NEWS
Presious Passion seeks third straight W. L. McKnight
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 6:07 PM
PRESIOUS PASSION
Bob Coglianese photo
by Tim Nichols
After a season that included two Grade 1 wins, Presious Passion will try to close out 2009 like he did in ’08 and ’07—by winning the W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2) at Calder Race Course.
Patricia Generazio’s six-year-old Royal Anthem gelding is one of 11 three-year-olds and older entered for in the 1½-mile turf test on Saturday.
Presious Passion came into his own this year with Grade 1 wins on each coast—taking the United Nations Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park in course-record time and the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship Stakes (G1) at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.
In his most recent start, Presious Passion gave a packed Santa Anita crowd a thrill by spurting to a ten-length lead before being overtaken by Conduit (Ire) in the stretch and finishing second in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on November 7.
Among those who will try to defeat front-running Presious Passion is nine-year-old closer Cloudy’s Knight.
The Lord Avie gelding will be the only horse cutting back in distance on Saturday. Trained by Jonathan Sheppard, Cloudy’s Knight enters off a one-length win in the Valedictory Stakes at 1¾ miles on December 6 at Woodbine. Prior to that race, Cloudy’s Knight finished a nose shy of Man of Iron in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon on November 6, also at 1¾ miles.
Multiple graded stakes winner Spice Route (GB) won the Fifth Third Elkhorn Stakes (G2) at 1½ miles on April 24 at Keeneland Race Course. The five-year-old King’s Best gelding enters off a third-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith Handicap (G2) on November 7 at Aqueduct.
Saturday’s card also includes the Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap (G3) and the Stage Door Betty Handicap (G3).
The Kenny Noe Jr. marks the Florida return of Grade 2 winner This Ones for Phil. The three-year-old Untuttable gelding won the Seacliff Stakes as a juvenile at Calder prior to taking the Swale Stakes (G2) and Sunshine Millions Dash Stakes this season at Gulfstream Park. This Ones for Phil finished second in the Swale but was elevated to first after stewards ruled that Big Drama interfered in the stretch.
The Stage Door Betty at 1 1/16 miles will feature a full field of fillies and mares. Among those starting include Selene Stakes (Can-G3) winner Aurora Lights as well as two-time Peruvian champion and Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) third-place finisher Morena (Per).
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
