Ocean Knight gets away from toughies
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In 2014, Ocean Knight began his 2-year-old season with a victory over Aqueduct’s inner track. His connections hope Ocean Knight can begin his 5-year-old season in similar fashion when he heads a five-horse field entered in a third-level/optional $100,000 claiming race that serves as Thursday’s feature on Aqueduct’s eight-race card.
Ocean Knight, the winner of the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in January 2015, drops into allowance company after two stakes tries. He finished third in the Grade 2 Kelso at Belmont before finishing last in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile over Aqueduct’s main track in November. While he was a 15-1 shot in the Cigar Mile, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin felt he was doing well enough that he could have made an impact in the race. Ocean Knight raced in midpack to about the quarter pole before backing up.
“Just was a real head-scratcher,” McLaughlin said Monday from south Florida. “We don’t know what happened. He’s done well since, and he’s back in a better spot.”
Ocean Knight won his six-furlong debut by 4 1/4 lengths in his only start over the inner track. He then won the Sam Davis – beating, among others, Divining Rod, who finished second in the 2016 Cigar Mile – before finishing seventh in the Tampa Bay Derby.
Ocean Knight missed the first seven months of his 4-year-old season last year while recovering from surgery to remove a knee chip. He was second in a couple of allowance races before his stakes tries.
McLaughlin hopes this race proves to be “a confidence boost for trainer and horse.”
Jose Ortiz rides Ocean Knight from the rail.
His main rival figures to be Voluntario, who comes off a third-place finish behind Doyouknowsomething in a similar spot. The runner-up from that race, Send It In, came back to win Saturday’s Alex M. Robb Stakes.
Old Upstart, Praetereo, and Furyofthenorsemen – all in for the $100,000 claiming tag – complete the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Ocean Knight, by Curlin
Last 3 Beyers: 76-97-96
◗ Has faced significantly tougher competition in his last three starts, including in a similar spot three back when beaten a nose by the returning stakes winner Protonico.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Ocean Knight. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is 26-2-7-6 with a $0.32 ROI over the past five years in routes on the Aqueduct inner dirt in the second start following a layoff of 45 days or more; 21 of the 24 losses came at odds of 5-1 or lower. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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DRF FORMULATOR fact: Over the last three years, McLaughlin is 4 for 10 with a $2.63 ROI in the second start off a short layoff at Aqueduct. Two of those wins came over the inner track.
Voluntario, by Hold Me Back
Last 3 Beyers: 96-99-94
◗ Likely compromised by the speed-favoring nature of the inner track while trying to close from last when third Dec. 9.
◗ Two starts back, he was a sharp five-length winner over stablemate Summer Revolution in a second-level allowance over the main track.
◗ He is 1 for 3 over the inner track, with the win coming in a sprint race in February.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Old Upstart. Trainer Gary Gullo is 10-5-1-2 with a $5.90 ROI over the past year on the Aqueduct inner dirt in the first start following a claim. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan