Gaines confident He's a Knockout can handle added ground for Snow Chief

ARCADIA, Calif. – The wins, at two venues, came more than eight months apart and were accomplished in the same manner.

He’s a Knockout was quick enough to set the pace and too fast to catch in sprint races for California-bred maidens on turf at Del Mar last August, and again at Santa Anita on April 19 in an allowance race.

For his third start, He’s a Knockout has a significantly different assignment in Saturday’s $125,000 Snow Chief Stakes for statebreds at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

“He’s a very talented horse,” trainer Carla Gaines said last weekend. “But we’re going from a sprint to a mile and an eighth. We think he can do it.”

He’s a Knockout will play an important role in a field of 10. He is likely to lead or race near the pace.

By Smiling Tiger, He’s a Knockout won a maiden race at five furlongs on turf by 4 3/4 lengths last August as the 7-10 favorite. On April 19, He’s a Knockout was the sharp winner of an allowance race for statebreds 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf by 1 3/4 lengths as the 6-5 favorite.

“He’s always exhibited that he’s got a lot of natural talent,” Gaines said.

He’s a Knockout is out of Style Award, a half-sister to Lucky J.H., a four-time stakes winner. Lucky J.H., who raced from 2004 to 2009, was versatile. Trained by Gaines, Lucky J.H. won a minor sprint stakes on the hillside turf course as well as an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar in a 20-race career that included eight wins and earnings of $632,065.

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He’s a Knockout is the only undefeated runner in the Snow Chief Stakes and races for owner and breeder Harris Farms. Farm patriarch John Harris died last July at the age of 81. The farm has continued with a reduced racing operation.

On Saturday’s 10-race program at Santa Anita, Harris Farms has four runners aside from He’s a Knockout – On the Whim in the $100,000 Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf; Start the Ride in an allowance race at a mile; and Gaines in a maiden race for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf.

Dean Pederson trains On the Whim, who was second in the Sensational Star Stakes for statebreds on the hillside turf course in March. Start the Ride won the California Cup Derby in January and was later fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. Trained by Dan Blacker, Start the Ride was third in an allowance race for statebred 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on May 8.

Gaines, trained by Carla Gaines, was second by a neck in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in his debut on April 4.

The Snow Chief Stakes has the largest field of the five stakes on Saturday. Aside from He’s a Knockout, the field is led by Unrivaled Time, the winner of the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last November; and Fionello, winner of the Echo Eddie Stakes for statebred 3-year-old sprinters at 6 1/2 furlongs on April 4. Fionello will race on turf for the first time in the Snow Chief.

The day’s first stakes is the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes for statebred sprinters at six furlongs. Big City Lights, a five-time stakes winner, will be strongly favored in a weakened field of seven. The lineup does not include the six-time stakes winner Man O Rose, who recently returned from an early spring rest, or Lovesick Blues, the 2025 California-bred Horse of the Year who has not raced since an eighth-place finish in the Group 1 Golden Shaheen Sprint in Dubai on March 28.

The 5-year-old mare Grand Slam Smile, a nine-time stakes winner, and Om N Joy, third in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in March, are two prominent entrants in the $100,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

On the Whim is part of a field of nine in the Crystal Water that includes Flyover, an easy winner of the Sensational Star for statebreds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on March 22.

Mohaven, the five-length winner of the Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old statebred fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs on April 4, will race at 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the $125,000 Melair Stakes. Her principal rival is Run With Liberty, who has won two turf races by three lengths each and will start in a stakes for the first time on Saturday.

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