Knightsbridge back on song with G1 Met Mile second

Knightsbridge bounced back from his Churchill Downs Stakes disappointment as he chased home Nysos in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap, a race better known as the Met Mile, at Saratoga, USA, on Saturday, 6 June.   

The son of Nyquist appeared destined to make his mark in top-level races following a hat-trick of dominant G3 wins at Gulfstream Park over the winter but could only finish sixth on his first G1 appearance on the Kentucky Derby undercard.   

Bumped leaving the stalls, Knightsbridge was prominent from the outset, with Junior Alvarado sending the Bill Mott-trained five-year-old on into a close fourth on the outside of Nysos, Antiquarian, and Saudi Crown.   

Knightsbridge continued to travel wide and took third from Nysos after the first three furlongs before moving up to join Antiquarian and Saudi Crown leaving the back.   

Having taken up the running turning in, Knightsbridge rallied when Nysos surged into the lead early in the straight, with the Godolphin homebred responding gamely after shifting out to see off Antiquarian for second entering the final furlong.   

Last season’s Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Nysos forged clear in the closing stages to score by four lengths, with Knightsbridge crossing the line three-quarters of a length ahead of a staying-on Journalism. 

Junior Alvarado said: “Knightsbridge ran a hell of a race. We’re just very happy that he bounced back from his last effort. I would say he was a little more aggressive than normal; he never completely settled. I had to make a little premature move because I did not want to keep holding him, fighting with him. The winner went by me kind of easy. Second best today, but I was very happy with his effort today.”