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Legendary stays perfect on Belmont turf in Knickerbocker

Legendary followed up his win in the JRA at Laurel with this score in the Knickerbocker (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Legendary provided trainer Niall Saville with his first graded stakes win on Saturday when taking the Grade 3, $200,000 Knickerbocker at Belmont Park by 1 1/4 lengths. Contested over the yielding inner turf, Legendary rated in third as Plainview set a pace of :23 4/5, :49 and 1:14 1/5. Roused to the lead by jockey Sheldon Russell in upper stretch, Legendary opened up a three-length lead before 2-1 favorite Up With the Birds closed the gap late. Completing nine furlongs in 1:51 3/5, the 4-1 Legendary returned $10.20 in a field of six.

"It was a perfect set up," Russell said. "I know the inside horses had a little bit of speed; I was happy that he broke well and put me in a great spot with such a short run into the first turn. After then, well, he's so good. As long as he's on the outside, he comes home real good. Being from England, he'd run on softer courses, so I knew today wasn't going to be a problem for him."

Up With the Birds, who trailed by as much as 14 lengths, came on belatedly for the place, 1 1/2 lengths clear of second choice Mshawish. Plainview, Speaking of Which, and Winning Cause completed the order of finish. Tricky Hat and Za Approval were scratched, as was the main-track-only Easter Gift.

Saville trains Legendary, a five-year-old gelding, for Walter R. Swinburn, the former English jockey whose son, also named Walter, rode Shergar and 1983 Horse of the Year All Along.

"I'm very, very pleased. I was a little nervous with the long stretch here, but they weren't catching him," Saville said. "It's a huge honor to train for Walter Swinburn, and for them to send me a horse like this it's just been great. I'd won at Saratoga and at Aqueduct, but until this year I hadn't gotten it done at Belmont. This race had been the goal."

Saville's first stakes win as a trainer came in Legendary's most recent start, the $100,000 Japan Racing Association at Laurel on September 6. That 2 1/4-length score was preceded by a third in the $100,000 Lure at Saratoga and two allowance victories at Belmont. Prior to his importation, Legendary won 2 of 13 starts in England. His record now stands at 19-6-5-2, $293,219.

Bred in England by the Swinburn family's Genesis Green Stud, Legendary is a son of Exceed and Excel and the stakes-winning Red Carnation, a Polar Falcon half-sister to to multiple Grade 1-placed stakes winner Red Fort.

This extended family includes English highweight Red Camellia and her Group 1-winning daughter Red Bloom; 1985 Arlington Million hero Teleprompter; and 1990 Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Ibn Bey, a champion in Germany and Italy who was a half-brother to Group 1 queen Roseate Tern.

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