Rotknee looks sharp for Damon Runyon Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In Barese, trainer Mike Maker has one stakes-winning 3-year-old New York-bred. He hopes he has another one in Rotknee.

While Barese – undefeated in three starts – is pointing to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial here April 9, Maker will send out Rotknee in Sunday’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes, a seven-furlong race restricted to New York-bred 3-year-olds.

Last Aug. 1 at Saratoga, Rotknee, a son of Runhappy, won a maiden race by 1 1/2 lengths in his second start. Maker said the horse came out of the race with an injury to a splint bone and was off the remainder of the year.

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He returned Feb. 11 with a front-running three-length victory in a first-level allowance for statebreds. The performance caught Maker a little by surprise.

“I didn’t feel he was as fit as he needed to be and still got the job done,” Maker said. “During the time off, he matured immensely; makes a fabulous appearance.”

Rotknee has won his last two starts in front-running fashion and since Maker added blinkers to his equipment. Rotknee is drawn nicely on the outside in the compact field, so jockey Manny Franco should have options.

“I think he can sit if the situation arises,” Maker said. “We’ll leave that up to Manny.”

Rotknee is a half-brother to Lookin for Trouble, a three-time stakes-placed New York-bred who is entered in a first-level allowance on Sunday’s card that goes as the eighth.

Among Rotknee’s opponents on Sunday is Agility, a son of Practical Joke who won a maiden race here Dec. 5 and then finished second to Barese in the Rego Park Stakes on Jan. 9. Barese came back to win the Gander Stakes on Feb. 12, setting up his bid to join the Triple Crown trail.

Trainer Jorge Abreu moved Agility to Florida briefly because he didn’t like a five-furlong work in 1:04 that Agility put in on Feb. 3 at Belmont. After a solid breeze at Palm Meadows, Abreu shipped Agility back to New York.

At the suggestion of jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who rode Agility in the Rego Park, Abreu is adding blinkers to the colt’s equipment Saturday. In the Rego Park, Agility cocked his head a bit when Barese came to him and then ran past.

Dylan Davis has the call as Carmouche winds up on Best Idea.

Carmouche rode Best Idea to a 5 3/4-length debut victory here Feb. 12 for trainer Todd Pletcher, who had prepared the son of Honor Code in Florida for his debut.

“He trained sharply for it, though he lived up to expectations,” Pletcher said.

G Munning, seventh in both the Rego Park and Gander, and Mister Larry, fifth behind Rotknee in that Feb. 11 race, complete the field.

With only five runners, the Damon Runyon has been carded as the sixth race on Sunday’s nine-race program, which begins at 1:20 p.m.