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‘We Hope He Goes Out A Winner’: Knicks Go’s Pegasus World Cup Start Will Be Bittersweet For Brad Cox

Having built one of the largest stables in America, trainer Brad Cox doesn't have much time to reflect on his escalating accomplishments. But he acknowledges thinking a lot about Breeders' Cup Classic Grade 1 winner Knicks Go's final career start coming in Gulfstream Park's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) on Jan. 29.

In his first start since taking the 2020 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), Knicks Go won the 2021 Pegasus to kick off a season that saw him go 5-for-7. The only defeats came in one-turn races: New York's Metropolitan Mile (G1) and the Saudi Cup.

“It's kind of weird, knowing this is going to be his last run,” Cox said. “We're enjoying still having him in the barn. Hopefully we're going to have prepared to the best of our ability when we lead him over there Pegasus Day. It's going to be very exciting. It's going to be bittersweet, but excited to give him one more run. Obviously, we hope he goes out a winner and we'll definitely be sorry to see him go.”

Until the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, the 2021 Pegasus was the most lucrative stakes that Cox had ever won. Knicks Go won't be his first champion, but he almost assuredly will be the trainer's first Horse of the Year.

Cox said that in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus he just wants “to see more of the same from him that we've seen the last two years.”

Knicks Go had his second workout since the Breeders' Cup on Sunday at the Fair Grounds, working a half-mile in 49 4/5 seconds.

“It's icing on the cake for sure,” Cox said of the Pegasus, “because he's delivered in a big way over the last few years – actually his whole career, what he accomplished at 2 as well. It will be neat to get one more run in him at the age of 6. He certainly doesn't look like a horse needing any time off or anything. He was let down a little bit for around five days at Taylor Made just for inspection for breeders to come over and look at him. But he was ready to get back and go to work, and hopefully it is icing the cake with the Pegasus.”

The “Go” part of the horse's name has proven fortuitous. Knicks Go indeed is a horse who stays on the engine.

“He's on the go, no doubt about it,” said Cox, who assumed training Knicks Go for his 4-year-old season. “He's just a really cool horse, he really is.”

While Knicks Go — a son of Haskell (G1) winner and Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Paynter — might not have the most fashionable pedigree, Cox believes that is countered by being a “throw-back” horse. He notes that Knicks Go won Grade 1 races at 2, 4 and 5, while winning two Breeders' Cup races and finishing second in the Juvenile — and could add another G1 at age 6.

“And he's got really what was everybody is looking for: speed,” he said. “I hope he gets an opportunity to get some top mares. Because he's got heart, determination, and speed, and hopefully he's set up for a big stallion career.”

“I thought [Gulfstream] going a mile and an eighth, would benefit his style,” Cox said of the Pegasus. “He runs the turns really well; we've seen that over the last year-plus. He does like that (two-turn) configuration of the mile and an eighth there at Gulfstream. Hopefully he'll get a good set up and be effective like he was last year. We know him a little better now than we did last year, and he's been super consistent.

“He kind of puts them away through the far turn, is where he gets his separation. People have to go all in. They go into chase mode, and they can't get to him while he's still cruising. Speed, that's his weapon. Horses are going into chase mode probably three-quarters of a way through the race, and he's still on cruise control.”

The post ‘We Hope He Goes Out A Winner’: Knicks Go’s Pegasus World Cup Start Will Be Bittersweet For Brad Cox appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Marion Francis Looks For First Stakes Win In She’s All In Friday At Remington Park

Marion Francis has yet to enjoy the sweet taste of stakes success, but she hails from the barn of the top trainer in the country. The 3-year-old filly ships into Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., and has been established as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the $100,000 She's All In Stakes on the final night of the season, Friday, Dec. 17.

Brad Cox leads all trainers nationally with earnings of $30,932,681 this year. He has yet to win the She's All In Stakes.

Marion Francis has made $222,578 in 2021 and has lifetime earnings of $232,118 despite never winning in black-type company. Her record is 10 starts, three wins, three seconds, and three thirds.

