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BC Classic Winner Knicks Go Returns To Churchill Downs Tuesday

Saturday's $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic champion Knicks Go is set to return to Churchill Downs on Tuesday evening along with several other of his stablemates from the Brad Cox barn.

Owned by Korea Racing Authority, Knicks Go is scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Indianapolis before vanning two hours south to Churchill Downs. The flight is scheduled to land in Indianapolis at 6:30 p.m. (all times Eastern) and should arrive to Cox's Churchill Downs Barn 22 at approximately 9 p.m.

“He ran an extraordinary effort in the Classic,” Cox said. “We're very proud of him and his campaign this year. Things really worked out the way we planned. It means a lot to our team and his owners to win this race.”

Joining Knicks Go on Tuesday's flight is Classic third-place finisher Essential Quality along with Bubble Rock, Juju's Map, Ready to Purrform, and Turnerloose.

The Breeders' Cup World Championships have been held at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., twice and the Classic has been won each time by a locally based horse: Knicks Go and Gun Runner in 2017.

Local trainers Steve Asmussen and Wayne Catalano also enjoyed success at this year's Breeders' Cup. Asmussen's 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu romped in Friday's $2 million G1 Juvenile Fillies while Catalano's Aloha West defeated Dr. Shivel in Saturday's $2 million G1 Sprint by a scant nose.

“This victory was the pinnacle of my career,” Catalano said following the race.

The 65-year-old trainer has trained fewer horses recently and his usual full barn at Churchill Downs has only four horses. Catalano also keeps a string of horses at Keeneland where Aloha West is scheduled to return Wednesday. Aloha West's victory in the Sprint was Catalano's 2,931th as a trainer. He sports a trio of other Breeders' Cup victories with Stephanie's Kitten (2011 Juvenile Turf), She Be Wild (2009 Juvenile Fillies), and Dreaming of Anna (2006 Juvenile Fillies).

Echo Zulu was Asmussen's eighth Breeders' Cup victory. He previously won with Mitole (2019 Sprint), Gun Runner (2017 Classic), Untapable (2014 Distaff), Tapizar (2012 Dirt Mile), Regally Ready (2011 Turf Sprint), My Miss Aurelia (2011 Juvenile Fillies), and Curlin (2007 Classic).

The North American all-time leading conditioner now has a career-best mark in purse earnings of $27,807,020 – about $400,000 more than he had in 2019. He trails fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher by about $46 million to become the all-time leader in purse earnings.

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Keeneland September Graduates Win Big At Breeders’ Cup

Keeneland's September Yearling Sale produced six winners during the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.: Knicks Go (Grade 1 Classic), Aloha West (G1 Sprint), Life Is Good (G1 Dirt Mil), Golden Pal (G1 Turf Sprint), Corniche (G1 Juvenile), and Echo Zulu (G1 Juvenile Fillies).

A two-time Keeneland sales graduate, Knicks Go initially sold as a weanling for $40,000 at the 2016 November Breeding Stock. He was purchased for $87,000 by owner Korea Racing Authority from Woods Edge Farm, agent, at the 2017 September Sale.

With his 2 3/4-length win in the $6 million Classic, the multiple G1 earner of more than $8.6 million establishes himself as the favorite for Horse of the Year honors.

Aloha West, a graduate of the 2018 September Sale, won the $2 million G1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint by a nose over fellow Keeneland sale graduate Dr. Schivel in a thrilling finish. The son of Hard Spun was consigned to the September Sale by Nursery Place, agent. He finished second in the G2 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix on Oct. 8 at Keeneland in his final prep for the Breeders' Cup.

Another Fall Meet stakes winner to win a Breeders' Cup race is September Sale alum Golden Pal, who captured the G2 Woodford Presented by TVG on his way to a dominating victory in the $1 million G1 Turf Sprint. The Uncle Mo colt is based at Keeneland with trainer Wesley Ward. He was offered at the 2019 September Sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

September Sale graduates Life Is Good, Ginobili, and Restrainedvengence finished 1-2-3 in the $1 million G1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Life Is Good led gate to wire to record a 5¾-length win, his fourth graded stakes victory this year. China Horse Club and Maverick Racing bought the Into Mischief colt for $525,000 from the consignment of Paramount Sales, agent, at the 2019 September Sale.

Two Keeneland sales graduates who were Breeders' Cup-placed on Saturday are cataloged to the Nov. 10 opening session of the 2021 November Sale. Edgeway, second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, is consigned by Lane's End as Hip 103. Charmaine's Mia, third in the Turf Sprint, is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, as Hip 172. Both are cataloged as racing or broodmare prospects.

On Future Stars Friday at Del Mar, Keeneland 2020 September Sale alumni Corniche and Echo Zulu were authoritative winners of the two spotlight races, the $2 million G1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and $2 million G1 NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, respectively.

An unbeaten, multiple Grade 1-winning son of Quality Road, Corniche was offered at the September Sale by Stonehaven Steadings, agent. His half-sister Look Me Over, in foal to Kitten's Joy, is consigned by Hunter Valley Farm as Hip 223 in Book 1 of the upcoming November Sale.

Echo Zulu recorded her third G1 win in the Juvenile Fillies, cruising to an easy 5¼-length victory to keep her perfect record intact and all but clinch the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly. From the first crop of Gun Runner, Echo Zulu was consigned by Betz Thoroughbreds, agent, and purchased for $300,000 by co-owner Winchell Thoroughbreds.

Keeneland sales graduates swept the top three spots in the Juvenile Fillies, with G1 Darley Alcibiades winner Juju's Map and Tarabi finishing second and third, respectively.

