The chestnut 3-year-old RED KNOBS (Union Rags – Hokey Okey by Lonhro (Aus)), claimed for $50,000 from his most recent start at Churchill Downs, powered to a 1 3/4 length victory in the 74th Manitoba Derby on August 1 at Assiniboia Downs. The 3-to-1 shot led a top three sweep for trainer Robertino Diodoro, who ran three horses in the race and was winning his fourth Manitoba Derby in the last six years.
Red Knobs and jockey Jorge Carreno tracked stablemate Great Escape early in the 1 1/8 mile dirt race before taking that rival on in the early stretch. Great Escape (Midnight Storm) tried to battle back but Red Knobs pulled away. Great Escape was four lengths clear of Clancy’s Pistol (Lookin at Lucky) who completed the Diodoro sweep. The time was 1:50.80.
Favoured Prayforpeace, who won the Derby Trial by eight lengths, finished fourth.
It was the second career win for Red Knobs who is owned by Rob Nokes. The colt was trained by Dale Romans when he won his maiden last summer at Ellis Park. The colt was third in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes and Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2021. Originally a $75,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September in 2020, he was bred by Caldara Farm and Flaxman Holdings in Kentucky.
Nokes, who works in sound recording and as a young person worked in television at Assiniboia Downs, has dabbled in horse ownership for several years.
“Everything worked out well. Jorgie gave the horse a heck of a ride. It’s always tough when you have three horses in the race, especially since all [different] owner groups are good guys,” Diodoro remarked to the Winnipeg Free Press. “A lot of emotions that way, too, because you know not everyone’s gonna be happy, right?”
Diodoro also sent out SOY TAPITIO to win the Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile on the card. The Not This Time gelding was coming in from California and Kentucky where he raced for trainer Doug O’Neill. Soy Tapitio is now owned by Rick and Clayton Wiest and Gary Kropp.
Wagering on the evening’s races was a staggering $3.5 million, surpassing the record for one day of $2.5 million set last year. The track had a mandatory payout of its popular Jackpot Pick 5 which had a carryover of over $500,000. The total pool for the Pick 5 was $1.6 million. Players who picked five winners received a payoff of $1,900.
Red Knobs (3/1) wins the 74th running of The Manitoba Derby @AssiniboiaDowns to pay $8.30.
Jockey: Jorge Carreno
Trainer: @diodororacing19
Owner: Rob Nokes #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/xJajCAlQnF— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 2, 2022
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