Channel Maker exiting the far turn, Warren Point and Red Knight continued to track wide approaching the final turn. While the European invader held the advantage over Red Knight straightening for home as the pacesetters continued to duke it out up front, it was the New York-bred that had the best closing kick, sweeping to the front late and fending off a tightly-packed gaggle of rivals, who hit the wire in a blanket finish. In the end, it was closer Soldier Rising (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who got a head in front for second while Strong Tide held onto the show spot. The favorite faded to fifth.

“He started taking me from the five-eighths pole to the quarter-pole waiting for the time to go and when I asked him he responded really well,” explained Ortiz Jr. “I was hoping he would move a little earlier than usual. He's a big horse and has a huge stride and it was in my mind I wanted to let him go a little earlier, but I was stuck there. I think by the five-eighths pole, Frankie's horse [Dettori and Warren Point] started to pick it up a little bit, so I tried to follow him and my horse was doing it easy so I don't want to get in his way. By the quarter pole, he was already in stride. I just bided my time and tipped him out and he did the rest.”

As for the beaten favorite, Dettori explained, “He had to leave the hood on [blindfold and blanket in the gate] until the end which is no good around here because you give too much ground away. He was too rank and too far back. There was no pace. I made a bit of a move, but he basically ran too fresh.”

Recording his first graded stakes victory in the 2020 GIII Sycamore S., the gelding wouldn't visit the winner's circle again until taking last summer's Colonial Cup and duly followed up with a score in the GII Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs later in September. Well-beaten in his next two starts at Keeneland, including an 11th in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November, he returned to action with a win in Gulfstream's GIII William L. McKnight S. Jan. 28 before coming up only a head short of the win in Keeneland's GII Elkhorn S. Apr. 22.

On a potential start in the 10-furlong GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan S. June 10, trainer Mike Maker said, “It's too early to say. We wheeled him back a little quicker than we would have liked to today, but it paid off. Having said that, if he tells us he wants to run then we'll be there.”

Pedigree Note:
The New York-bred's victory in the Man o' War earned his sire, Pure Prize, his 18th career Group 1 winner. Prior to Red Knight, Isabel Away's most accomplished runner was Macagone, a stakes-winning son of Artie Schiller that earned over $650,000 on the racetrack. The mare's last reported live foal was Druid (by Magician {Ire}), produced in 2018.

Saturday, Belmont Park
MAN O' WAR S.-GI, $600,000, Belmont, 5-13, 4yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:13.74, fm.
1–RED KNIGHT, 122, g, 9, by Pure Prize
                1st Dam: Isabel Away, by Skip Away
                2nd Dam: Indio Rose, by Alydar
                3rd Dam: Misukaw, by Northern Dancer
   1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Trinity Farm, LLC (NY); T-Michael J.
Maker; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $330,000. Lifetime Record: 34-12-9-1,
$1,717,763. *1/2 to Macagone (Artie Schiller), MSW,
$654,981. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Soldier Rising (GB), 118, g, 5, Frankel (GB)–Sahrawi (Ger), by
Pivotal (GB). (240,000gns RNA Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Madaket
Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables &
Michael J. Caruso; B-Dayton Investments Ltd. (GB);
T-Christophe Clement. $120,000.
3–Strong Tide, 118, h, 6, English Channel–Dreamin Big, by Pure
Prize. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Penny S. Lauer; B-Michael E. &
Penny S. Lauer (IN); T-Michael E. Lauer. $72,000.
Margins: 1HF, HD, NO. Odds: 5.40, 7.40, 50.75.
Also Ran: Howe Street, Warren Point (GB), Channel Maker, Verstappen, Value Engineering.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Red Knight Upsets Kentucky Turf Cup

Red Knight blew up the tote at 15-1 in the GII Kentucky Turf Cup S. at Kentucky Downs Saturday, earning a spot in the gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in November. Breaking sharply from his inside post, the chestnut settled back near the rear with just three of his 11 rivals beat through an opening half-mile in :49.72. Inching up a bit, but still biding his time through three-quarters in 1:14.52, Red Knight snuck up the outside to be within striking distance approaching the far turn. Four wide at the top of the lane, the gelding hit the front in mid-stretch and held off a late charge from Gufo and Another Mystery to spring the upset.

“He ran a great race at Colonial Downs,” said winning rider Gerardo Corrales. “This is the perfect distance for him, 12 furlongs. Gufo is a three-time Grade I winner. When Gufo came next to Red Knight, Red Knight actually saw him eye to eye and he got additional energy. He just never quit. He just kept trying.”

He added, “I've won two graded races in all my life, and they were this week with Kitodan in the [GIII] Dueling Grounds Derby and now with Red Knight.”

“I thought he was gonna get beat,” said winning trainer Mike Maker. “He dug in and fought hard. He is a fighter, he is a tough horse. He rode hm great and got him to the outside and go the job done.”

Winner of the GIII Sycamore S. back in 2020, Red Knight checked in second to GISW Arklow (Arch) in the GII Louisville S. last May and was fifth to recent GI Sword Dancer S. winner Gufo in the Grand Couturier S. last July. Fifth again in Saratoga's GII Bowling Green S. last summer, he was sixth in the restricted John's Call S. there a month later and was shelved for the season. Transferred from Bill Mott to Mike Maker in the interim, Red Knight rallied to victory in the Colonial Cup S. last out July 27 after 13 months on the sidelines.

Pedigree Notes:

Red Knight is a half-brother to MSW Macagone. Isabel Away's most recent produce is a 4-year-old gelding named Druid (Magician {Ire}).

Saturday, Kentucky Downs
KENTUCKY TURF CUP S.-GII, $694,180, Kentucky Downs, 9-10, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:26.96, fm.
1–RED KNIGHT, 124, g, 8, by Pure Prize
                1st Dam: Isabel Away, by Skip Away
                2nd Dam: Indio Rose, by Alydar
                3rd Dam: Misukaw, by Northern Dancer
O/B-Trinity Farm, LLC (NY); T-Michael J. Maker; J-Gerardo
Corrales. $317,130. Lifetime Record: 29-10-8-1, $1,210,388.
*1/2 to Macagone (Artie Schiller), MSW, $654,981. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gufo, 124, h, 5, Declaration of War–Floy, by Petionville.
O-Otter Bend Stables, LLC; B-John Little & Stephen Cainelli
(KY); T-Christophe Clement. $186,000.
3–Another Mystery, 124, h, 6, Temple City–Ioya Two, by
Lord At War (Arg). O/B-Team Block (IL); T-Chris M. Block.
$51,150.
Margins: NO, NK, 1. Odds: 12.02, 1.63, 15.67.
Also Ran: Highest Honors, Admission Office, Arklow, Glynn County, Who's the Star, Rogue Element, Breakpoint (Chi), Temple, Keystone Field. Scratched: Militarist.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Channel Cat Primed To Take On Saratoga’s Bowling Green

Calumet Farm homebred Channel Cat and his trainer, Jack Sisterson, are no strangers to springing upsets in graded stakes. The duo will look to add another exclamation mark to their collective ledgers in Saturday's Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green, an 11-furlong inner-turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

Channel Cat, who is one of three sons of English Channel entered for Saturday's 63rd renewal, captured the 2019 Bowling Green at odds of 13-1 for former conditioner Todd Pletcher. The 6-year-old chestnut, who was transferred to Sisterson's care last year, won a dramatic renewal of the Grade 1 Man o' War in May at Belmont Park at 8-1 by a nose over Gufo, who was a neck better than Bowling Green-rival Moon Over Miami.

