Legendary back for Knickerbocker Stakes defense at Belmont Park

ELMONT, N.Y. – Legendary will return to his favorite surface when he seeks a repeat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont Park. Legendary is 6 for 25 in his career but is 3 for 4 at Belmont Park, where in 2014 he won two allowance races during the spring-summer meet and the Knickerbocker at the fall meet at 4-1 in a six-horse field. Though he beat Up With the Birds and Mshawish that day, he faces a deeper group Saturday, including All Included, Mr Speaker, Messi, and War Dancer.

Eleven horses were entered in the Knickerbocker, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf, with Mexikoma entered for the main track only. Legendary has not won since the Knickerbocker but is coming out of a second-place finish to Mr Speaker in the Commonwealth Cup at Laurel three weeks ago. “I wouldn’t be afraid to run against Mr Speaker again, but I’d prefer not to run against him,” trainer Niall Saville said.

In Legendary’s lone loss at Belmont, he finished third in the Grade 1 Manhattan here in June. After a bit of a break, he finished 12th in the Arlington Million over a yielding course that he did not handle. “If I would have realized how bad it was, I would have scratched,” Saville said. “He’s doing better than he was when he ran in the Manhattan. Since he’s come back from Arlington, he’s been thriving.” Sheldon Russell will ride Legendary from post 8.

Mr Speaker returns to Belmont Park, where he won the Grade 1 Belmont Derby last year and an allowance race in July. Middleburg comes off a neck win in the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger at Monmouth in August. Messi won two allowance races before finishing seventh in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga. War Dancer finished second to Red Rifle in the Bowling Green. The others entered were Blingo, Cage Fighter, Hothersal, and V. E. Day.