Newly-minted champion trainer Brad Cox has been watching Pegasus World Cup winner Knicks Go very closely over the past week, and told the Thoroughbred Daily News that so long as all goes well with the Korea Racing Authority-owned colt's next breeze, he will be headed to Saudi Arabia for the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20.
“The owners would like to go to the Saudi Cup and they've made that clear,” Cox told the TDN. “I looked for a reason not to run him back in four weeks and he's given me no indication that would not be a good idea. That's why I've said I want to see him breeze one more time before we put him on a plane. He really rebounded from the Pegasus in great shape and in good order. He's not giving me any reason to not run him, so we're going to press forward.”
Plans call for Knicks Go to be shipped out on Monday, Feb. 8, and a strong showing in Saudi Arabia could lead the team to remain overseas for the $12 million Dubai World Cup on Mar. 27.
The 5-year-old son of Paynter first showed his talent with a win in the G1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in 2018, then a runner-up finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He did not see the winner's circle again until transferred to Cox's care in 2020, when he won a pair of allowance races and the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Following his dominant showing in the G1 Pegasus World Cup, Knicks Go's record stands at six wins, three seconds and a third from 18 starts with earnings of $3,088,995.
Also expected to make the trip to Saudi Arabia for the $20 million race are G1 Malibu winner Charlatan (Bob Baffert) and multiple G1-placed Tacitus (Bill Mott).
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
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