A daughter of Constitution, out of the Two Punch mare Sophie's Destiny, has been stakes-placed twice. She ran third two races back in the $200,000 Plum Pretty Stakes at Parx Racing in Philadelphia on Sept. 25. Cox's filly also got third in the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx on Aug. 24. She broke her maiden at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., this spring on March 28 as the 6-5 favorite. Her margin of victory was 1-1/4 lengths.

Marion Francis picked up her next win at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. against allowance/optional $75,000 claiming fillies. She won that one by three-quarters of a length on May 28 over a wet fast track. She will be entering the She's All In off her third win, beating optional $100,000 claiming fillies under allowance conditions, at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., by a mere neck on Oct. 21. She's been off almost two months since then but has a series of works to prep for this comeback, three of them at Keeneland and her last on Dec. 5 at Oaklawn where she breezed in :48.40 for a half-mile.

Jockey Florent Geroux has been in the saddle for all three Marion Francis wins and all 10 of her starts. Cox will once again give him a leg up in the She's All In. Marion Francis is owned by Madaket Stables, Kent Spellman, and Wonder Stables. She was bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm. This filly was last purchased for $150,000 in the Ocala (Fla.) Breeders' Spring Sale for 2-year-olds in Training in 2020.

Marion Francis was made the slight favorite over Casual (2-1) from the barn of the nation's second-leading trainer and the all-time winningest conditioner in history, Steve Asmussen. Casual also is a multiple stakes-placed filly and ran fourth in the 2020 She's All In. Asmussen, who is second behind Cox in a heated battle for top-earning trainer this year at $30,523,870, has won the She's All in twice and will be going for his third victory in the past four years. He won with Magical in 2019 and Clever Serve in 2018. Ricardo Santana, Jr., booted home the 2019 winner while David Cabrera, the track's leading rider the past four years, 2018-2021, was aboard Clever Serve. This year, Asmussen will use the riding services of Jose Ortiz, who is fourth in the country among jockeys in money earned ($23,721,025). He trails only Joel Rosario in first, followed by Jose's brother Irad, and Luis Saez.

Casual is owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings (J.G. Sikura), Stretch Run Ventures (Ed McGee), and Windsor Boys Racing (Faheem Hasnain). The 4-year-old daughter of two-time Horse of the Year, Curlin, is out of the Mutakddim mare Lady Tak. She was bred in Kentucky by the first two owners. She may not yet be a stakes winner, but she has finished second or third in six of her last seven tries against stakes company.

Casual ran second in Oaklawn's $200,000 Spring Fever Stakes on Feb. 27 and third in the Carousel Stakes on April 10, followed by a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on May 15. She continued her run with a third in the $120,000 Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Asmussen decided to jump her up into the Grade 1 Ballerina Handicap there, where she ran seventh, beaten 11 lengths by champion Gamine on Aug. 28. Her next stop came here at Remington Park where she finished second to Cinnabunny in the $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes on Sept. 26.

Casual was shipped out to Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico for her final start before the She's All In. She was a distant second in the $75,000 Zia Distaff there, beaten 5 3/4 lengths on Nov. 23.

The filly carrying the local flag in the She's All In will appropriately be She's All Wolfe, a 4-year-old daughter of the mare whose name is on this stakes race. She's All Wolfe, by Magna Graduate, was bred in Oklahoma by owner Dr. Robert Zoellner. All this filly has done for Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Famer trainer Donnie Von Hemel is win five of her eight starts at Remington on the main track. She is the 6-1 fourth favorite in the morning line.

She's All Wolfe is the lone Oklahoma-bred in the She's All In and leads in career victories and earnings. The 4-year-old's record is 20 starts, seven wins, five seconds, and a pair of thirds for a bankroll of $390,761. Her wins at Remington Park include the $30,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes for fillies on Sept. 11, 2020, and the $145,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff last year and this year. Richard Eramia gets the return call on She's All Wolfe. Von Hemel has won the She's All In once since its inception in 2014. He sent out Ready to Confess for Pin Oak Stable in 2017.

She's All In reached millionaire status during her racing career, as well as being dominant in the Oklahoma Classics, winning the Distaff in four consecutive years from 2010-2013.

