Silver Knott has put the past behind him after winning the Grade 2 Man o' War Stakes on Saturday over the Aqueduct turf in thrilling fashion.
The son of Lope de Vega looked to have a bright future when he lost the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland by just a nose in the fall of 2022. Silver Knott has had a lot of ups and downs over the past 18 months, but he now appears prepared to assume his rightful position among the top racers.
Despite being backed by the formidable team of Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, Silver Knott, a 3-year-old horse, was unable to make a significant breakthrough in his first campaign.
He spent most of 2023 in the United States, where he was competitive enough to place second or third in graded stakes races at Belmont Park, Colonial Downs, Santa Anita, and Del Mar; nonetheless, his season concluded with a winless record of 0 for 6.
For him in 2024, things have quickly changed for the better. This season, his team also offered him the chance to go farther, now that he is a gelding. Surgery, growing up, and gaining more ground all appear to be hitting all the right notes for Silver Knott.
The attractive bay colt at the 2021 Tattersalls October yearling sale in England was bought for the American equivalent of $1,035,915 out of the Group 1 winning Nathaniel mare God Given. In response to his high expectations, he started his career in his home country with two Group 3 victories before his unfortunate near miss at Keeneland.
After being given a lot of challenging tasks the previous season, Silver Knott didn't seem to be able to prevail against elite opposition.
It's difficult to identify exactly what has clicked for him in his first two starts of the year given all the changes since a third-place showing in the Hollywood Derby (G1) to end his sophomore campaign, but it's obvious that he has overcome the hump.
At Keeneland last month, professional rider Flavien Prat mounted Silver Knott for the first time. He enjoyed the 12-furlong journey of the Elkhorn Stakes (G2). He was back at the races as an older horse, returning to the track where as a juvenile he narrowly missed a big one.
A straightforward victory over quality horses Fans of his work may find Missed the Cut and Bold Act to be a bit of an eye-opener. Even so, he received a little amount of contempt on Saturday during the Man o' War. That might not occur once again.
Going on to win the historic 11-furlong race under Prat, Silver Knott made it two wins out of the season, leaving his elegant and highly favoured stablemate Nations Pride in the dust early in the stretch.
It doesn't lessen the impact of Silver Knott's performance; maybe his favourite stablemate needed a race in the Man o' War.
It was a strong change of foot down the Aqueduct stretch. After all, Silver Knott is no longer a horse with ulterior motives when it comes to crossing the finish line first.
Things go to a new level after this decisive Man o' War win. He can handle the longer journey, as evidenced by his victory in the Elkhorn. His performance on Saturday establishes him as one of America's top turf horses.
In 2024, Silver Knott is going through so much change that it's intriguing to see what he will grow into over the summer and fall. Even though he could go on to win the $5 million Breeders' Cup Turf, the Sword Dancer, and the Turf Classic, it's still nice to see him at this level.
Positive outcomes are being achieved with persistence and prudent management. Even though it took some time, Silver Knott seems capable of reaching his full potential.