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Rotknee much the best in gate-to-wire Affirmed Success score

by Keith McCalmont

William J. Butler’s homebred Rotknee earned his sixth career stakes win with a powerful frontrunning score in Thursday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success, a six-furlong sprint for older New York-breds to kick off the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.

Trained by Mike Maker and piloted by the Aqueduct spring meet’s leading rider Manny Franco, the 5-year-old Runhappy horse added to past stakes success in the state-bred program having taken the Damon Runyon at Aqueduct, Mike Lee at Belmont Park and Ontario County at Finger Lakes as a sophomore. Last year, he added the Big A’s Hudson to his ledger and started his current campaign in January here with a four-length romp in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy.

“I’ve never seen a bad step from him. He’s been outrun before, other than that, he knows how to race,” Butler said. “He knows how to race and has a heart. He’s got a big heart. I felt that coming down the stretch.”

Rotknee exited the inside post under Franco and quickly rushed up the rail to take command from the fast-starting Excellent Timing through a quarter-mile in 22.39 seconds over the fast main track. He opened up a 1 1/2-lead after a half-mile in 44.97 as the Eric Cancel-piloted Sheriff Bianco loomed one to watch from third position.

The talented dark bay opened up by three lengths at the stretch call as Sheriff Bianco overtook a tiring Excellent Timing, but there was no danger for the winner, who scored by 1 3/4-lengths in a final time of 1:09.89. Sheriff Bianco completed the exacta by 2 3/4-lengths over the late run of Donegal Surges with Excellent Timing and Thrill of It rounding out the order of finish.

Franco said he felt like a winner throughout.

“I knew Excellent Timing, the horse outside me, he got speed, so I thought he was going to do it [set the pace],” Franco said. “He never cleared me, so I just kept my position and my horse ended up on the lead before the half a mile. I was comfortable where I was.”

Cancel said the Linda Rice-trained Sheriff Bianco, who picked up his fifth career stakes placing, performed admirably in defeat while making his first start in nearly six months.

“They wanted me to try and get him to break good. He did the job and broke very well, and he put me in a good spot,” Cancel said. “I was just trying to pull the trigger at the right time, and I just got beat by a better horse today.

“He felt very good,” added Cancel. “His best distance is going seven-eighths, but this off the layoff was a huge performance out of him.”

Cancel picked up the mount on Sheriff Bianco from Jose Lezcano, who was off his mounts for a third-straight card after being unseated from his mount last Friday here at the Big A. Lezcano’s agent, Jason Beides, reported last Friday that the veteran rider sustained a mild concussion and indicated today via text message that Lezcano was doing well and would be, “back up tomorrow.”

Lezcano is slated to ride Grade 3 Gazelle-winner Where’s My Ring in Friday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Rotknee is a half-brother to the multiple stakes-winner My Mane Squeeze and multiple stakes-placed Lookin for Trouble. The siblings, each Butler homebreds, are out of the Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama – a half-sister to graded stakes-placed A Freud of Mama.

My Mane Squeeze, also trained by Maker, is entered in Friday's Grade 2, $600,000 Eight Belles at Churchill with Luis Saez named to ride.

Rotknee banked $55,000 in victory to bring his total purse earnings to $640,580, while improving his record to 19-10-3-1. Sent to post as the 8-5 mutuel favorite, he returned $5.20 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the Grade 3, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 3 and the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester in Race 8. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Operating hours at the Big A on Friday are 10 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. to accommodate a 10:30 a.m. first post from Churchill Downs for their 13-race card highlighted by the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks which is slated as Race 11 at 5:51 p.m.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.