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There Goes Harvard the Latest Grade I-Winning Homebred for Michael Cannon

Owner Michael Cannon woke up on Memorial Day with a gut feeling. Cannon Thoroughbreds was going to win a Grade I that day.

His inkling didn't come without good reason. The stable's leading earner Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) would be attempting to defend his title in the GI Shoemaker Mile and was slated as the 4-5 morning-line favorite.

Of course as anyone in this business can attest, favoritism doesn't secure a trip to the winner's circle no matter how small the odds. So while Smooth Like Strait had to settle for second in the Shoemaker, it was Cannon's other entry at Santa Anita–the one they considered scratching hours before the race–who made his Grade I premonition come to fruition.

The second-longest shot in a field of five in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup S., There Goes Harvard (Will Take Charge) pulled the upset to win by a length, making him Cannon Thoroughbreds' second Grade I-winning homebred and giving trainer Michael McCarthy his first Gold Cup score.

“I'm shocked that he won,” Cannon admitted as he relived the victory. “I was hoping for third. Until about nine o'clock that morning, we weren't sure if we were even going to run him. It was only a two-week break from his last race and we usually give them three to four weeks, but he looked like he was ready to go.”

Coming off a seven-month layoff this spring, There Goes Harvard ran second in his 4-year-old debut at Santa Anita. He dead-heated for a win in April and scored in a turf allowance on May 14 before stepping up to Grade I company on Memorial Day. Cannon credits jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. for his hand in the colt's accomplishment.

“Irad was a gamechanger,” he said. “He did a great job. There were some serious horses in there and it was not an easy win. I'm still in shock, to be honest.”

Now that There Goes Harvard is making top headlines, Cannon is constantly asked about the story behind the colt's name.

“Everybody asks me and I feel like a bad parent every time I answer,” he said with a laugh. “When my kids say something dumb, I always joke with them and say, 'there goes Harvard.'”

Based about two hours north of Las Vegas, Cannon has been involved in racing for decades. He started purchasing and syndicating racehorses after graduating college, but soon decided to get “a real job.” He made a career in entertainment lighting and is now the President and CEO of Cannon Nevada, a venture capital firm.

Michael Cannon | photo courtesy Michael Cannon

When Cannon decided to re-enter the Thoroughbred business, he committed to a new business plan. He would purchase broodmares and establish a breed-to-race operation. One of his very first broodmare purchases, Beautiful Lil (Aptitude), is now the granddam of his stable's top performer Smooth Like Strait.

Several years after launching his new operation and with the assistance of bloodstock agent Kathy Berkey, Cannon purchased There Goes Harvard's dam Soul Crusader (Fusaichi Pegasus) for $75,000 at the 2016 Keeneland January Sale. While There Goes Harvard was somewhat of a standout as a foal a few years later, Cannon said that Soul Crusader tended to throw small foals and did not live up to expectations as a producer. He sold the mare two years ago.

“There Goes Harvard was a little different than her other foals, but there was really nothing special about him in the first year,” Cannon admitted. “He was definitely bigger than the rest, but I didn't think he would ever be a Grade I winner, that's for sure.”

Even after There Goes Harvard was sent to trainer Michael McCarthy, it took some time for him to show his true potential.

“He was actually a bit of a handful,” Cannon explained. “Smooth Like Strait was always a real professional and did everything right, but when this colt first got to Michael, he was doing everything wrong. He was difficult to manage and Michael really had to work with him to get him turned around.”

It took six tries for There Goes Harvard to break his maiden, finally getting the win in his first attempt on turf. When he ran second two starts later in the 2021 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby, Cannon said they got a feel for the homebred's true potential. He dealt with a chip soon after and sat on the sidelines for the remainder of the 2021 season, but has improved steadily in his return this year.

“What's great about this horse is that he's probably better on the turf than the dirt,” Cannon said. “It's nice to have a horse that we know can do both.”

Asked where There Goes Harvard could end up next, Cannon replied slyly, “The one thing I know about Michael [McCarthy] is that you don't discuss that until a couple weeks down the road.”

Cannon acknowledged that he was disappointed with Smooth Like Strait's runner-up effort on Monday, given that the 5-year-old has now finished second or third in his last six starts, but he said that their end goal for this year is still a return to the Breeders' Cup, where Smooth Like Strait ran second in last year's GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile.

“He tries so hard every time and you feel bad that he hasn't gotten it done in the last few races,” Cannon said. “He's in great shape and he just got caught up in a fast pace [in the Shoemaker]. We will probably follow the same races with him as we did last year at Del Mar.”

Cannon won't get too down on one string of bad luck. After all, it was just a few years ago that his stable had no graded stakes winners, which wasn't for lack of trying.

“Before these last two years, I had very limited success,” he said. “I don't take anything for granted now because I know how quickly you can go backwards.”

Cannon plans to stick with his breeding-to-race operation. He said he tried giving the commercial market a chance, but quickly learned that it wasn't what he wanted to focus on. He forces himself to keep a broodmare roster of just six members and currently has a collection of 14 racehorses and future racehorses, including the 2-year-old full-brother to Smooth Like Strait in training with Michael McCarthy. At his cattle ranch at home in Nevada, one pasture is set aside for his stable's retired racehorses and is now up to eight residents.

As Cannon told TDN in a story on Smooth Like Strait last year, half of the earnings from his racing stable are set aside for The Special Operations Care Fund, a non-profit organization that provides support to soldiers who have served in special operations forces. While those earnings may have seemed insignificant to Cannon when he was first starting out, with two colts performing at the top of their divisions this year–and both coming in the money, appropriately, on Memorial Day–those funds are quickly adding up.

Asked about his secret to building a program that can produce two Grade I winners within a year, Cannon replied with a laugh and said, “I wish I knew the secret because it has taken me a long time to figure this out. Honestly, the secret is patience, staying in your lane in terms of developing a program and sticking with it, and hiring good people and listening to their advice. Then you just hope it all works out.”

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Rich Strike’s Sister ‘A Gift’ for New Breeder Scott Miller

Scott Miller has only been involved in breeding for a few years, but he's more than happy to stick around for a while longer now that he owns a half-sister to a Kentucky Derby winner.

Miller's mare Lode Lady (Posse) is the first foal out of the Smart Strike mare Gold Strike, the dam of newly-acclaimed Derby hero Rich Strike (Keen Ice). Foaled in 2008, Lode Lady made three trips to the winner's circle at Woodbine and earned over $150,000 during her racing career before ending up with Miller eight years later.

With only two starters but no winners on her produce record so far, Lode Lady foaled an Honest Mischief filly this year at Waldorf Farm in New York. While the mare was slated to visit a regional stallion this spring, she is now bound for Kentucky to be bred to Vino Rosso, Spendthrift Farm's champion son of Curlin.

“She had her Honest Mischief foal and the next thing you know, [Waldorf Farm manager Kenny Toye] calls me and says, 'Hey, this mare's half-brother named Rich Strike is running in the Derby,'” Miller said. “I told him that at 80-1 it wasn't going to do anything, but Kenny had looked at the pedigree. He said the horse could go the distance and that he thought Rich Strike could win. Sure enough, he did. This is a dream that you would never believe could happen.”

Hailing from Hammonton, New Jersey, Miller has been involved in the equestrian world for many years, but only recently got involved in the racing industry.

“I started getting into Thoroughbreds right before COVID started,” Miller explained. “I decided I was too old for hack riding. A friend of mine called me and said she had a few Thoroughbred yearlings available. I ended up taking them from her and racing them. I really enjoyed it even though I never made a dime with them.”

It wasn't long before Miller was looking to add a few broodmares to his stable. He got in touch with breeder Jon Marshall. The Texas-based horseman was selling two mares along with their foals for a combined $40,000.

Miller decided to take only the mares, Stormy Tak (Stormy Atlantic) and Lode Lady, and let Marshall sell the foals. Stormy Tak's foal, a son of Gun Runner, went on to bring $270,000 as a yearling. Lode Lady's yearling brought only $25,000.

Lode Lady and her Honest Mischief filly with Waldorf Farm's Jerry Bilinski and Kenny Toye | photo courtesy Waldorf Farm

Miller could never have predicted that today, Lode Lady might have the more valuable pedigree of the pair, but he is grateful to Marshall for helping him get his start as a breeder.

“The day Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby, Jon and his wife called to congratulate me,” Marshall said. “I told him that he should be sick because he gave me the mare, but he said he was happy for me. I am relatively new at this, so he has been kind of a mentor for me.”

While Miller has big plans for Lode Lady, he has no immediate intentions of putting her through a sales ring.

“It's hard to sell something when someone gives you a gift,” he explained. “I really have no money invested into this horse. Jon basically gave her to me and the only thing I have invested is the stud fees, so why would I get rid of her?”

As for the mare's Honest Mischief filly, who was foaled in February, Miller is still not sure where she could end up.

“I almost always sell the foals, but I just don't know with her,” he admitted. “I've thought about keeping her and running her myself, but we may test the waters and put her in a sale. This foal is special in my eye. She's beautiful with good size and bone.”

Dr. Jerry Bilinski, who oversees Miller's broodmare band at Waldorf Farm, can remember one similar experience with a sudden, favorable pedigree update when his stallion Cormorant was represented by 1994 GI Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin.

“I was busy on the farm when I got a call that night that Go for Gin had won the Derby,” he recalled. “I didn't even watch the race because I was working away.”

