Knightsbridge Dominates Two-Turn Test in Monmouth Cup

Godolphin's Knightsbridge🔥  approved of his step up in trip to race two turns, cruising to a front-running 10 1/4-length victory over Money Game  in the $343,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) July 18 at Monmouth Park. 

Knightsbridge broke alertly under rider Flavien Prat, going straight to the lead and never looking back. The 5-year-old son of Darley stallion Nyquist   set comfortable fractions of :23.38, :46.57, and 1:10.63 in the 1 1/8-mile race while chased by Skippylongstocking , before putting that one and all his rivals away. 

"I had him relaxed most of the first part (of the race)," Prat said. "I just let him run on the backside and try to get away from the pressure, and after that, he was there for me every step of the way."

Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Skippylongstocking, well positioned, weakened surprisingly quickly on the second turn, passed by Money Game, but not even that one could get close to the winner. Skippylongstocking held on to show, but was more than 29 lengths behind the winner in a strung-out short field.

The winner clocked a final time of 1:47.51 over a fast track.

"He passed the two-turn test today, indeed," Godolphin USA director of bloodstock Michael Banahan said.  "If you're trying the two-turn test, this is a great racetrack to do it because speed can carry."

The Bill Mott-trained Knightsbridge notched his third graded stakes victory this year, paying $3 to win for a $2 ticket.

A half brother to another Godolphin homebred in grade 1 winner and sire Speaker's Corner  , Knightsbridge is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Tyburn Brook, a daughter of multiple grade 1 winner Round Pound.

This story will be updated with other stakes action from Monmouth Park.