Prince Will I Am Tops McKnight

Prince Will I Am, the talented 3-year-old who was disqualified from second to 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (gr. III) last out which led to an ugly post-race incident between jockeys, makes his return in the $150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) Dec. 18 at Calder Casino & Race Course.

Prince Will I Am is the lone 3-year-old in a field of 10 turf horses that will go 1 1/2 miles, but still could go off as the favorite. The winner of the Oct. 9 Jamaica Handicap (gr. IT) will face a pair of other grade I winners—Presious Passion and Telling—as well as two capable competitors trained by Roger Attfield. Presious Passion won this race back in 2007 and 2008.

The 11th race on Calder’s 12-race program, the McKnight has a 4:45 p.m. EST post time.

Prince Will I Am ran well in the Nov. 5 BC Marathon at Churchill Downs, losing by less than two lengths to Eldaafer. But he was later disqualified after replays showed that he bore out near the five-sixteenths under the direction of Javier Castellano, which nearly caused a three-horse spill that included A. U. Miner with Calvin Borel aboard. After the race Borel attacked Castellano near the winner’s circle in a highly publicized incident. Castellano was later suspended six days. He has served that suspension and will be back aboard Prince Will I Am in the McKnight.