Cloudy ‘rains’ on Passion’s parade in McKnight

Cloudy’s Knight capped his nine-year-old season in style (Jim Lisa Photos/Calder Race Course) Saturday’s $150,000 W.L. McKnight H. (G2) at Calder was supposed to revolve around two-time defending champion Presious Passion (Royal Anthem), but when the flamboyant front runner succumbed to early pressure, the proverbial door was opened for the closers. The most enterprising of all was S J Stables’ homebred CLOUDY’S KNIGHT (Lord Avie), who finished with a flourish to collar Spice Route (GB) (King’s Best) and ultimately won going away by 1 1/4 lengths. Originally supposed to have signed off for 2009 after his gutsy score in the December 6 Valedictory S. at Woodbine, the redoubtable nine-year-old squeezed in a victorious encore in the McKnight, and thereby advanced his mark to four-for-five since transferring to Jonathan Sheppard. As ever, Presious Passion motored to the early lead, but instead of opening up on the field, the 4-5 favorite had to contend with a gadfly in the form of Livingston Street (Mr. Livingston). Two lengths in front through an opening quarter in :23 1/5, Presious Passion had only a head to spare over his pace rival through a half in :46 3/5. He shook off Livingston Street and proceeded to rattle off splits of 1:10 3/5 and 1:36 4/5, finally rolling six lengths clear of his nemesis. By the time he reached the far turn, though, Presious Passion paid the price for his early exertions, and his margin evaporated alarmingly.

Spice Route was the first to make his move, bursting past Presious Passion on
the final turn and seizing a daylight advantage. Meanwhile, Cloudy’s Knight, who
had been reserved in midpack by Rosemary Homeister Jr., improved his position
and soon emerged as the only danger to Spice Route. Rallying boldly in deep
stretch, the old veteran mowed down Spice Route and pulled clear to finish 1 1/2
miles in 2:27 3/5 on the firm turf. Cloudy’s Knight returned $13, $5.20 and
$3.80 as the 5-1 third choice.

“I keep learning about this horse every time I ride him,” Homeister said,
“and the most important thing I’ve learned is to just let him run his race the
way he wants to. I wasn’t so concerned about the favorite opening up on
the field the way he does, I was more concerned about the pace behind the
leader. It’s important not to fight this horse. He’s too professional at running
these long-distance races. You just have to sit and let him do his thing.”

“He’s a wonderful horse, and maybe a little lucky today with what the gray
horse (Livingston Street) did (to challenge favorite Presious Passion),”
Sheppard said.

Spice Route held second by a half-length from the late-running Winchester
(Theatrical [Ire]), paying $4.80 and $3.20 as the 5-1 fourth choice. Winchester,
who was sent off as the 3-1 second pick, yielded $3.20. The exotics totaled
$72.40 (exacta), $198.80 (trifecta) and $1,632.60 (9-4-1-7 superfecta) with the
31-1 shot Silver Mountain (Victory Gallop) another 4 3/4 lengths back in fourth.
Presious Passion faded to fifth, followed by Memorial Maniac (Lear Fan), New
Fandan (Brz) (Fantastic Dancer), Mr.Universo (Brz) (Roi Normand), Livingston
Street and Warning Zone (Chester House). Imawildandcrazyguy (Wild Event) was
scratched.

Presious Passion’s connections both felt that Livingston Street proved to be
his undoing.

“When that horse came to us the first time at the wire, I was shocked because
we are usually out there by ourselves in front,” said Elvis Trujillo, the
regular rider of Presious Passion. “When I realized what was happening, I got
concerned that it was going to cost us the race, and I believe it hurt our
chances a lot.”

“He’s fine,” trainer Mary Hartmann said. “It certainly didn’t help that the
gray horse (Livingston Street) was up there with him. He’ll live to play another
day — at Gulfstream.”

Cloudy’s Knight now sports a record of 41-14-9-4, $2,519,035. Victorious in
the John Henry S. at four and the Rossi Gold S. at five, the Kentucky-bred
chestnut developed into a Canadian turf champion during his seven-year-old
campaign in 2007. Then conditioned by Frank Kirby, Cloudy’s Knight earned a
Sovereign Award after capturing the Canadian International S. (Can-G1), Sky
Classic S. (Can-G2) and Fair Grounds H. (G3). He also accumulated 10 stakes
placings for Kirby, notably the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), Nijinsky
S. (Can-G2), River City H. (G3) and two runnings of the Stars and Stripes Turf
H. (G3).

After failing to hit the board in four starts in 2008, Cloudy’s Knight was
rested and transferred to Sheppard. He made his first start for his new
conditioner in the September 19 Kentucky Cup Turf S. (G3), where he closed
smartly to score by 2 1/2 lengths. Cloudy’s Knight followed up with an
up-in-time verdict by a head in the October 22 Sycamore S. (G3) at Keeneland.
The grass campaigner then tried synthetic for the first time in the Breeders’
Cup Marathon at Santa Anita. Driving to the lead and staying on strongly down
the center of the track, he was just nipped in a photo by Man of Iron (Giant’s
Causeway), who hugged the rail well away from the old warrior. Cloudy’s Knight
rebounded next time out with a game victory in the aforementioned Valedictory.

Bred by Jerrold Schwartz, Cloudy’s Knight is out of the winning Cloudy Spot
(Solar City), making him a half-brother to the multiple stakes-winning Stormy
Impact (Major Impact). His fourth dam is the influential matron Grass Shack
(Polynesian), whose descendants include Deputy Minister (Vice Regent), a
Canadian Horse of the Year and top stallion, and Charismatic (Summer Squall),
the 1999 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness S. (G1) winner and Horse of the Year.

Sheppard plans to give Cloudy’s Knight a break in advance of his 10-year-old
campaign.

“That will be it for him for a while as we’ve already decided to skip
Gulfstream,” the Hall of Famer said. “You can’t dance all the dances, although
he wasn’t even blowing when he came back today. We hope to bring him back by the
spring or summer.”