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Knicks Go Looks to Add Pegasus Win to Comeback Tale

Dirt Mile winner favored in $3 million stakes after a winless 2019 campaign.

Knicks Go and jockey Joel Rosario in the winner's circle following the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland

Knicks Go and jockey Joel Rosario in the winner's circle following the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland

Skip Dickstein

His name might be just as surprising as the path he followed to grade 1 laurels as an older horse and elevated status as the favorite in a $3 million race.

Such is life for a 5-year-old Thoroughbred named Knicks Go .

To most mainstream sports fans, that name would spur a belief it was bestowed by someone from the Big Apple who is a fan of the National Basketball Association team that plays at Madison Square Garden.

Sorry, wrong answer.

The "K" comes from his ownership group, the Korea Racing Authority, and the "nicks" from a popular breeding term.

Likewise, most racing fans would say that a horse running in an October allowance optional claiming race, who had not even placed in a graded stakes for about two years, could not become the betting favorite in two races worth a combined $4 million in a span of less than four months.

Wrong again.

When entries were drawn Jan. 20 for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), it was the aforementioned Knicks Go who was pegged as a highly deserving 5-2 morning-line favorite among a field of 12 for the Jan. 23 stakes at Gulfstream Park.

That was the same Knicks Go who ran in an Oct. 4 allowance optional claiming race at Keeneland and had not placed in a graded stakes since he was second in the 2018 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

Filling in the gaps in the story, Knicks Go surely became a noteworthy comeback tale in 2020 when he was moved to trainer Brad Cox's barn. A highly promising 2-year-old for trainer Ben Colebrook in 2018, Knicks Go's disappointing 3-year-old campaign featured eight starts and nothing better than a pair of seconds in a black-type stakes and allowance race.

Yet for Cox, Knicks Go is a perfect 3-for-3, by a combined margin of slightly more than 21 lengths, with two allowance wins propelling him to a decisive 3 1/2-length victory in track-record time in the Nov. 7 $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) that stamps him as the horse to beat in the longer 1 1/8-mile Pegasus.

"He's on top of his game right now," Cox said about the son of the Outflanker mare Kosmo's Buddy. "He's every bit as good as he was leading up to the Dirt Mile. I'm very excited about him. His work (Jan. 16, five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots) was phenomenal. Everything is great. His attitude is great. His weight is great. He's aggressive in his training. He's in a good place right now."

How he got to such a good place seems to be linked to Cox putting what he called "aggressive" works into the now 5-year-old Paynter horse. Cox felt that was the best way to bring out the talent Knicks Go had displayed at 2, and it resulted in an eye-opening 7 1/2-length score in a Feb. 22 allowance optional claiming race at Oaklawn Park that served as his first win in 16 1/2 months, since a victory in the 2018 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at 70-1 odds.

"We ran him in a two-other-than allowance and knew we were going to find out something about this horse," Cox said about the Oaklawn race. "Either he's really good, or he lost it, because he seemed ready to roll."

The victory opened Cox's eyes to bigger things, but an ankle problem sidelined him for more than seven months until he returned in October with a dazzling 10 1/4-length score in track-record time for 1 1/16 miles over the same surface at Keeneland he skipped over in the Breeders' Futurity and Dirt Mile.

"We had confidence in him, but I wasn't thinking about the Breeders' Cup until he ran like a monster in the October allowance race," Cox said about a horse bred in Maryland by Angie Moore and was bought by the KRA for $87,000 from the Woods Edge Farm consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. "We knew he loved Keeneland, so I said 'Let's try it,' and he responded with a huge win."

Now, after prevailing in gate-to-wire fashion as a 9-5 choice in the Dirt Mile to give him back-to-back track record victories, he'll move over to a typically speed-favoring Gulfstream Park surface after drawing a favorable post (4) for Saturday's fifth edition of the Pegasus.

Joel Rosario, who rode him in his last two starts, will be aboard again Saturday.

"I think Knicks Go will like Gulfstream. I don't run a lot of horses there, but I've watched a lot of races and as a rule if you have speed, it's a good thing," Cox said. "The stretch is not too long, like Keeneland. You need to be in the mix turning for home, and hopefully, that's where he'll be and get the job done."

While no Pegasus winner has been worse than fourth after the opening half-mile, no one has been able to lead from start to finish in the nine-furlong test with a short run to the first turn.

