Silver Knott finally seems ready to reach his potential

An electrifying Grade 2 winner from Saturday The issues of Man o’ War on the lawn of the Aqueduct, silver knot has put the failures of the past in the rearview mirror.

Beaten by just one nostril in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in the fall of 2022, the son of Lope de Vega appeared to be a colt with a promising future. There’s been a lot of water under the bridge over the past 18 months for Silver Knott, but he now looks set to take his place among motor racing’s elite.

Campaign led by powerful Godolphin and trainer tandem Charlie ApplebySilver Knott failed to break through last year as a 3-year-old colt.

Spending most of 2023 in the United States, he was good enough to finish second or third in the standings at Belmont Park, Colonial Downs, Santa Anita and Del Mar, but the season ended with a 0 rating on 6 in the win column. .

Things changed precipitously for him in 2024. Now a gelding, his team also offered him the opportunity to ride longer distances this season. The combination of surgery, maturity and extra terrain seems to give Silver Knott all the right marks.

Out of the Group 1 winning mare Nathaniel God Given, the handsome bay was purchased for the US equivalent of $1,035,915 at the Tattersalls October 2021 Yearling Sale in England. He lived up to his high expectations with two Group 3 victories early in his career in his homeland before his unfortunate near miss at Keeneland.

Fed a steady diet of tough assignments last season, Silver Knott was a horse who seemed to lack the ability to find the winner’s circle against top competition.

With all the changes since his third-place finish in the Hollywood Derby (G1) to close out his sophomore season, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what clicked for him in his first two starts this year, but it’s clear he overcame the hump.

Best rider Flavien Prat hopped aboard Silver Knott for the first time last month at Keeneland. Returning to racing as an older horse and to the track where he narrowly missed a big one as a juvenile, he relished the 12-furlong journey of the Elkhorn Stakes (G2).

An easy victory on good horses. Missed the Cut and Bold Act was a revelation to those who followed his career. However, he was a little disrespected during Saturday’s Man o’ War. I don’t expect this to happen again.

Going 2-for-2 for the season, Silver Knott left his stylish and heavily favored stablemate, Nations Pride, in the dust early in the streak and continued under Prat on his way to a very impressive victory in the historic race of 11 stadiums. .

Perhaps his favorite stablemate needed a bit of a run in the Man o’ War, but that doesn’t take away from Silver Knott’s performance.

The ride on the Aqueduct section was powerful. Silver Knott is no longer a horse that could possibly have anything better to do than get to the finish line first.

This explosive victory in Man o’ War takes things to a new level. His win at the Elkhorn proved he could handle an extended trip. Saturday’s effort marks him as one of the best turf horses in America.

There is so much new for Silver Knott in 2024, it’s exciting to anticipate what it will become over the summer and fall. With potential runs in the Sword Dancer, Turf Classic and $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf awaiting you, it’s already a pleasure to see him at this level.

With patience and wise management, good things happen. It may have taken a while, but Silver Knott appears ready and able to realize his potential.