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Here's a look at the She's All In Stakes field from the rail out with post position, horse, jockey, trainer, and odds:

My Bets, Lane Luzzi, Philip Sims, 12-1
Lady Gwen, Carlos Montalvo, Brent Davidson, 20-1
Island Hideaway, Julien Leparoux, Karl Broberg, 12-1
She's All Wolfe, Richard Eramia, Donnie Von Hemel, 6-1
Paige Anne, Sophie Doyle, John Ennis, 5-1
Casual, Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 2-1
Marion Francis, Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 9-5
Content, Danny Sorenson, Tina Hurley, 15-1

The She's All In goes as the 10th race on a 13-race card with an approximate post time of 9:25 p.m.

There are four other stakes races on Dec. 17:

Race 8, $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 9, $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 11, $100,000 Trapeze Stakes, fillies, 2-year-olds, 1 mile

Race 12, $400,000 Springboard Mile, 2-year-olds, 1 mile

The total closing day card will begin at 5 pm. on Friday, Dec. 17. Prior to the final night, racing will take place Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 15-16 starting at 7:07 pm. All times are Central.

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Park On The Nile, Golden Sights Lead Field For Friday’s Trapeze At Remington

Trainer Ken McPeek has stamped his ticket in the Triple Crown races, winning the Preakness in 2020 with the filly, Swiss Skydiver, beating the boys.

McPeek, who regularly races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.; Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.; Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.; and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., now ships Park On the Nile, one of his promising fillies, into Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the $100,000 Trapeze Stakes, at one mile, on the season's closing night, Friday, Dec. 17. McPeek will be trying to win this race for the second year in a row and third time overall. He won last year with Oliviaofthedesert. He also won the Trapeze with Perfect Wife in 2016.

Park On the Nile, a 2-year-old daughter of Cairo Prince, out of the Majesticperfection mare Park in Back, has been made the lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Trapeze after breaking her maiden at Churchill Downs by 7 1/4 lengths on Nov. 27, in a race at 1 1/16 miles.

Park On the Nile had been working forwardly for her career debut, putting up a 1:00.80 breezing at Churchill before shocking her competition with a daylight victory at 21-1 odds. Jockey Corey Lanerie was up for that victory, but it is Julien Leparoux who has been named for the mount in the Trapeze. Leparoux is a multiple graded stakes-winning rider whose horses have earned just shy of $180 million in his career. He rode Tepin to victory in the 2015 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile on the turf. He also rode Classic Empire to the win in the 2016 G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In all, Leparoux has seven Breeders' Cup wins.

McPeek's claim to fame came in the early 2000s when he won the Belmont Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown in 2002 with Sarava, the longest shot ever to win the Test of a Champion. He went off at 70-1 odds with Medaglia d'Oro at 16-1 in second. That $2 exacta was worth $2,454.

Park On the Nile's sire, Cairo Prince, currently sits seventh among top sires for 2-year-olds. Cairo Prince was precocious early as a racehorse, winning his first two starts, and Park on the Nile will try to emulate that effort. Cairo Prince won the G2 Nashua Stakes in his second start. Park on the Nile will try to add the black type to her resume if she can repeat her father's effort.

Park On the Nile was purchased in the Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase Sale of 2020 for $110,000 by current owners Bret Jones and Cold Press Racing. She was bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones and had earned $69,460 in her only race.

The second choice in the Trapeze morning line odds is Golden Sights out of the barn of the country's leading trainer, Brad Cox. This 2-year-old daughter of Goldencents, out of the Eskendereya mare Celestial Sighting, took four tries to win for the first time, but when she did last time out it was by 5 1/2 lengths over a sloppy track at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. Chris Landeros rode her that day, but Florent Geroux will get a leg up from Cox for the Trapeze. Geroux is seventh in the country among jockeys with his horses pocketing $18,377,044 this year. Geroux has ridden Horse of the Year Gun Runner and multiple G1 winning mare Monomoy Girl.

