Exotics Plays for the Knickerbocker Stakes

A total of eight horses will vie in Friday’s $150,000 Knickerbocker S. (G3) at Aqueduct. The 1 1/8-mile event on the outer turf course attracted a very competitive field for the feature, and I will key in on a pair of contenders with my wagers.

Knickerbocker Exotics 

• $12 exacta box: 6,7 ($24)
• $1 trifecta: 6,7 with 2,6,7 with all ($24)
• $.50-cent superfecta: 6,7 with 2,6,7 with 2,6,7 with all ($10)

#7 Siege of Boston (3-1), one of two in the field for conditioner Jimmy Toner, Siege of Boston is the slight morning-line choice in the cast and rates a big chance in the contest while in very good form currently. By War Front, the four-year-old comes off of a pair of nice stakes tries in the Bluegrass State and returns to the venue where he graduated in style in his sophomore finale. The Kentucky-bred colt can run from on or off the early tempo, and he will be competing at arguably his best distance on Friday, too. The bay will have Jorge Ruiz in the controls. 

#6 Master Piece (9-2) is a sharp 3-for-4 at the nine-furlong distance and has a lot of back class to him, as well. The seven-year-old son of Mastercraftsman didn’t put his best foot forward in the Arlington Million (G1) in his latest venture, but he comes in fresh for his third run since April and will be a menacing figure with something resembling his best effort. Irad Ortiz Jr. will pilot the late-running Chilean-bred and have him settled well off the pace in the early stages of the tilt. 

#2 King Cause (8-1) represents good value for the gimmicks for conditioner Mike Maker. The defending champ in the race hasn’t shown much in his last pair of outings, but he continues to train forwardly and is also unblemished with a 2-for-2 mark on the Aqueduct green. The dark bay son of Creative Cause owns versatility in his running style, and I expect the gelding to be saving ground to the top of the lane before being asked for his best under Kendrick Carmouche.