In the week leading up to the Grade 3, $106,500 Knickerbocker, trainer Christophe Clement lamented that his ultra-consistent but hard-luck 7-year-old gelding Operation Red Dawn should win more races.

On Thursday, in the 53rd running of the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up, Operation Red Dawn rewarded the faith of his trainer, swooping down on runaway leader Lemon Cream Pie in the final 70 yards to win by 2½ lengths under jockey Rajiv Maragh.

Lemon Cream Pie, who controlled the pace for rider Eddie Castro, finished 6½ lengths clear of third-place finisher Brave Tin Soldier. The winning time was 1:50.21 for the 2.50-to-1 favorite, owned by Dion Reccachina, who paid $7 for a $2 win ticket.

Clement watched the Knickerbocker from a Clubhouse box seat and remained there in front of a monitor to see his colt Winchester lose a photo-finish decision in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland. When that race concluded, Clement bounded down the stairs to join Maragh and congratulate him on getting Operation Red Dawn his first victory since June 2008. The son of Miswaki had placed in five of his past six graded stakes runs without winning.

“He’s like good French wine — he gets better with age,” Clement said. “Unbelievable. He went cruising all the way. He’s been knocking on the door [of a graded stakes win] for three years.”

At the start, the field of six horses raced into the first turn abreast of each other in a line through a heated first quarter-mile in 23.75 seconds. On the backside, the horses strung out and Lemon Cream Pie cleared off to a 1½-length lead.

Castro markedly slowed the pace, getting the second quarter in 25.76 seconds while receiving moderate pressure from a slightly rank Yorktown. Operation Red Dawn, meantime, raced under a hold, steadily advancing in position.

On the turn home, Lemon Cream Pie separated from the field, while Operation Red Dawn saved ground inside before angling out and running down the leader to score.

Cherokee Speed finished fourth, followed by Danak and Yorktown.

“We were well within striking range,” Maragh said. “He really got going around the eighth pole and was pulling away at the end. He’s an old pro and seems to handle any footing.”

Castro said Lemon Cream Pie “kicked nice in the end, but [Operation Red Dawn] was just too good.”

The Knickerbocker gave Clement a sweep of the weekend turf stakes races that were moved to Wednesday and Thursday because of poor weather. He took the Grade 3 Athenia on Wednesday with Belle Allure.

“It’s nice to win the two graded stakes, yesterday and today,” Clement said. “I would have liked to win at Keeneland as well, but I guess that’s greed.”