Golden Sights' record is four starts, one win, two seconds, and $99,880 earned. She was bred in Kentucky by Taylor Made Stallions and is owned by September Farm, Union Park Thoroughbreds, Jonathan Wilmot, Rick Howard, and Black Fern. She was purchased for $100,000 by September Farm at the Ocala (Fla.) Spring Breeders Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Cox currently sits atop the nation's earnings standings with $30,929,031 in his bankroll this year. Trainer Steve Asmussen, who sits behind Cox nationally with $30,426,747 earned, has two fillies entered in the Trapeze. He has Optionality, a Gun Runner filly, out of the Pulpit mare Simplify as the third choice in the morning line at 5-1 odds. She has won her last two in a row, including her first stakes win in the $50,000 Zia Princess Stakes on Nov. 23 at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico. She drew off to win by 6 1/2 lengths with Irad Ortiz in the irons, the second-leading rider in the country. It will be his brother, Jose Ortiz, however, riding for Asmussen in the Trapeze. Optionality is owned and was bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds (Ron Winchell of Las Vegas).

Asmussen's other filly is Morning Twilight, who has won two and run second in the other. An Oklahoma-bred, she won the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie Stakes at Remington on Oct. 15, then ran second to another filly in this field, Hits Pricey Legacy, the winner of the $75,000 Slide Show Stakes on Nov. 12. The latter is 8-1 in the morning line and Morning Twilight is 10-1. That Asmussen filly, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds (Terrence Finley), Edwin Barker, and Titletown Racing (Paul Farr of Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) was a $310,000 buy for West Point at the same Ocala sale from which Golden Sights came.

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Here's a look at the Trapeze filed from the rail out with post position, horse, jockey, trainer, and odds:

Lilly's Bidness, Lane Luzzi, Ronnie Cravens III, 30-1
Brodie Baby, Leandro Goncalves, Ray Ashford, Jr., 15-1
Point Two, Ken Tohill, Don Von Hemel, 12-1
Rollin Chrome, Luis Quinonez, Alejandro Baldillez, Jr., 20-1
Ring Me Darling, Iram Diego, Genaro Garcia, 10-1
Park On the Nile, Julien Leparoux, Ken McPeek, 3-1
Hits Pricey Legacy, Jose Alvarez, C.R. Trout, 8-1
Holy Justice, Carlos Montalvo, Genaro Garcia, 12-1
Golden Sights, Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 7-2
Morning Twilight, Stewart Elliott, Steve Asmussen, 10-1
Diamonds N Aces, Weston Hamilton, Michael Whitelaw, 20-1
Optionality, Jose Ortiz, Steve Asmussen, 5-1

There are four other stakes races on Dec. 17, including the cornerstone 2-year-old race of the meeting, the $400,000 Springboard Mile which includes Kentucky Derby points toward the 2022 run for the roses:

Race 8, $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3 year olds, 1 mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 9, $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3 year old fillies, 1 mile (Oklahoma-breds)

Race 10, $100,000 She's All In Stakes, fillies and mares, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards

Race 12, $400,000 Springboard Mile, 2 year olds, 1 mile

The total closing day card will have 13 races, beginning at 5 pm and ending around 11 pm. All times are Central.

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Cox, Asmussen Account For 10 Of The 35 Nominees To Springboard Mile

The top two trainers in the country, Brad Cox and Steve Asmussen, have 10 of the 35 nominations to the $400,000 Springboard Mile for 2-year-olds on closing night, Dec. 17, at Remington Park.

The cornerstone open race for juvenile horses here has seen Cox nominate six and Asmussen four to this race run at the mile distance. Cox currently is the nation's top conditioner with $30,918,451 in horse earnings this year. Asmussen is a close second at $30,321,160.

Only one of Cox's six is a stakes winner and that horse, Kaely's Brother, was moved from second into the stakes win by disqualification at Delta Downs in Louisiana. Kaely's Brother, by Twirling Candy, out of the Yes It's True mare Policy of Truth, ran second in the $100,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes on Nov. 20. As the heavy favorite, Kaely's Brother checked behind the horse that crossed the finish line first, Waita Minute Hayes. The stewards ruled Waita Minute Hayes would be disqualified and Kaely's Brother be put up as the winner. Kaely's Brother had broken his maiden at Keeneland on Oct. 9 by three-quarters of a length, sprinting six furlongs. The colt's win in the Jean Lafitte was at the mile distance.

