May 13, 2023 
One of the only things missing on Red Knight’s impressive résumé was a Grade 1 victory. On Saturday, at Belmont Park, that all changed.
Last time out, the 9-year-old son of Pure Prize-Isabel Away just missed and had to settle for second prize. This time, the classy veteran went one better.
Under an enterprising ride from Irad Ortiz, Jr., Red Knight, sent on his way at 5-1, rallied stoutly down the lane to take all the spoils in the $600,000 event for 4-year-olds and up, contested at 1 3/8 miles over a ‘firm’ inner turf.
Last of eight in the early going, the gelding was patiently handled by Ortiz, Jr., as Channel Maker and Strong Tide tussled on the front end through opening splits of :23.54 and :49.18. Warren Point (GB), the 2-5 choice, broke a step slowly and sat seventh as the field headed towards the three-quarter mark.
Positioned sixth after a mile, Red Knight, who arrived at the Man o’ War off a head loss in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 22, was soon rolling as the field straightened for home.
Third at the stretch call, the chestnut gobbled up ground on the outside and glided to the front inside the sixteenth pole on his way to a 1 ½-length win in a time of 2:13.74, as a flight of five foes hit the wire together behind him.
“My horse is a big horse, huge stride, it was in my mind to let him go a little earlier, but I was stuck there,” said Ortiz, Jr. “By the five-eighths pole, Frankie’s horse started to pick it up a little bit, I tried to follow him. My horse was doing it easy, so I don’t get in his way. By the quarter pole he was already in his stride, I bide my time and tip him out and he just do the rest.”
It was also a win for the home team as the New York-bred, trained by Michael Maker, recorded the highest profile win of his career to date.
Soldier Rising (GB), Strong Tide, Howe Street, Warren Point (GB), Channel Maker, Verstappen and Value Engineering rounded out the order of finish.
After debuting with a runner-up performance in his career bow on June 18, 2017, at Belmont, Red Knight rhymed off three straight scores. His first stakes success came one year later in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, a race contested in late December at Gulfstream.
Red Knight banked more than $400,000 in 2022 with victories in the Colonial Cup at Colonial Downs and Grade 2 Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs. He opened his current campaign with a rallying score in the Grade 3 William L. McKnight in January at Gulfstream, closing from last-of-11 to win by a length over next-out Grade 2 Mac Diarmida-winner and stablemate Value Engineering.
With the Man o’ War triumph, he is now 12-9-1 from 34 starts, along with over $1.7 million in earnings.
His next engagement could come in the Grade 1 Manhattan on June 10.
“We wheeled him back a little quicker than we would have liked today, but it paid off,” Maker told NYRA publicity. “Having said that, if he tells us he wants to run there then we’ll be there.”
Sent off as the second choice, Red Knight paid $12.80 for the win.
