Messi Rallies Late to Score in Knickerbocker

With a strong rally on the outside, Messi and jockey John Velazquez caught longshot Cage Fighter in the final jump of the $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes (gr. IIIT) on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Belmont Park to edge that rival by a nose and earn the first stakes win of his career.

After winning just 2 of 12 starts in Germany to start his career, the Gestut Brummerhof homebred has thrived in the U.S. as he picked up his third win in just four U.S. starts. The lone U.S. loss for the New Appraoch gelding came in the Aug. 29 Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) on the Saratoga Race Course lawn.

After that considerable class challenge for his U.S. stakes debut, trainer Graham Motion sent Messi out in the grade III Knockerbocker and he responded in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and older, but it would take some time for Messi to show his best.

Matthew Schera’s Cage Fighter looked a threat to nail down the first graded stakes win of his career as the 5-year-old son of Closing Argument   enjoyed a clear lead while comfortably moving through a quarter-mile in :25.38 and a half-mile in :50.38 under Joshua Navarro.

Cage Fighter held a one-length advantage at the eighth pole while Messi still raced fifth, 2 ¾-lengths back. But Messi, who already had gained some ground after rallying five wide into the stretch, proved to have a final burst that saw him prevail, completing the 1 1/8-mile test in 1:49.70 on firm turf.

"When he ran for the first time at Belmont he was last at the quarter pole and he came running," said Velazquez. "Going a little shorter today, I was a little worried about it, but they were going so slow and he was pulling all the way to the half-mile pole. I got stopped at the half-mile pole and I thought it would be hard not to let him go and catch up. It took him a little bit to get going, but once he switched [leads] down the lane I thought he was going to get there. It was little by little, but he had a nice kick coming home."

Messi returned $10.20 to win, $7 to place and $4.50 to show. Cage Fighter paid $18.60 to place and $6.40 to show while Mr Speaker returned $3.60. Favored War Dancer, a grade II winner who was sent off at 5-2, tracked Cage Fighter early but faded to seventh in the field of nine.

Out of the winning Dashing Blade mare Messina, Messi is a half brother to McCartney. His record now stands at five wins and five seconds from 16 starts for earnings of $302,899.