Legendary wins $200K Knickerbocker Stakes at Belmont

Legendary rallied to beat Up With the Birds by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday in the $200,000 Knickerbocker Stakes on the turf at Belmont Park.

The 5-year-old gelding gave Maryland-based trainer Niall Saville his biggest victory.

''This is my first graded stakes,'' Saville said. ''I'm very, very pleased. I was a little nervous with the long stretch here, but they weren't catching him.''

Legendary improved to six for 19 with his second straight stakes victory, having captured the $100,000 Japan Racing Board Stakes at Laurel last month.

Ridden by Sheldon Russell, Legendary ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.65 over the yielding course.

Legendary paid $10.20, $4.80 and $2.90. Up With the Birds returned $3.60 and $2.70, and Mshawish paid $2.90 to show.