By Steve Sherack
Knightsbridge (Nyquist) took it to GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast) through blazing fractions of :22.68 and :45.45 and showed no mercy in the stretch, romping in jaw-dropping fashion by 6 1/4 lengths in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Pacific Classic S. at Del Mar.
The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard,' favored at even-money from his wide draw in post 11, completed the 1 1/4-mile distance in 2:01.79. Original Sin (Curlin) rallied from last for second. Full Serrano held third.
Winning owner/breeder Godolphin and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, of course, also campaign last year's Horse of the Year and dominating GI Whitney S. winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief).
“It was quite impressive,” Mott said. “I thought maybe they were going a little too fast down the backside. They were going :45 and two or three, a pretty honest pace for a mile and a quarter race. They went quick, but gosh he had something to finish with.”
Winning jockey Junior Alvarado added, “When we got to the first turn, I thought we were moving along pretty well and at the backstretch my horse switched leads to the right and that's when I kind of wanted to give him a little breather and kind of engage a little bit again. My horse kind of went on with him and I was getting a little worried for how we wanted to go, but at the same time, it wasn't like he was overly trying. He was kind of skipping over the ground. I had my hopes that when I asked him he would give me his best right when we turned for home. It was all heart there. In the gallop out, I couldn't even pull him up he was going so strong. He's a horse that has a lot of talent.”
Knightsbridge entered off a daylight victory while making his two-turn debut in the 1 1/8-mile GIII Monmouth Cup S. July 18, good for a gaudy 122 Beyer Speed Figure. He rattled off three straight graded stakes victories at Gulfstream Park this winter, capped by an 11 1/4-length tally in the GIII Gulfstream Park Mile S. Feb. 28. Sixth as the favorite in the GI Churchill Downs S. May 2, he was second in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. at Saratoga June 6.
Pedigree Notes:
Knightsbridge becomes the 12th Grade I winner for Nyquist. He is a half-brother to young Darley stallion Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), winner of the 2022 GI Carter H.
Knightsbridge's second dam is GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine Round Pond (Awesome Again), who brought $5.75 million from Sheikh Mohammed's global operation at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November sale.
Knightsbridge's unraced dam Tyburn Brook is a half-sister to GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Highland Falls (Curlin) and G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 winner Long River (A.P. Indy). The Nyquist x Bernardini cross is also responsible for GISWs Gretzky the Great, Immersive and Nysos.
Tyburn Brook had a colt by Curlin in 2025 and a filly by Nyquist this year.
Saturday, Del Mar
PACIFIC CLASSIC S.-GI, $1,003,000, Del Mar, 8-22, 3yo/up,
1 1/4m, 2:01.79, ft.
1–KNIGHTSBRIDGE, 124, h, 5, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Round Pond, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Gift of Dance, by Trempolino
1ST GRADE I WIN. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Godolphin (KY);
T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $600,000. Lifetime
Record: 12-8-2-1, $1,523,155. *1/2 to Speaker's Corner (Street
Sense), GISW, $739,963. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Original Sin, 124, c, 4, Curlin–Beauty and Light, by
Unbridled's Song. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Calumet Farm (KY);
T-Brendan P. Walsh. $200,000.
3–Full Serrano (Arg), 124, h, 7, Full Mast–Serra Do Mar (Arg),
by Jump Start. O-Hronis Racing LLC; B-Stud Haras Gran
Muneca S. A. (ARG); T-John W. Sadler. $120,000.
Margins: 6 1/4, 1 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.10, 21.80, 9.00.
Also Ran: Om N Joy, Hit Show, Malarchuk, Forged Steel, British Isles, Navajo Warrior, Subsanador (Arg), Finger (Jpn). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
No doubt about the winner here!
Knightsbridge and Junior Alvarado absolutely romp in the $1,000,000 Pacific Classic G1. 👑 pic.twitter.com/LnaPj3fR2P
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 23, 2026
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