2021 Breeders' Cup Classic: Knicks Go, once a flop, now a freak
Knicks Go was cut out to be a good horse. As a 2-year-old in the fall of 2018, he won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
At 3, however, his performances ranged from decent to dismal. Eight starts netted zero wins.
“We tried to make the [Kentucky] Derby by getting [qualifying] points and everything, and his confidence really got rattled,” said Ben Colebrook, who trained Knicks Go from his first start and through 2019, a total of 14 races. “His 3-year-old campaign was problematic. Things just didn’t click for him for a number of reasons.”
How, then, did Knicks Go evolve afterward into a freakish type who on Saturday will be one of the deserving favorites for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar?
Turned over by his owner, the Korea Racing Authority, to Brad Cox following a poor effort at Churchill Downs in November 2019, the Maryland-bred son of Paynter has won seven of nine starts at 4 and 5, including resounding triumphs in two high-profile Grade 1 events, the Pegasus World Cup and Whitney.
“We had the benefit of giving him some time off and regrouping him and getting his confidence back,” Cox said prior to leaving his Churchill base for California. “Those months we had him when we only ran him once – that time really played a huge role in getting him to max out on all his potential. Obviously he’s gone on to show he’s a world-class horse.”
In a span of nearly 11 months, Knicks Go had just one start, easily winning an Oaklawn Park allowance in February 2020 with a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Shortly thereafter, he got more time at Blackwood Stables in Versailles, Ky., due to what Cox described as “a minor setback . . . there was even talk of retiring him at that time.”
But, following two works at Blackwood in July 2020, then nine more for Cox at Churchill in August and September 2020, Knicks Go resumed his ascent. He once again flashed uncommon speed and brilliance, winning a 1 1/16-mile allowance in track-record time (1:40.79) with a 107 Beyer on opening day of the 2020 Keeneland fall meet. It was enough for Cox to run him back in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, a race in which Knicks Go set another track mark (1:33.85) with a 108 Beyer.
Tongues began wagging that perhaps Cox was doing something different than other trainers, whether it was his feed program or training regimen or something a little more shady.
Neither he nor Colebrook will have any of it.
“There’s no doubt those months of downtime helped him mature into the horse he’s become,” said Colebrook. “Brad’s done a great job with him.”
Knicks Go began his 5-year-old season by dominating the $3 million Pegasus at Gulfstream Park with a 108 Beyer, then faded to fourth after being hounded from the break by the similarly speedy and since-retired Charlatan going 1 1/8 miles around one turn in the $20 million Saudi Cup in February. He also was fourth in the June 5 Met Mile, again around one turn, after which Cox promised there would be no more one-turn races for him.
Three subsequent races, all at 1 1/8 miles around two turns, resulted in front-running romps – the Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows (113 Beyer), the Whitney at Saratoga (111), and Lukas Classic at Churchill (104). An inordinately strong horse who trains in draw reins and never breezes in company – he’s too aggressive for that – he is most effective when sent straight to the lead, daring all others to catch him.
“You’ve just got to let him do his thing,” said Cox.
Clearly the two major questions regarding Knicks Go in the Classic are whether or not there will be enough opposing speed to press him through honest fractions, and whether the 1 1/4-mile distance is too far, period. Cox is hoping Knicks Go and jockey Joel Rosario, who has ridden the horse in each of his last eight races, will sail off to an open lead.
“We’re not going to be bashful,” said Cox. “We’re going to be running. If anybody wants to go with him, they’re more than welcome. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything fast enough in there to stay with him, but obviously a lot is going to depend on how things unfold down the frontside the first time and into the first turn.”
Cox, who also trains one of the other BC Classic favorites, Essential Quality, is very happy with how both horses have trained in recent weeks. Now all that’s left is the race itself and seeing how far Knicks Go can carry his speed.
“The horse has been pretty solid,” said Cox. “He carries good flesh, he looks good, he’s happy, he likes to train. We’ll see how it goes.”