The Man o' War score completed a personal trifecta of Grade 1-wins at all three NYRA tracks for Sisterson following Vexatious' [9-1] score in the Personal Ensign last year at Saratoga and True Timber's [7-1] Cigar Mile victory in December at Aqueduct Racetrack

John Velazquez, who has also enjoyed surprise success in the Bowling Green, is tied with fellow Hall of Fame riders Javier Castellano, Jerry Bailey, and Jorge Velasquez for most Bowling Green wins with three. He will look to secure the standalone record victory from the inside post after scores with Turk Passer [1994, 31-1], Cetewayo [1998, 9-1], and Air Support [2012, 7-5].

Channel Cat has posted a trio of recent works at Saratoga, including a half-mile effort in 48.66 seconds Saturday on the Oklahoma training turf.

“He couldn't be doing any better,” Sisterson said. “He's done all his works within himself. On Saturday, John Velazquez worked him and was very happy with him. The key to Channel Cat is keeping him happy and he seems to be going into the race in great shape and happy form. We look forward to a fun summer with him.”

Channel Cat, who has competed over good turf in his last three outings, ran second in the 12-furlong Grade 2 Elkhorn at Keeneland in April ahead of his Man o' War score.

Last out, in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 5 at Belmont, Channel Cat pressed the pace and faded to seventh in a race won by Domestic Spending. The second and third-place finishers exited that event to win stakes, including a Grade 1 United Nations coup for the Chad Brown-trained Tribhuvan and a Grand Couturier-score for the Christophe Clement-conditioned Gufo.

“I ran him back in three weeks after the Elkhorn because he was doing so well. I probably should have skipped the Manhattan because he had a tough race in the Man o' War, but we gave him a little break now prior to the Bowling Green,” Sisterson said. “It was good to see Chad Brown's horse come back and win the United Nations so the form held up well.”

Bill Mott, who is tied with fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for most Bowling Green victories with four, will saddle a trio of contenders, including the reigning Champion Turf Male Channel Maker, graded-stakes winner Red Knight and multiple graded-stakes placed Moon Over Miami.

Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, R. A. Hill Stable and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Channel Maker, a 7-year-old Ontario-bred son of English Channel, boasts a record of 39-7-6-5 with purse earnings in excess of $3.2 million.

The prominent chestnut, last seen finishing eighth in the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March, will make his fourth-consecutive Bowling Green appearance, including a dead-heat win in 2018, a fourth in 2019 and a third a year ago.

Channel Maker captured the 12-furlong Grade 1 Sword Dancer here last summer over soft going ahead of a similar front-running score in the Grade 1 Turf Classic Invitational in October over firm Belmont turf. Manny Franco, aboard for both of those victories, returns to the irons from post 5.

Trinity Farm homebred Red Knight, a 7-year-old New York-bred son of Pure Prize, made the grade in October in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland. The consistent chestnut sports a ledger of 25-8-8-1 and will look for his first win of the season, adding blinkers from post 6 under Tyler Gaffalione.

Summer Wind Equine's Moon Over Miami, a 4-year-old Malibu Moon colt, captured the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Derby in September at Kentucky Downs to secure his only stakes win. He has made all three starts this year in graded company, finishing third in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida in February and second in the Grade 2 Pan American, both at Gulfstream, ahead of his last-out third in the Grade 1 Man o' War.

Junior Alvarado retains the mount from post 7.

Pletcher will saddle Donegal Racing's Shamrocket, a 4-year-old Tonalist bay in search of his first graded win. The normally late-running colt, who finished fourth in the Grade 1 Man o' War in May, utilized a more prominent approach last out when third in the Grand Couturier.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 8.

Three Diamonds Farm's Cross Border, a 7-year-old New York-bred son of English Channel, was elevated to victory in last year's Bowling Green following the disqualification of Sadler's Joy.

Trained by Mike Maker, Cross Border has thrived on the Saratoga turf with five wins and one second from six starts. Last year's efforts at Saratoga included a win in the Lubash and a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer. In 2019, Cross Border went 3-for-3 in a perfect Spa summer campaign.