Kaely's Brother races for owner Dean Maltzman and has earned $110,737 in three races.

Cox's other nominees include Rocket Dawg, a Churchill Downs maiden winner in Louisville at first asking Nov. 19 in his only career race. He smoked a field by 5-1/2 lengths at seven furlongs. The colt is by Classic Empire, out of the Distorted Humor mare Rever de Vous. He races for owners Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing.

Cox also has nominated Home Brew, who would be one of the top earners in the field at $113,000 if he goes. He is a Kentucky-bred colt by Street Sense, out of the Tapit mare Omnitap. He is two-for-three to start his career with his biggest win coming in an allowance-optional $80,000 claiming race last time out at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. That win by 3-3/4 lengths came at the one-mile distance on Dec. 4.

Asmussen has nominated one Remington Park stakes winner, Concept, and three Churchill Downs maiden winners. All four are Kentucky-breds.

Concept, a Gun Runner colt out of the Cindago mare Majestic Jewel, won the $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes at Remington Park on Sept. 26, sprinting six furlongs on the main track. When he stretched out to seven furlongs in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes, he made the lead after a half mile but faded to fourth, beaten nine lengths. Concept is owned by Tony Holmes and Winchell Thoroughbreds.

The Asmussen maiden winners from Churchill are All in Sync, Chasing Time and Classic Moment. All in Sync, by Maclean's Music, out of the Girolamo mare System Time, won his second start by 1-1/2 lengths over a sloppy track at six furlongs on Nov. 25. He is owned by Ed and Susie Orr.

Chasing Time, a colt by Not This Time, out of the Dixie Union mare Race Hunter, took three tries to break his maiden, winning by 1-3/4 lengths at seven furlongs on Nov. 27. He is owned by My Racehorse.

Classic Moment won in his second start Nov. 5 at 6-1/2 furlongs by a half-length. This colt is by Classic Empire, out of the Yankee Victor mare Victory Party. He is owned by L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla., and Winchell Thoroughbreds.

The only horse among the nominees with multiple stakes wins, and the local flag bearer for Remington Park is Rowdy Rascal, trained by Boyd “Jobe” Caster and owned by JT Stables of Springdale, Ark. Rowdy Rascal has won three races in a row over the Remington Park main surface, taking the $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile on Oct. 15 at six furlongs and then stretching out to one mile to easily win the $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes on Nov. 12 by three lengths.

“I haven't decided whether we are going or not,” said Caster. “We'll play it by ear and see how he comes out of his workout.”

Rowdy Rascal, an Oklahoma-bred by Den's Legacy, out of the Affirmatif mare Dancing Diva, has a record of six starts, three wins, one second and a bankroll of $132,859. He would definitely be one of the most experienced horse in the field if he goes. He is expected to work five furlongs on Thursday morning at Remington Park.

The top earner in the field, should he be entered, would be Tejano Twist, a winner in the $200,000 Lively Shively Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27. He also was runner-up to Concept in the Kip Deville at Remington Park. He is a gelded son of Practical Joke, out of the Cuvee mare Haley's Lolipop, and is a Kentucky home-bred by owner Tom Durant. His record is eight starts, three wins, three seconds and $260,670 in earnings. He would be the most experienced runner in the field.

Barber Road, who ran second, beaten only a half-length in the Lively Shively by Tejano Twist, was nominated by trainer John Ortiz. This colt is a Kentucky-bred owned by WSS Racing. He is by Race Day, out of the Southern Image mare Encounter. His record is 4-2-1-0 with $100,720 in the bank.

Other trainers with multiple nominees were Ron Moquett with three, U.S. Racing Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and Bret Calhoun with two each.

Remington Park racing continues this week with Friday and Saturday night cards, Dec. 10-11 that begin at 7:07pm-Central.

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