Kneesnhips gets up in final strides to edge New Year's Eve in Lacombe Memorial
Kneesnhips got her neck in front a couple strides before the finish and won the $75,000 Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.
California Angel edged favored New Year’s Eve for second in a race dominated by fillies closing on the outside. Kneesnhips raced wider than anyone, coming to the wire just a couple paths from the outside rail while rallying to a one-length score under James Graham.
Graham and Kneesinhips raced inside, seventh of nine, going to the half-mile pole and around this grass race’s second turn. Behind them came New Year’s Eve and, bringing up the rear, California Angel. As Cecilita, racing outside Kneesnhips, launched a bid approaching the three-furlong marker, it stuck Kneesnhips directly behind a horse just treading water, Pearl Earring. Adam Beschizza on New Year’s Eve followed Cecilita, California Angel and Deshawn Parker also peeling out to get onto New Year’s Eve’s tail.
And so it was that Graham, shuffled back, turned for home suddenly in last place. Tactics were simple from there.
This was Graham’s 10th winner of the racing week at Fair Grounds as he’s extended a lead in the jockey standings. Graham knew with the temporary rail set at 17 feet, outside turf paths were strongly preferred Saturday. And lest that knowledge somehow escape him, trainer Tom Amoss, ever cognizant of track trends, was right there to offer a reminder.
Graham came across heels, got outside everyone – avoiding a tough scrum approaching the furlong grounds - and finished best guiding Kneesnhips to her first stakes win. Kneesnhips ran about one mile on “good” turf in 1:41.64 in a race restricted to 3-year-old fillies and paid $17.80 to win.
California Angel was a nose better than New Year’s Eve, who was hampered in upper stretch when jockey Orlando Mojica steered right to find a finishing gap for Cecilita. Cecilita then took serious bumping from a fading Lolloping, regained her footing, moved back inside and finished with interest. The top three home had several lengths on the next group, Taylor’s Secret besting Dreamworker for fourth.
Amoss trains Kneesnhips for owner Joel Politi, the same duo that won the 2019 Kentucky Oaks with Serengeti Empress. Kneesnhips, bred in Kentucky by Lantern Hill Farm, was racing for the first time since a third-place finish Nov. 6 in the $100,000 Chelsey Flower at Aqueduct. In her previous start she’d finished eighth, beaten only 2 1/2 lengths by victorious California Angel, in the Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland. Kneesnhips, winning for the first time since her debut last July, is by Connect out of Miss Holiday Inn, by Tactical Cat.