Twilight Gleaming (IRE), winner of the G2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, trained for the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland, where she is based with trainer Wesley Ward.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Fourth Consecutive Shoemaker Award For Outstanding Jockey At BC

Irad Ortiz Jr. won his fourth consecutive Bill Shoemaker Award, given to the most outstanding jockey at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who won the most races in the 14 World Championship races this weekend with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz and William Buick both won three races, but Ortiz also had a runner-up finish and three fourth-place finishes while Buick finished fifth with his only other mount.

Ortiz won the first Championship race of the weekend on Twilight Gleaming (IRE) in the Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then added Saturday victories in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with Golden Pal and the G1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with Life Is Good.

Buick also had one victory Friday on Modern Games (IRE) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and then two on Saturday with Space Blues (IRE) in the G1 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF and Yibir (GB) in the G1 Longines Turf.

Two other riders posted multiple wins: Joel Rosario and Jose Ortiz.

Rosario took the richest race of the weekend, the $6 million G1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with Knicks Go and Friday's G1 NetJets Juvenile Fillies with Echo Zulu.

Ortiz's victories came on Pizza Bianca in Friday's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Aloha West in the G1 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint.

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.

Bill Shoemaker Award winners:

2003: Alex Solis

2004: John Velazquez

2005: Garrett Gomez

2006: Frankie Dettori

2007: Garrett Gomez

2008: Garrett Gomez

2009: Julien Leparoux

2010: Garrett Gomez

2011: John Velazquez

2012: Mike Smith

2013: Mike Smith

2014: John Velazquez

2015: Ryan Moore

2016: Mike Smith

2017: Javier Castellano

2018: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2019: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2020: Irad Ortiz Jr.

2021: Irad Ortiz Jr.

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Aloha West Nails Dr. Schivel On Wire In Breeders’ Cup Sprint

In one of the most white-knucke finishes of the weekend's meeting, Aloha West got the right side of a head-bob against Dr. Schivel after an intense stretch drive to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday at Del Mar.

The 4-year-old Hard Spun colt settled in at the back of the field in the six-furlong race, as imposing 1-to-2 favorite Jackie's Warrior set a blistering pace on the rail, tracked closely by Special Reserve and longshot Matera Sky. As Jackie's Warrior clocked the opening quarter-mile in :21.91 seconds, jockey Jose Ortiz gradually brought Aloha West up through the crowd, and got him to the middle of the pack as the leaders hit the turn.

Jackie's Warrior continued to fend off a dogged challenge from Special Reserve through the bend, and they were joined three-wide by Dr. Schivel as they prepared to enter the stretch after a half-mile in :44.11 seconds. Following Sea also appeared poised to make a rail move, but his potential rally was cut off in the turn by a tight-cutting Jackie's Warrior.

After such a hot battle up front, Jackie's Warrior relented at the top of the stretch, leaving Special Reserve and Dr. Schivel to decide the leader, and Aloha West still several lengths behind. Dr. Schivel and jockey Flavien Prat appeared to have a clear path to victory with a furlong to go after disposing of Special Reserve, but Ortiz put Aloha West in the middle of the track, and got active in his urging, flipping between showing his mount the crop and the occasional right-hand strike.

Dr. Schivel still looked like he would survive the challenge as the wire drew near, but Aloha West drew even in the final two jumps. Even then, Dr. Schivel appeared to potentially have the forward head bob as they crossed the wire. The photo finish revealed that Aloha West had a nose over his foe when they passed the finish, while Following Sea recovered from his stunted rail move to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up.

“I knew there was a lot of speed in the race and I had none, so I knew I was going to come from the back,” Ortiz said. “He was giving me a great run, but I didn't know if I was going to get there. Finally, we did. He put his head right on the wire. I was about 60 percent sure I won.”

Aloha West stopped the clock in the six-furlong race in 1:08.49 over a fast main track. Any horse was going to be an upset after heavy Jackie's Warrior conceded, but Aloha West was an especially lucrative one, paying $24.60 to win.

Wayne Catalano trains Aloha West for owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. He was bred in Maryland by Robert T. Manfuso and Katharine M. Voss.

“I liked where we were at early in the race and the head-bob was a tough one,” Catalano said. “But you know when the results come this way we're happy. Right now, it's a good time to win a race like this. We are low on horses and have been around a long, long time. I have been reinventing myself so many times. Fifty years and counting. I just want to settle down and have a handful of nice ones in one spot and enjoy my life with my three grandkids and one more on the way.”

The victory in the Sprint improved Aloha West's record to five wins in nine career starts. It was his first stakes victory, and just his second graded stakes attempt, after finishing second by a neck in the Grade 2 Phoenix Stakes on Oct. 8 at Keeneland.

Quotes from other connections:

Jockey Flavien Prat (Dr. Schivel, second) – “That was a tough loss. He was running really strong and didn't see the winner coming as I did not look up.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher (Following Sea, third) – “He ran great. He had a good run up the rail and the door closed on him. He had to alter course and re-rally. Looked like he could have been right there if he could have snuck through.”

Trainer Mike Maker (Special Reserve, fourth) – “The horse ran big as always. Very taxing fractions. Proud of the horse.”

Trainer Steve Asmussen (beaten favorite Jackie's Warrior, sixth) – “He looks good. It wasn't his day.”

Jockey Joel Rosario (beaten favorite Jackie's Warrior, sixth) – “He broke really well and was running easy early on. Sometimes it is just hard to win all the time. He gave his best and we were just outrun. On the far turn, two horses came to me a little bit, I could see they were moving better than we were. He always fights but, as I said, you can't win all the time.”

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