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Rotknee headlines $100K Affirmed Success on Opening Day of Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet

by Keith McCalmont

William Butler’s graded stakes-placed homebred Rotknee will look to secure his sixth career stakes win in Thursday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success, a six-furlong sprint for older New York-breds, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Mike Maker, the 5-year-old Runhappy horse leads a compact field of five to kick off stakes action on Opening Day of the 31-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet which runs through July 7. First post during the month of May at the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet is 1:05 p.m. Eastern with the exception of three Saturday cards [May 11th, 18th and 25th] which will feature a 12:35 p.m. first post.

As announced in December, the ongoing construction of a new and re-imagined Belmont Park will require significant adjustments to the customary NYRA schedule. Most notably, the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be held at Saratoga Race Course from June 6-9. In addition, the spring/summer and fall meets traditionally held at Belmont will take place at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Rotknee [post 1, Manny Franco, 124 pounds] boasts an ultra-consistent career record of 18-9-3-1 for purse earnings of $585,580 led by state-bred stakes scores in 2022 in the Damon Runyon at Aqueduct, Mike Lee at Belmont Park and Ontario County at Finger Lakes. Last year, he added the Big A’s Hudson to his ledger and made a winning seasonal debut here in January in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy.

Rotknee, with Jose Lezcano up, tracked in second position through splits of 23.15 seconds and 46.78 over the sloppy and sealed track in the Say Florida Sandy, angling five-wide for the stretch run to take command at the five-sixteenths and score by four lengths in a final time of 1:27.19.

Last out, Rotknee, who was third in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight Handicap here in November, returned to graded company but failed to make an impact when sixth in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap after attending the pace over sloppy and sealed going on March 2.

Rotknee, a half-brother to multiple stakes-winner My Mane Squeeze, is out of the Speightstown mare In Spite of Mama, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed A Freud of Mama.

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Michael Caruso’s Excellent Timing [post 5, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds] won the 2021 Damon Runyon against fellow state-breds here while in the care of trainer Chad Brown.

The 6-year-old Not This Time gelding, bred by Sequel Stallions and Lakland Farm, was transferred to trainer Rob Atras for his 2022 campaign and finished a pacesetting third over a muddy and sealed main track at Saratoga Race Course in his August debut for the Manitoba-born conditioner.

Excellent Timing has demonstrated an affinity for the Big A main track, posting a record of 10-3-3-2, including a state-bred allowance score last March traveling six-furlongs over fast footing that garnered a career-best 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

The consistent dark bay has hit the board in a pair of six-furlong sprints here over off going to start his current campaign, including a close third in open allowance company last out on April 12.

Atras said Excellent Timing would welcome a fast track Thursday.

“I ran him off a layoff when I got him and it was a sloppy track,” recalled Atras. “It looked like he had it and then he just lost it late. I don't know if he can't quite get a hold of it as good as some horses can, but I'd like to have a fast track. The track right now is perfect and if it stays like this it will give him a decent shot.”

Atras said the outermost post 5 should help Excellent Timing.

“With an outside draw he can maybe control the front end,” Atras said. “He seems to always show up here. It's a big ask but we're going to take a shot.”

Donegal Racing’s dual stakes-placed Donegal Surges [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche, 118 pounds] will look to earn his first stakes win for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

He has competed exclusively in state-bred company through a 7-3-1-1 record, graduating on debut in August 2022 at Saratoga as part of a strong juvenile campaign that included a second in the Spa’s Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and a third in the Bertram F. Bongard at Belmont at the Big A.

Donegal Surges missed his sophomore season but the 4-year-old Candy Ride bay has returned to action with aplomb, winning his last two outings in impressive fashion here with a 4 3/4-length allowance score in February at six furlongs and a half-length optional-claiming win on March 29 going seven furlongs that garnered a career-best 90 Beyer.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Donegal Surges, a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Surge of Pride, is out of the Bernardini mare Solar Surge, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Friend Or Foe.

Rounding out the field are multiple stakes-placed Sheriff Bianco [post 3, Jose Lezcano, 118 pounds], who returns from a five-month layoff for trainer Linda Rice; and four-time winner Thrill of It [post 4, Luis Rivera, Jr., 120 pounds], who will look to score his fifth win at the Big A for owner-trainer John Terranova.

The Affirmed Success is slated as Race 3 on Thursday’s eight-race card.

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.