NEWS
Cloudy’s Knight earns fourth stakes win of the year
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009 6:29 PM
CLOUDY'S KNIGHT CONTINUES COMEBACK WITH MCKNIGHT SCORE
Jim Lisa Photos
To view a video replay of the W. L. McKnight Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Cloudy’s Knight on Saturday added another chapter to his remarkable comeback from a tendon injury with his fourth stakes win in five starts since he returned to racing with Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard in September.
The nine-year-old Lord Avie gelding lengthened his stride in the stretch and wore down game multiple graded stakes winner Spice Route (GB) for a 1 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 W. L. McKnight Handicap (G2), one of three graded stakes on Saturday’s card at Calder Race Course.
Sidelined for more than a year with the tendon injury, Cloudy’s Knight prepared for his comeback this season with a European-style training regimen and won the Kentucky Cup Turf Stakes (G3) on September 19 at Kentucky Downs in his debut for Sheppard. He added a graded stakes win at Keeneland Race Course and a stakes win at Woodbine, which sandwiched his only defeat this year: a runner-up finish by a nose to Man of Iron in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon on November 6 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park.
“He’s a wonderful horse,” Sheppard said. “That will be it for him for a while as we've already decided to skip Gulfstream. You can't dance all the dances, although he wasn't even blowing when he came back today. We hope to bring him back by the spring or summer."
Sent off at 5.50-to-1 odds, S J Stables’ Cloudy’s Knight dropped well off the pace while Presious Passion set a swift tempo as the 4-to-5 favorite.
A multiple Grade 1 winner this season, Presious Passion was seeking his third straight win in the McKnight in his first start since finishing second in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on November 7. Presious Passion opened a clear early lead but his chances were compromised when Livingston Street advanced to press him through a half-mile in :46.78 and six furlongs in 1:10.68 in the 1 1/2-mile turf race.
Spice Route overhauled Presious Passion on the final turn and opened a clear lead in the stretch, but Cloudy’s Knight shadowed Spice Route and powered past in the final sixteenth under Rosemary Homeister Jr., completing 1½ miles in 2:27.63 on firm turf.
"I keep learning about this horse every time I ride him, and the most important thing I've learned is to just let him run his race the way he wants to,” Homeister said. “He's too professional at running these long distance races, you just have to sit and let him do his thing."
Cloudy’s Knight earned more than $1.7-million in 2007 and was named Canada’s champion turf male after winning the Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Can-G1) for previous trainer Frank Kirby. He was sidelined for more than a year after finishing eighth in the 2008 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes Presented by VTech (Can-G1). Out of the winning Solar City mare Cloudy Spot, Cloudy’s Knight improved to 14 victories from 41 lifetime starts and earnings of $2,519,035.
Spice Route held off Winchester by a half-length for third. Presious Passion faded to fifth in the ten-horse field.
Sweet Repent ekes out Stage Door Betty score
Sweet Repent needed every yard of the stretch to overtake front-running 20.40-to-1 outsider Amazing in the $100,000 Stage Door Betty Handicap (G3). Sent off as the even-money favorite, Sweet Repent completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.91 on a track rated as fast to win by a nose (video).
The three-year-old Repent filly improved to four wins in eight starts this season for trainer David Braddy and owner Buongiorno A Tutti Stable and picked up her third stakes win this year. Out of the winning Formal Dinner mare Sweetbabe, Sweet Repent boosted her bankroll to $299,190 while winning her sixth races from 12 career starts.
Jockey Manoel Cruz rated Sweet Repent in third while Amazing set a dawdling pace, and the winner had 2 1/2 lengths to make up in the final furlong for a hard-fought victory.
Motovato closes with rush to win Kenny Noe
Trapped in traffic in early stretch, Motovato closed with a furious rush in the final sixteenth to complete last-to-first rally and win the $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap (G3) under Elvis Trujillo (video).
The four-year-old by Proud Citizen was poised to pounce in the stretch but had to be angled wide for running room. He accelerated smoothly and steadily reeled in runner-up Dream Maestro to prevail by a neck as the 3-to-1 second wagering choice.
Motovato covered seven furlongs in 1:24.44 to post his third win in eight starts this season for trainer Marty Wolfson and owners Edmund Gann and Michel Jean Zerolo. A three-time stakes winner this year, Motovato nailed down his first graded stakes victory. Overall, he has won five of 13 career starts while earning $219,179.
Dream Maestro was three lengths clear of third-place finisher Prince Joshua. Biker Boy, winner of five of eight starts entering the Kenny Noe, was in ideal striking position entering the stretch but faded to finish fifth as the 3-to-5 favorite.
For the Equibase charts, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
