The Charlie Appleby-trained triad of Godolphin-owned group winners With The Moonlight, Silver Knott, and Siskany cleared quarantine on Sunday at Belmont Park and enjoyed a light gallop over the dirt training track as they prepare for upcoming starts at the Elmont, New York oval.
Chris Connett, Appleby's traveling assistant, reported all went well with the trio as they exercised around 10:30 a.m. (ET) under sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s. All three horses arrived in New York on Friday.
“I think they were happy to get out of quarantine and see a bit of daylight,” Connett said, with a laugh. “They had a little hack around the track just to stretch their legs and seemed to handle the track nicely. The riders came back with positive feedback and I'm very happy with it.”
The top earner of the three, With The Moonlight, already at graded stakes winner in the U.S., boasts $916,154 in earnings and is possible for either the New York (G1) at 10 furlongs or the Just a Game (G1) at one mile, both over the Belmont green on Friday, June 9. The 4-year-old daughter of Frankel began her season with a pair of Group 2 victories at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai when taking the Cape Verdi and the Balanchine.
She was a hard-trying second to In Italian in the Jenny Wiley (G1) on April 15 at Keeneland and was last seen finishing distant sixth in the Group 2 Howden Dahlia on May 7 over soft Newmarket turf.
“She's a phenomenal filly and has two wins this year,” said Connett. “She ran on the soft ground at Newmarket, which wasn't ideal. She shipped over really well and has filled out into her frame a bit from three to four. She ran some nice races in Dubai this winter and ran a great race down at Keeneland – In Italian is a very nice horse.”
With The Moonlight had a productive American campaign last summer when winning the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) in August at Saratoga Race Course, which came between runner-up efforts in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) and the Lake Placid (G2).
Siskany, a 5-year-old son of Dubawi, is targeting the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2) at two miles over the lawn on Friday, June 9. The bay gelding arrives from a close fifth-place finish in the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup on May 19 traveling 1 3/4 miles at York. His lone start at the Belmont Gold Cup distance came two starts back when defeated a neck by multiple group winner Broome in the Dubai Gold Cup (G2) on March 25 at Meydan.
“He ran in Dubai and finished second to a very nice horse in Broome,” said Connett. “His last run wasn't quite as we hoped, but he comes here over a trip he really likes over ground he should really like as well. Fingers crossed. A lot of things can happen [in longer grass races], but he's pretty straightforward and hopefully he can back up to two miles and run a big race.”
The lightly raced Silver Knott will make his second North American start in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G2), a nine-furlong turf test for sophomores this Saturday.
The talented son of Lope de Vega made his sophomore debut last out in the 2000 Guineas (G1) on May 6 at Newmarket where he finished an uncharacteristic 11th after attending the pace early and weakening two furlongs from the wire.
He posted a strong juvenile campaign that saw him claim Group 3 victories in the Solario in August at Sandown Park and the Autumn in October at Newmarket before suffering a narrow nose defeat to Victoria Road in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) in November at Keeneland.
“He's taken to it here really well in his second trip to the states,” said Connett. “He wintered well and we'll hopefully see the horse we saw at the Breeders' Cup.”
Out of the multiple group-winning Nathaniel mare God Given, Silver Knott was purchased for 725,000 guineas [$1,035,915] at the 2021 Tattersalls October yearling sale and boasts a 3-1-1 record from seven career starts and $272,676 in total purse earnings.
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