“It's always interesting because you have the horse that wins the Derby, but then you have all these peripheral horses that suddenly become more valuable,” Bilinski said. “In this case, this mare was supposed to be bred in New York but then 48 hours later, she's on her way to Kentucky. It just shows you that lightning in one bottle can strike and when it does, it oftentimes strikes in other bottles around the horse community.”

While Miller does not typically bet, his wife did place a win bet on Rich Strike.

“Right after the race she said she wanted to go buy a handbag,” Miller recounted with a laugh.

“I'm lucky that I got these mares and got connected with the right people,” he said. “There are a lot of good people in this industry that you don't ever hear about. For Jon to give me these mares and then for this to happen, I still can't believe it.”

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Mating Plans: Hertrich Seeking the Long Game in a Risky Game

Fred Hertrich III, along with partners John Fielding and Rob Tribbett, celebrated an exceptional year after their breeding program produced six Grade I winners in 2021: Americanrevolution (Constitution), Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy), Hit The Road (More Than Ready), Juju's Map (Liam's Map), Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) and Pinehurst (Twirling Candy).

Such an achievement has led to many asking Hertrich the warranted question, 'What's your secret?'

He doesn't have one good answer other than this: “There's no magic to it, but there is a secret sauce and that sauce is luck,” he said. “Think of all the people involved in getting a horse to the winner's circle for a Grade I. One day we counted it up and guessed that 60 different individuals were involved in the process from when the mare was bred and when she foaled through when the foal went through the sale, and then the foal can take varied paths based on where it's broken, who trains it and of course the jockey. All you have to have is one glitch in that entire process and that horse may never even get to the track.”

Hertrich said he enjoys the in-depth strategic project that comes with drawing up mating plans for his commercial breeding operation each year. With over 100 mares visiting the breeding shed this year, the process is far from a one-day task.

Before breeding season begins each year, Hertrich will sit down with a panel that includes partner John Fielding, partner/advisor Rob Tribbett and Shane Doyle, the farm manager for Hertrich's Watercress Farm who Hertrich refers to as the conformation expert of the group.

As the panel makes plans for their young mares, Hertrich said their number one goal is to get winners on the mare's progeny record early in her career.

“They have to produce a horse that can run so that everyone can look and say that mare is a great producer,” he explained. “If a mare can't produce runners, it really doesn't matter how well her foals sell.”

According to Hertrich, this approach doesn't necessarily mean that an unproven mare will always visit a proven stallion.

“We do some analytics with it and while you're trying to get a runner, it may be that a first-crop sire conformationally and genetically fits that mare better than anything else. For the six Grade I winners we had, they are by five different stallions. It's not an exact science and that's why the guy with the most money doesn't always win.”

When evaluating mares that have already produced runners, he said it comes down to the balancing act of producing a horse that will have commercial appeal but can also conceivably have success on the track.

“It becomes an economic decision as to how do we maximize value of the foals from that particular mare with a mating that will give us the individual that will produce the best results,” he said. “We always lean toward [a focus on] race performance.”

Hertrich's strategy is perhaps atypical for many commercial breeders pointing their foals for the sales.

“There are some guys who just breed commercially and they're always trying to get Miss America into the yearling ring,” he explained. “That's great, except can Miss America go out and run? If she doesn't, you're only going to trick the market for so long.”

Fred Hertrich | Keeneland

Hertrich acknowledged that his program does have the luxury of not always needing to have progeny by the flavor-of-the-month sire to have success at the sales because many people seek out horses coming from his operation.

“The great thing is that over time, because of the results owners and trainers have had with us, we have built-in clients who come to the farm and want to buy from us because they know how we raise a horse and care for a horse, so they want to be involved in that process.”

While Hertrich always has his eye on the long game in this business, he acknowledges the high risk involved in the game he plays, citing how just last week they had a dystocia with one mare and ended up losing the foal but then had two healthy fillies on the ground three hours later.

“When someone says they want to go into the breeding business, I always tell them to make sure they really look at it before they get into it,” he said. “The breeding business is not for the faint of heart. How many great horses either are never foaled or get injured? It's a high-risk game.”

Hertich passed the baton to advisor and partner Rob Tribbett to discuss mating plans for a few of their top mares.

ALWAYS AUDITIONING (m, 16, Mizzen Mast – Nawal (FR), by Homme de Loi (Ire)) to be bred to Catholic Boy

Always Auditioning is the dam of GIISW Ready to Act (More Than Ready). This year we are booking her to Catholic Boy. He's a horse that we are obviously a bit biased on because we bred him, but we're big believers in him with not only the speed that he showed but also his determination and versatility. There aren't many stallion that have done what he's done on the track. This mating will produce a three-quarters sibling to Ready to Act, who of course is by More Than Ready.

