Blacktype holds off late-running Muqtaser in Knickerbocker

ELMONT, N.Y. – Last year, when he recorded back-to-back graded stakes victories, Blacktype would sit back and make one run. This year, Blacktype has found success being a little more prominent early in his races.

Under aggressive handling from Joel Rosario, Blacktype tracked from second the pace-setting Hello Don Julio, made the lead approaching the top of the stretch, and held off a late run from Muqtaser to win Monday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes by one length at soggy Belmont Park. It was a neck to Hello Don Julio in third.

The win was the second straight and ninth from 28 career starts for Blacktype, a 6-year-old gelding by Dunkerque trained by Christophe Clement, who won the Knickerbocker for the sixth time in his career. Blacktype is owned by Jump Sucker Stable, managed by former New York Racing Association chairman Steve Duncker.

In the summer of 2016, Blacktype reeled off three consecutive victories including the Grade 3 Oceanport at Monmouth and the Grade 2 Commonwealth Turf Cup at Laurel. The streak ended when he finished third in the Knickerbocker. Blacktype would lose five more races – including a sixth-place finish in the Lure Stakes at Saratoga – before winning an allowance race here on Sept. 9.

“It took me awhile to get him back where he was supposed to be,” Clement said. “I loved his last race. He was unlucky at Saratoga, sometimes on the turf you need to be lucky as well. His last race was a great prep race for this race.”

In his last race, Blacktype sat second early on and took over in midstretch to win by one length.

Clement instructed Joel Rosario to employ similar tactics on Monday, and Rosario had Blacktype sitting second, within 1 1/2 lengths of Hello Don Julio, who under John Velazquez set fractions of 24.27 for the quarter, 49.14 for the half-mile, and 1:13.84 for six furlongs.

Approaching the five-sixteenths pole, Blacktype confronted Hello Don Julio, the two ran together until midstretch when Blacktype began to inch away. Muqtaser, who caught some traffic upper stretch, tried to rally under Joe Bravo but fell short.

Blacktype covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.33 and returned $12.80 as the fifth choice in the field of nine.

“I thought Joel gave him a great ride, I told him be a touch aggressive to get your position, which he did,” Clement said. “He was always traveling very well. When he opened up, I was worried about Joe Bravo but he opened up enough that nobody [caught him].”

Rosario, who won three races on Monday’s card, said he thought he might be on the lead, but was willing to concede it to Velazquez and Hello Don Julio and take over when that horse tired.

“He took me there – it looked like the horse that was on the lead was starting to lose it,” Rosario said. “I kept it in mind to have something extra for that last furlong; you’re always thinking about that. He was handling the grass really well and we took it from there.”

Last year, following the Knickerbocker, Blacktype ran second in the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct. Clement indicated that the $150,000 Artie Schiller, a one-mile stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 18, could be on the agenda again.