McKnight nearing end of training career
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Norm McKnight is winding down his training career and is planning to retire at the end of the current Woodbine meet on Dec. 14.
McKnight won more than 1,000 races as a Standardbred driver before switching to Thoroughbred training in the 1990s at the behest of owner Lou Donato after a barn fire wiped out his stable in 1991.
McKnight sent out his 1,000th winner as a Thoroughbred trainer in September. He led the Woodbine standings in wins from 2017-19 and saddled a meet-record 128 winners in 2018. He won five races on a single Woodbine card twice.
A native of London, Ontario, McKnight, 69, said he wants to break from the racetrack routine and spend some time traveling with his wife.
“The horse business is seven days a week,” McKnight said. “You’re gone early in the morning, you come home, have dinner, and to go to bed.”
McKnight runs the durable 9-year-old Mid Day Image in Friday’s fourth race, one of three $5,000 claimers on the eight-race card.
A winner in 16 of 58 starts, Mid Day Image ended a long drought when wiring $5,000 conditioned claimers on Oct. 31. Austin Adams, an apprentice who is 7 for 29 at the meet for McKnight, retains the mount.
Among the other contenders in the open 6 1/2-furlong sprint are Winston Blue, Causin’ Mayhem, Computer Hacker, and Wilberforce.
Adams has several other live mounts on the card, including Totally in Charge in the second race for $15,000 nonwinners-of-two claimers; and Palace View in the fifth, a starter/optional claimer.
A 6-year-old trained by Santino DiPaola, Totally in Charge ran second in the restricted Ashbridges Bay Stakes at 3. She was sidelined for two years heading into her June 28 season opener and only hit her best stride in October, during which she ran second at Friday’s level before ending up fourth for $25,000.
Palace View was claimed for $25,000 in July by trainer Marty Drexler from a victory over nonwinners-of-three stock. After landing on the edges in back-to-back turf races, the Irish-bred had a wide trip over a rail-biased Tapeta surface when eighth in an Oct. 19 allowance, from which Kekoa exited to win the restricted Lake Ontario Stakes. The drop to compete with a $15,000 tag on Friday could get him back on the beam.
Sherif Ali, This Dude a Breeze, and Graffiti Writer all run protected in the fifth race.
A stretch-runner trained by John Coryat, Sherif Ali won two of his last three starts at this level, earning an 87 Beyer Speed Figure in both of those two tallies.
This Dude a Breeze also found the mark in two of his three most recent excursions, races that sandwiched a subpar showing where he got buried in a speed duel.
Graffiti Writer bottomed out when beating $7,500 nonwinners-of-two claimers three starts ago and then doubled up for $25,000 before finishing third in an allowance.
Post time for Friday’s card is 4:30 p.m.
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