Knicks Go is favored to be named both champion older dirt male and Horse of the Year for 2021 following a brilliant 5-year-old season bookended by victories in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, with three other stakes wins, including the Grade 1 Whitney, in between. The sweet spot for Knicks Go was going long on the lead in two-turn races. Beginning with an allowance race at Oaklawn Park in February 2020, when making his first start for trainer Brad Cox, Knicks Go won eight straight races in that scenario, using his high cruising speed to run his rivals off their feet. Knicks Go completed his abbreviated 2020 season with a front-running victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, then prevailed in his first attempt beyond 1 1/16 miles when scoring in similar fashion to start 2021 in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus. After that, it was off to Saudi Arabia for the Group 1 Saudi Cup, run at 1 1/8 miles but around one turn. Knicks Go faded to fourth. After a freshening, he shortened up to the Grade 1 Met Mile, also around one turn, and again ran below his best, tiring to finish fourth. In an attempt to hit the reset button, Cox sent Knicks Go to Prairie Meadows for his next start, where he pummeled an overmatched field in the Grade 3 Cornhusker. He was back going two turns, back with his swagger. The Whitney was significant in that Knicks Go showed he was all the way back, fully capable of beating the best in the land. He downed Maxfield, and exacted revenge on Met Mile winner Silver State, rolling to a 4 1/2-length victory. :: Full list of 2021 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories With the Breeders’ Cup Classic the remaining major goal, Cox chose the Grade 3 Lukas Classic as the ideal stepping-stone. Facing five overmatched rivals, he cruised by four lengths to his third straight victory. The Classic, which included classic winners Essential Quality and Medina Spirit, marked Knicks Go’s first attempt at 1 1/4 miles. He handled that and the ship to Del Mar with the disdain with which he dispatched his opponents, checking in 2 3/4 lengths best under Joel Rosario, who was aboard Knicks Go for the ninth straight time. Rosario would let Knicks Go set off at a pace that guaranteed him the lead. Rivals were left in a quandary – try to go with Knicks Go, and likely pay a steep price, or leave him alone, and hope, usually futilely, he’d come back. Knicks Go is scheduled to race once more, defending his title Jan. 29 in the Pegasus, before heading to stud at Taylor Made in Kentucky. It will be the 25th start of his career. He’s won 10 starts, and more than $8.6 million. Knicks Go, bred by Angie Moore, is by Paynter out of the Outflanker mare Kosmo’s Buddy. He was purchased as a yearling by the Korea Racing Authority for $87,000.