SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Rotknee has won six consecutive sprint stakes and eight consecutive starts overall against New York-breds dating back to the summer of his 2-year-old campaign in 2021. He’ll put that enviable record on the line Thursday at Saratoga where his biggest challenge could come from the 126 pounds he’ll be forced to carry against five rivals going six furlongs in the John Morrissey Handicap.
Rotknee, a homebred son of Runhappy owned by William Butler, began his amazing streak winning his maiden here in August of 2021. His first stakes victory came the following spring at Aqueduct in the Damon Runyon Stakes. He has since captured the Mike Lee, Ontario County at Finger Lakes, the Hudson, the Say Florida Sandy to open his 2024 campaign, and most recently the Affirmed Success at Aqueduct on May 2. Two of those victories have come at six furlongs, one at 6 1/2 furlongs, and three going seven panels
Rotknee has ventured into open company on numerous occasions with a good measure of success, having finished third in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight and fourth, after the prompting the pace to midstretch behind Baby Yoda, in the Grade 2 True North here in his last start on June 8. He has earned triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure twice, in the Hudson and for an easy, open allowance win the previous spring at Belmont Park.
Trained by Mike Maker, Rotknee will be forced to concede from six to eight pounds to his competition in the John Morrissey.
“I just hope he can keep his streak against New York-breds intact. This has been our goal for a while,” said Maker, when asked if he had been tempted to try graded stakes company instead this summer at Saratoga.
Although Rotknee toted 130 pounds in his third-place finish behind Bold Journey in the Fall Highweight, he was in receipt of weight from many of his competitors that day. Maker admitted that carrying 126 pounds is formidable in this spot.
“The weight is a little bit of a concern,” said Maker. “But he’s definitely earned it.”
Rotknee has had the bulk of his success racing on or with the pace and there is plenty of other speed signed on for the Morrissey. Maker said he’s not going to look to make any changes to Rotknee’s running style now.
“We don’t have any plans of trying to rate him at this point,” said Maker. “We’ll just let him do his thing.”
About all Maker has decided to change is the rider, with Irad Ortiz Jr. named aboard Rotknee for the first time on Thursday. Rotknee will start from post 5.
Looms Boldly, who won the Ontario County and Damon Runyon at 3, could prove the biggest obstacle for Rotknee. Looms Boldly is coming off far and away the race of his life from a Beyer Speed Figure standpoint, having earned a 99 for his game second-place finish to Subrogate here on June 8. Subrogate flattered that performance when returning three weeks later to defeat even tougher allowance competition by six lengths with a 106 Beyer.
After breaking from the extreme outside, Looms Boldly figures to prompt the early issue along with Factually Correct, who begins just to the inside of Rotknee, who is also likely to show good early speed.
Factually Correct will be facing statebreds for the first time since winning a second-level optional claiming and allowance race in gate-to-wire fashion in his 2023 finale eight months earlier.
Light Man has won four of his five career starts, including an open entry-level allowance dash from off the pace by 1 1/4 lengths on July 5. He could be the major beneficiary if things get too hot during the early stages of the Morrissey.
“He looks light on Beyers, but he’s lightly raced, up and coming,” said trainer Bruce Levine. “The favorite [Rotknee] is tough. There’s going to be a good pace in the race and mine runs better off the pace, which I’m learning. I used to think he was a speed horse, but he runs better when you take him back a little bit.”
– additional reporting by David Grening
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