Photo:

Lauren King / Gulfstream Park

Siege of Boston has hit the board in three listed stakes and three graded races during his career, and now he seeks an elusive graded win in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Knickerbocker, a nine-furlong outer turf route for 3-year-olds and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Jimmy Toner and owned by Allen Stable, the 5-year-old War Front horse enters from a third in the one-mile, 70-yard, listed Tapit on Aug. 29 at Kentucky Downs. There, Siege of Boston traveled in eighth of nine early before a wide rally for show honors, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by the more forwardly placed Irish Aces.

“The funny thing was that speed was holding on this year at Kentucky Downs pretty well. All in all, it was a good effort from him,” Toner said. “He always shows up.”

Previously, Siege of Boston was second, beaten by one length in the listed Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup on Aug. 4 at Ellis Park. It was back-to-back narrow defeats after a half-length fourth when closing along the rail in the Grade 3 Monmouth, won in a dead heat by Running Bee and Knickerbocker foe Fort Washington.

“That day (at Monmouth), the ground was not soft, let’s be real. But there was a little bit of give to it and I think there was a bit more give to the inside than the outside, and I think the outside closers got us right at the wire,” Toner said. “It was a big effort. He’s a nice horse. He tries hard and gives you everything he’s got, every time he runs.

“Sooner or later, he is going to get in there,” Toner said.

Siege of Boston was beaten by the same half-length margin earlier this year when third in the Tampa Bay (G3) and second in the Canadian Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The latter earned a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form in defeat to Grade 1-placed Emmanuel, one tick shy of Reckoning Force’s Knickerbocker field-high 97.

Toner said firm turf likely would be to Siege of Boston’s benefit, but he can always count on him to try hard.

“Listen, he’s a nice horse,” Toner said. “He’s a good, honest horse. He gives you everything he’s got no matter where you take him, no matter where you run him. He never runs a bad race.”

Bred in Kentucky by Allen and White Birch Farm, Siege of Boston, out of the Group 2-winning Sadler’s Wells mare Peinture Rare, has a lifetime record of 19: 3-6-6 with $496,211 in earnings. Hall of Famer Joel Rosario will ride from post 6.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	Morn. Line
1		Redistricting Kingman	0.00	Chad C. Brown Manuel Franco	7th, 2023 Hollywood Derby G1 2024 Knickerbocker G3	7-2
Last Race Next Race		7th, 2023 Hollywood Derby G1 2024 Knickerbocker G3
2		Andthewinneris Oscar Performance	6.12	Chad C. Brown Dylan Davis	2nd, Aqu AlwOC (9/20/24-R2) 2024 Knickerbocker G3	4-1
Last Race Next Race		2nd, Aqu AlwOC (9/20/24-R2) 2024 Knickerbocker G3
3		Fort Washington War Front	6.53	Claude R. McGaughey III Kendrick Carmouche	3rd, 2024 Bernard Baruch LS 2024 Knickerbocker G3	7-2
Last Race Next Race		3rd, 2024 Bernard Baruch LS 2024 Knickerbocker G3
4		Reckoning Force Air Force Blue	3.79	Brendan P. Walsh Eric Cancel	4th, 2024 Mint Millions G3 2024 Knickerbocker G3	3-1
Last Race Next Race		4th, 2024 Mint Millions G3 2024 Knickerbocker G3
5		Irish Prophet Irish Surf	4.45	Neil D. Drysdale Jose Lezcano	2nd, DMR AOC (08/17/2024-R2) 2024 Knickerbocker G3	10-1
Last Race Next Race		2nd, DMR AOC (08/17/2024-R2) 2024 Knickerbocker G3
6		Siege of Boston War Front	6.11	James J. Toner Joel Rosario	3rd, Big Ass Fans Tapit S. 2024 Knickerbocker G3	5-2
Last Race Next Race		3rd, Big Ass Fans Tapit S. 2024 Knickerbocker G3
7		Film Star Flatter	4.45	Linda Rice Jose Lezcano	5th, Parx Dirt Mile S. 2024 Knickerbocker G3	4-5
Last Race Next Race		5th, Parx Dirt Mile S. 2024 Knickerbocker G3