Experienced field vies for supremacy in G3 Knickerbocker

by Brian Bohl

A field of nine graded stakes-tested veterans will look for a return trip to the winner's circle in Monday's Grade 3 $200,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and up on the turf at Belmont Park.

 Heart to Heart will gain some class relief following back-to-back Grade 1 starts, including a fourth-place finish in the Shoemaker Mile on June 4 at Santa Anita. Owned by Terry Hamilton, Heart to Heart will make his 13th consecutive graded stakes start.

 The 5-year-old son of 2007 Eclipse champion grass horse English Channel has posted triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in four of his last five starts, including a career-best 105 in a runner-up finish in the Maker's 46 Mile on April 15 at Keeneland.

 Heart to Heart will be stretched out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time since winning the Grade 3 River City Handicap on November 26 at Churchill Downs. Trainer Brian Lynch said he will look for him to be a pacesetter in departing post 5 with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr.

 "He's run at 1 1/8 miles before, it's probably a little farther than he wants to run, but if he's left alone on the lead, he can be very dangerous," Lynch said.

Albert Frassetto's Can'thelpbelieving is coming off his first stakes win, a 2 ¾-length score in the Grade 3 Cliff Hanger on August 21 at Monmouth Park. The 5-year-old bay gelding, who has finished in the money in five of his last eight starts, represents trainer Graham Motion's bid for a second straight victory, having won the 2015 edition with Messi in 2015.

 Can'thelpbelieving drew the rail with Jose Ortiz. in the irons.

 Blacktype looks for his fourth straight win and third in a graded stakes, having won the Grade 3 Oceanport on July 31 at Monmouth and the Grade 2 Commonwealth Turf Cup on September 24 at Laurel Park.

 Jump Sucker Stable's Blacktype, a French-bred 5-year-old, is 5-0-2 in nine starts since 2015 for trainer Christophe Clement. He will have the services of jockey Joe Bravo out of post 6.

 "He's aggressive, so you want him to be covered so he's relaxed and finishes his race," Clement said. "I don't get too involved with the trips. It's up to him [Bravo]. I take care of the training, he takes care of the trip."

 Jay Gatsby will seek his first graded stakes win off a narrow second to Ring Weekend in the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch Handicap on September 5 on closing day at Saratoga Race Course. The Jimmy Jerkens-trained 4-year-old has finished first or second in five of his last six starts and has posted triple-digit Beyer Speed figures in each of his last three starts.

Jay Gatsby will leave post 2 in tandem with Javier Castellano.

War Dancer won his first stakes since 2014 in rallying to capture the PTHA President's Cup on September 10 at Parx Racing over the Knickerbocker distance. The 6-year-old, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, will exit from the outside and will be ridden by Junior Alvarado.

 Chad Brown has a trio of graded stakes-winners entered, including Mr Maybe, Takeover Target and March.

 Takeover Target, seventh in the Bernard Baruch, will team again with Joel Rosario who guided him to a victory in the Grade 2 Dixie on May 21 at Pimlico, from post 7.

 March seeks his first win since the 2015 Grade 2 Woody Stephens, which is the 4-year-old's colt last graded stakes start at Belmont Park. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has the call from post 8.

 Mr Maybe, who drew post 4, shortens up after winning the 1 5/8-mile John's Call at the Spa.

 Rounding out the field is Charles Fipke's Tale of Fancy, making his stakes debut for trainer Barclay Tagg. Manny Franco is set to ride from post 3.