Surging Blacktype Set for Knickerbocker
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Photo: Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
Blacktype wins this year's Oceanport Stakes.
Jump Sucker Stable's Blacktype will try for a fourth straight victory and third straight graded stakes score against an expected eight rivals in the Knickerbocker Stakes (gr. IIIT) on a holiday Monday Oct. 10 card at Belmont Park.
Trained by Christophe Clement, Blacktype enters Monday's 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and older on the inner turf off a half-length victory in the Commonwealth Turf Cup Stakes (gr. IIT) Sept. 24 on the Laurel Park turf. The 5-year-old French-bred son of Dunkerque completed that one-mile test in 1:33.43, setting a course record.
Before that standout effort, Blacktype earned the first stakes win of his career in the Oceanport Stakes (gr. IIIT) July 31 on the Monmouth Park turf. His current three-race win streak started with a clear victory in an allowance-optional claiming race on the Belmont turf. After the Commonwealth win, Clement said it seems Blacktype, who earned his first stakes win in his 19th career start, has turned the corner.
"Sometimes that happens. When horses get good, they get really good and by winning they get better. In this case, that's what happened," Clement said. "We took the blinkers off because he was a bit too strong with the blinkers and he seems to be a better horse that way."
Plenty of top competition awaits on Monday. Trainer Chad Brown sends out two-time grade II winner Takeover Target and grade III winner Mr Maybe, who enters off a clear victory in the John's Call Stakes Aug. 24 at Saratoga Race Course.
Heart to Heart, who opened the year with graded stakes wins in January and February on the Gulfstream Park turf, will make his first start since June when he shipped west and finished fourth in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park. Since Sept. 7 the 5-year-old son of English Channel has worked four times for trainer Brian Lynch, earning a pair of bullets during that stretch.
Albert Frassetto's Can'thelpbelieving (IRE) will be making his first start since a clear victory in the Aug. 21 Cliff Hanger Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Monmouth turf.