Bred in the Empire State by Berkshire Stud and B.D. Gibbs, Cross Border will exit post 2 under Luis Saez in search of his first win this year.

Brown, a four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, combined previously with Hall of Fame rider Castellano to capture the Bowling Green with Hyper [2013] and Flintshire [2016].

On Saturday, Castellano will pilot Three Chimneys Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Siena Farm and Jeff Drown's Breakpoint, a multiple Group 1-winner in his native Chile, from post 3.

The 4-year-old Constitution colt broke slow en route to a fourth-place finish last out in his North American debut in a nine-furlong optional-claiming event on June 27 on the Belmont turf.

Brown will also saddle Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Wonder Stables, Michael Kisber and Michael J. Caruso's multiple Grade 1-placed Rockemperor [post 4, Joel Rosario], who enters from a sharp optional-claiming win traveling 10-furlongs on June 26 over firm Belmont turf.

The 5-year-old Irish-bred son of Holy Roman Emperor finished third in the 2019 Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational and second in last year's Grade 1 Manhattan at Belmont.

The Bowling Green is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card, which also includes the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in Race 8 and the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Grade 1 Winner Arklow Returns In Saturday’s Louisville Stakes

Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and the Estate of Peter Conway's Grade 1-winning turf specialist Arklow is set to return from a nearly six-month break in Saturday's 84th running of the $150,000 Louisville Stakes (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs.

Saturday's Louisville Stakes, run at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, is the featured event on the 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Louisville will go as the finale at 5:58 p.m. A simulcast of the $1 million Preakness Stakes (G1) – the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown – follows at 6:47 p.m.

Trained by 2020 Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Brad Cox, Arklow has been off since winning November's $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) at Del Mar. The now 7-year-old son of Arch has recorded eight lifetime victories through 31 starts with earnings topping a stout $2.66 million. Arklow has one victory over the Matt Winn Turf Course four years ago in the American Turf (G2).

Jockey Florent Geroux, who has been aboard Arklow for 16 previous starts, has the call from post No. 10.

With a victory Saturday, trainer Kenny McPeek would tie Bill Mott for the most victories in the Louisville Stakes with six. McPeek entered Lucky Seven Stable's stakes winner Crafty Daddy along with Walking L Thoroughbreds' three-time winner Fighting Seabee.

Mott hopes to extend his lead with Trinity Farm's $150,000 Elkhorn (G3) winner Red Knight. The 7-year-old gelded son of Pure Prize finished second to Arklow in last year's $1 million Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) at Kentucky Downs.

The complete field for the Louisville from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Artemus Eagle (Gabriel Saez, Waylon Cundiff); Imperador (ARG) (Joe Talamo, Paolo Lobo); Spooky Channel (Francisco Arrieta, Jason Barkley); Strong Tide (Marcelino Pedroza, Mike Lauer); Fantasioso (ARG) (Julien Leparoux, Ignacio Correas IV); Jais's Solitude (Declan Cannon, Eddie Kenneally); Red Knight (James Graham, Mott); Fighting Seabee (Chris Landeros, McPeek); Monarchs Glen (GB) (Adam Beschizza, Mike Maker); Arklow (Geroux, Cox); Ajourneytofreedom (Tyler Gaffalione, Maker); Bakers Bay (Corey Lanerie, Shug McGaughey); Crafty Daddy (Brian Hernandez, McPeek); and Admiralty Pier (Drayden Van Dyke, Barbara Minshall).

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Racing beneath the Twin Spires returns Thursday with a special late post of 5 p.m. for Twilight Thursday presented by Blue Moon. Fans can enjoy the eight-race card while sipping on $1 select domestic beer and $1 Blue Moon draft. The evening also features live music, food trucks and more. General admission, which includes a program, is $5 and can be purchased online at www.churchilldowns.com/tickets.

Live racing will continue Friday-Sunday with first posts of 12:45 p.m. For more information about the Spring Meet, visit https://www.churchilldowns.com/calendar/featured-events/.

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