Zipse: Silver Knott finally looks ready to reach his potential

An electrifying winner of Saturday’s Grade 2 Man o’ War Stakes over the Aqueduct turf, Silver Knott has put past failures in the rearview mirror.

Beaten by only a nostril in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland in the fall of 2022, the son of Lope de Vega appeared to be a colt with a big future. There's been plenty of water under the bridge in the last 18 months for Silver Knott, but he now looks ready to take his place among racing's elite.

Campaigned by the powerful tandem of Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby, Silver Knott could not quite break through last year as a 3-year-old colt.

Spending the majority of 2023 in the U.S., he was good enough to finish second or third in graded stakes at Belmont Park, Colonial Downs, Santa Anita and Del Mar, but the season ended with a 0-for-6 mark in the win column.

Things have turned around in a hurry for him in 2024. Now a gelding, his team also gave him the opportunity of longer distances this season. The combination of surgery, maturity and added ground seems to be hitting all the right notes for Silver Knott.

Out of the Group 1 winning Nathaniel mare God Given, the handsome bay was purchased for the American equivalent of $1,035,915 at the 2021 Tattersalls October yearling sale in England. He responded to his lofty expectations with a pair of Group 3 wins early in his career in his native land before his unlucky near miss at Keeneland.

Fed a steady diet of difficult assignments last season, Silver Knott was a horse who seemed to lack the ability to find the winner’s circle against top competition.

With all the changes since a third-place effort in the Hollywood Derby (G1) to close out his sophomore season, it’s hard to pinpoint just what has clicked for him in his first two starts this year, but clearly, he has gotten over the hump.

Top rider Flavien Prat hopped aboard Silver Knott for the first time last month at Keeneland. Returning to the races as an older horse and to the track where he just missed a big one as a juvenile, he relished the 12-furlong trip of the Elkhorn Stakes (G2).

An easy win over good horses Missed the Cut and Bold Act was a bit of an eye-opener for those who have followed his career. Still, he was disrespected just a bit in the Man o’ War on Saturday. I don’t expect that to happen again.

Making it 2-for-2 for the season, Silver Knott left his classy and heavily favored stablemate Nations Pride in the dust early in the stretch and kept on going under Prat on his way to a very impressive win in the historic 11-furlong race.

Perhaps his favored stablemate was a bit in need of a race in the Man o’ War, but it doesn’t take anything away from the performance of Silver Knott.

The turn of foot down the Aqueduct stretch was powerful. Silver Knott is no longer a horse who might have other things on his besides getting to the finish line first.

This explosive victory in the Man o’ War takes things to a new level. His win in the Elkhorn proved he can handle the extended trip. Saturday’s effort points him out as one of the best turf horses in America.

So much is new for Silver Knott in 2024, it’s exciting to anticipate what he will become through the summer and fall. While potential runs in the Sword Dancer, Turf Classic and the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf await, it already is a pleasure to see him at this level.

Through patience and wise handling, good things are happening. It may have taken some time, but Silver Knott appears ready and able to fulfill his potential.