Those numbers could present a challenge for 9-2 second-choice, Code of Honor, Will Farish's late-running multiple grade 1 winner at 1 1/4 miles. The homebred 5-year-old son of Noble Mission won the 2019 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at 10 furlongs and comes into the Pegasus sharp and fresh for trainer Shug McGaughey after rallying from ninth to finish second at a 1 1/8-mile distance in the Nov. 27 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Code of Honor goes out for a breeze at the Oklahoma Training Track Monday July 27, 2020 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.  
Photo: Skip Dickstein
Code of Honor breezes at the Oklahoma Training Track during the 2020 Saratoga Race Course meet

"You have to leave him alone, let him drop back, and hopefully, he'll finish good and strong. He can't lay close, but I think he'll get good fractions to chase," McGaughey said. "I feel good about (his spacing between races). I didn't last year, but I do now. I'm pleased with the way he's doing."

The $2.6 million earner raced three times at Gulfstream Park as a 3-year-old, highlighted by a victory at 1 1/16 miles in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2).

Code of Honor, who will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, could face a problem from the outset as he drew post 10. With the first turn rapidly approaching, inside posts are favored as reflected in posts 1 through 3 accounting for six of the 16 top-four finishes in the first four runnings of the Pegasus. Posts 10 and beyond have just one: a victory from post 10 by favored Gun Runner  in 2018.

"I would have rather been on the inside, but Gaffalione knows this racetrack real well. I won't let it keep me up at night," McGaughey said

The Pegasus will be contested without Lasix for a second year in a row, requiring Code of Honor to race without the medication for the first time. Knicks Go had one win from three starts at 2 in his only races without Lasix.

Mr Freeze  and Tax will give the Pegasus another try after finishing behind the victorious Mucho Gusto in 2020.

Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's Mr Freeze (15-1), a 6-year-old son of To Honor and Serve, was second in the Pegasus a year ago, but was fifth in the Clark and sixth in the Dirt Mile in his last two starts for trainer Dale Romans and has post 11 Saturday.

Tax, a 5-year-old Arch gelding, had a nightmare trip in the Pegasus. After stumbling at the start, he never entered contention while finishing ninth at 4-1 odds.

Trained by Danny Gargan and owned by R. A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Hugh Lynch, Tax (5-1) was a sharp, front-running 4 1/2-length winner of the Dec. 12 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Tax wins the 2020 Harlan's Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park                  
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Tax wins the Harlan's Holiday Stakes at Gulfstream Park

"He's training phenomenally," Gargan said. "He's coming into the race in much better shape than last year. He's matured a lot and probably put on 150-200 pounds since then. He was tall and lanky; now he's filled out."

Tax was given a seven-month break last year due to steady racing since his 2-year-old season and uncertainty about stakes schedules due to the pandemic. Reflected by his win in the Harlan's Holiday, he returned from that vacation in top form.

"We're pretty happy with him," Gargan said about a horse who was claimed for $50,000 and has earned $957,060. "Knicks Go should be on the lead, and we'll probably be second or third behind him."

Reflective of the purse and an invite to the $20 million Saudi Cup that will go to the winner, the field is filled with starters who have graded stakes wins and placings on their résumé.

Foremost are Jesus' Team (8-1), who was second in the Dirt Mile; Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) winner Sleepy Eyes Todd  (8-1); Kiss Today Goodbye (10-1), who won the San Antonio Stakes (G2); and Pimlico Special (G3) victor Harpers First Ride (10-1).

While only a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend, the Pegasus and the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) will be aired by NBC from 4:30 to 6 p.m. ET.

No doubt there will be "Knicks" fans of all type watching.

Entries: Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. (G1)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 23, 2021, Race 12

  • Grade I
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $3,000,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 5:44 PM (local)
PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainerM/L
11Sleepy Eyes Todd (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateJose L. Ortiz123Miguel Angel Silva8/1
22Coastal Defense (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateCorey J. Lanerie123Dale L. Romans15/1
33Independence Hall (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateFlavien Prat123Michael W. McCarthy20/1
44Knicks Go (MD)Keeneland Sales GraduateJoel Rosario123Brad H. Cox5/2
55Jesus' Team (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateIrad Ortiz, Jr.123Jose Francisco D'Angelo8/1
66Kiss Today Goodbye (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateMike E. Smith123J. Eric Kruljac10/1
77Tax (KY)Luis Saez123Danny Gargan5/1
88Harpers First Ride (MD)Angel Cruz123Claudio A. Gonzalez10/1
99Last Judgment (FL)Paco Lopez123Michael J. Maker20/1
1010Code of Honor (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateTyler Gaffalione123Claude R. McGaughey III9/2
1111Mr Freeze (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateJohn R. Velazquez123Dale L. Romans15/1
1212Math Wizard (KY)Edgard J. Zayas123Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.20/1