The McKnight Handicap – GIII
GP Race 10 1 1/2M – InTurf
Purse $200.000
Four Year Olds and Up

Now here we are for this years McKnight Handicap going a marathon distance of a mile and a half here over the inner turf course here at Gulfstream Park. This is just one of the races on this big stakes card which included both of the Pegasus World Cup races plus a bunch of other stakes. Let’s take a look at the field.

1. Barton Rovers (9-3-2-2 $120.550), trained by Maxmillion Farm

A very lightly raced gelding right here and he is coming into this race off of a second place finish here at Gulfstream over this same distance and inner turf course. He ran a very good race that day to only get beat by a quarter length and he should have improved off of that race. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran a big one.

2. Steel Home (11-2-3-2 $154.880), trained by Blazin D

Now here is a horse who has improved tremendously over the past year. Last year this horse couldn’t even win a twenty dollar maiden claimer but now he is a stakes winner. He won his last race which was the CC Emerald on this Gulfstream turf course. He will have to run a huge race to win in this spot though.

3. Bold Moonlight (10-0-2-4 $18.920), trained by Maze Stables

Well I cant lie I am not sure why this horse is entered in this spot at all. He is a maiden who has been running in high level maiden special weights and low level allowances race and he even has ran in some free track allowances and not won. He is just in way over his head and has no chance I think.

4. Urban Mythology (28-7-6-6 $230.070), trained by Hambletonian Stable

Here is another entry in the race that I think is sort of a reach because this horse just got beat in an open twenty five dollar claimer here at Gulfstream. I don’t think he is good enough to win this race and I think he is in too tough. The only thing that gives him a chance is that he likes to go long distances.

5. T N T Dynamite (21-4-5-3 $279.970), trained by Fractious

Now here is a horse who I think has a decent shot to win if he runs a big race like I think he is capable of if everything goes his way. He ran in the Breeders Cup Mile last year even though he didn’t run all that great that day. The only question I have is if he is going to be able to get the mile and a half distance of this race.

6. Cherokee Charlie (24-5-2-6 $335.850), trained by Team 7 Illusions

One of the horses in this race that actually looks like he belongs in this race off of his form because he is coming off of a win in the grade three Smith Handicap at Aqueduct going over a mile and three eights. He looks like a serious contender to win this race if he runs that same race that he did last time.

7. Built Like A Rock (12-1-0-4 $193.000), trained by TwinTowers Racing

Now here we have a horse who loves this mile and a half distance for sure. He broke his maiden going a mile and a half and ran third in the grade one Pattison Canadian International at Woodbine over this distance. He loves the distance and the field isn’t very strong so I think he has a good chance in here.

8. Moms Guy (45-12-5-4 $811.270), trained by Mb Stables

An old eight year old gelding right here that has seen a lot and is graded stakes winner going back all the way into two thousand fifteen. He has been rock solid his whole career pretty much and has actually won his last three in a row. He won a seventy five dollar claimer last time at Santa Anita. I think he has a good chance to win.

Summary

Unfortunately this race doesn’t have a ton of quality to me. The outside three runners look like the toughest three in the race to me and the runners towards the inside don’t look like a huge threat honestly. It might me a good race though but its low on quality in my honest opinion. Good luck to all in the race.

6-7-8-2

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES