Pioneering Spirit Draws Away in Two-Horse Knickerbocker

Pioneering Spirit  seems more effective racing over firm turf courses than wet ones, but he had no issue with sloppy main track Oct. 20 in the $112,500 Knickerbocker Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet.

Facing just one rival in a race gutted by scratches when the race was moved off the turf due to rain, Pioneering Spirit pressed frontrunning Commandeer  and put that foe away once asked by jockey Jose Ortiz on the second turn. The winner, trained by Linda Rice for A. Bianco Holding Limited, scored by 15 3/4 lengths with 1 1/8 miles on a sloppy track in 1:51.42. He paid $3.40 to win.

King Cause  was a late veterinarian scratch and among six withdrawals from the race.

Facts And Figures

• Pioneering Spirit won the Bernard Baruch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in September at Saratoga Race Course on firm turf, one of his six wins this year.
• The Knickerbocker was preliminarily downgraded from grade 3 to listed status as a result of the surface change. The American Graded Stakes Committee can restore an original grade upon review—unlikely for Friday's two-horse race.

Bred in Kentucky by International Equities Holding, Pioneering Spirit is a gelded 4-year-old son of American Pharoah  , the 2015 Triple Crown winner. American Pharaoh's top domestic runners include grade 1 winners As Time Goes By  and Harvey's Lil Goil . He will stand the 2024 season for $50,000 at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky.