Pioneering Spirit cuts back in distance for G3 Knickerbocker
At 11h52, on October 16, 2023 • By BELMONT@THE BIG A
A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Pioneering Spirit will see a cutback in distance for the 63rd running of Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Knickerbocker for 3-year-olds and upward going nine furlongs over the outer turf at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Linda Rice, Pioneering Spirit arrives from a seventh-place finish in the Grade 1 12-furlong Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on October 7 over yielding ground at Belmont at the Big A.
The 4-year-old son of American Pharoah entered that event from a victory in the 1 1/16-mile Bernard Baruch on September 4 over firm inner turf at Saratoga Race Course, where he ran a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He’s doing fine. There are limited opportunities before we stop on him for a winter break,” Rice said. “He’ll get some time off over the winter instead of going south and running at a different location. It seems like he’s a little better at a shorter distance than a longer distance. He can go longer, but maybe he needs a firm course.”
Jose Lezcano will ride from the outermost post 8.
