Rotknee notches third straight win with Damon Runyon

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Rotknee ran so well on the lead for Manny Franco last month that, despite the appearance of other speed in Sunday’s $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes, the jockey wasn’t going to change the colt’s running style in the seven-furlong race for New York-bred 3-year-olds.

Rotknee broke running from his outside post under Franco and never stopped until he crossed the wire 2 3/4 lengths in front of Agility in the Damon Runyon at Aqueduct. Despite lugging in badly down the lane, Agility finished 5 3/4 lengths clear of G Munning, who nosed out 3-5 fave Best Idea for third. Mister Larry finished last of five.

The victory was the third straight and first in a stakes for Rotknee, a son of Runhappy owned and bred by William Butler and trained by Mike Maker.

“I don’t want to change anything with him,” Franco said. “I rode him last time and he went to the lead and he kept going so going seven-eighths today, I expected him to be on the lead, too. I just let him break out of there, get the lead and he did the rest. I was a little worried about the distance, but I gave him a breather at some point and that helped me to hold on.”

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Rotknee covered the seven furlongs in 1:27.06 and returned $6.60 as the second choice.

Rotknee is now 3 for 4 in his career. A splint injury sidelined him for the remainder of his 2-year-old season after he won his maiden in his second career start last Aug. 1 at Saratoga. He came back with a three-length allowance win here on Feb. 11 prior to the Damon Runyon.

“What was not to like?” Butler said after getting his picture taken. “I heard from Mike we were looking to [go to the lead], the fact we had no company, I was thrilled. We hadn’t done the seven furlongs before, that gave me a little trepidation, but he pulled out all the stops.”

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Agility, coming off a second to the undefeated Barese in the Rego Park, had blinkers on for the first time. Jockey Dylan Davis said he was content sitting second early on, but the horse didn’t change leads and lugged in throughout the stretch run.

Davis said he spoke with trainer Jorge Abreu after the race “and we’re going to change the bit on him and maybe stretch him out a little bit more,” Davis said. “I thought if he was able to switch his leads properly and maintain a straight course comfortably that he would have won this race for sure.”

Best Idea was hammered to 3-5 favoritism coming off a 5 3/4-length debut win for trainer Todd Pletcher. That victory was attained on the lead. Best Ida couldn’t get a forward enough position under Kendrick Carmouche on Sunday.

“Last time I had to ride him away from there as well,” Carmouche said. “He’s not giving me anything, you got to make him do it all. [Rotknee] had more experience than my horse. My horse just needs more time to run and get his feet underneath him and learn how to run.”