BRAZEN PERSUASION (m, 11, Indian Charlie – Beholden, by Cat Thief) to be bred to McKinzie

This mare was a recent purchase of ours at the November Sale last year. She was a really good 2-year-old. She won the 2013 GIII Schuylerville S.

We are going to breed her to McKinzie, who is a horse that we really like because he was brilliant at two as a Grade I winner, but he was also durable enough to be a Grade I winner at three and four. We also love that McKinzie's dam, Runway Model (Petionville), won the GII Alcibiades S. We love to breed to those stallions that have a pedigree full of brilliance. I like this mating a lot because you're taking the brilliance of the mare, who was such a good 2-year-old, and putting it with a lot of speed from both McKinzie and his dam.

CATCH MY EYE (m, 13, Unbridled's Song – Sharp Eyes, by Storm Cat) to be bred to Curlin

This is the dam of GISW Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate). She's by Unbridled's Song, who we know is one of the best broodmare sires out there.

This year we are sending her to Curlin. Maxim Rate is a turf filly, but with matching this mare's pedigree to Curlin, we think it's a chance to produce that successful Classic-type runner. We think it's certainly within this mare's range of ability and Curlin is obviously one of the best stallions out there when it comes to getting that type of horse.

HOT CHA (m, 7, Bernardini – Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro) to be bred to Not This Time

Hot Cha is a young Bernardini mare that is from the family of champion Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat). Again, I love mares that have speed in their family and there aren't too many fillies faster than Xtra Heat. This mare is a half to Hot and Sultry (Speightster), who just won really impressively at Oaklawn.

We are going to breed her to Not This Time. We think that the start he's gotten at stud with a lower stud fee was really impressive and is the mark of a stallion who could end up being a top-tier stallion after succeeding with those mares bred on a lower stud fee. As he gets these better books, I think the sky is really the limit for him.

LUNAR EMPRESS (m, 9, Malibu Moon – Holy Princess, by Holy Bull) to be bred to Liam's Map

This mare is from a really good family of stakes producers and she was very talented on the racetrack herself. She was a maiden special weight winner at Santa Anita and was fourth in the GI La Brea S. She's by Malibu Moon, who is another good broodmare sire.

We are going to breed her to Liam's Map, the sire of GISW Juju's Map that we bred in 2019. We're trying to raise runners; that's our main goal and then the commercial thing comes after that. Liam's Map certainly gives you a chance to have a great runner and they're going to be commercially-appealing horses as well.

MISS ARRANGEMENT (m, 11, Mr. Greeley – Shy Greeting (Arg), by Shy Tom) to be bred to Honor A.P.

Miss Arrangement was a maiden special weight winner on debut at Keeneland and she already had a yearling sell at Saratoga for $400,000.

We are going to breed her to Honor A.P. He's a horse that we have a lot of confidence in. He was such a talented horse and the win he had over Authentic in the GI Santa Anita Derby was really an impressive race. Like McKinzie, he's out of a top-class race mare which I think is such an added benefit when you're looking at a stallion prospect.

Nagambie's 2021 Audible filly that topped Book 5 of the Keeneland November Sale | photo courtesy Rob Tribbett

MO MUSIC (m, 4, Uncle Mo – Harmony Lodge, by Hennessy) to be bred to Authentic

Mo Music is carrying her first foal by Street Sense now. She is out of Harmony Lodge, who was another filly with a lot of speed. It's a really great female family.

We will be sending her to Authentic. With the natural speed that Authentic had and the stamina he had to carry that speed, we think it is a great match with this mare because there's already so much speed and class coming from her family.

NAGAMBIE (m, 9, Flatter – Charming N Lovable, by Horse Chestnut (SAF)) to be bred to Gun Runner

This is the dam of GISW Juju's Map (Liam's Map). She is currently in foal to Not This Time, who is the brother of Juju's Map's sire. This year she will be going to Gun Runner. Other than maybe Uncle Mo, it's hard to recollect another horse that had such a good first crop. Gun Runner was such a good racehorse and there's really no holes to him as a sire.

POLLY FREEZE (m, 9, Super Saver – Elusive Gold, by Strike the Gold) to be bred to Constitution

This is the dam of Americanrevolution (Constitution), who won the 2021 GI Cigar Mile H., as well as Bold Journey (Hard Spun), who just ran second in the Gander S. on Saturday. Polly Freeze has a really good Collected 2-year-old filly that brought $210,000 as a yearling and she is currently in foal to Frosted. She's a mare that makes a really good foal and she's from a family of really good producers.

We're going to send her back to Constitution. Some people say that he's the next great stallion, but I would say he's already a great stallion with what he's done on these lower-priced books. That's the mark of what his sire did and what Into Mischief has done that makes them a breed-changing stallion when they can succeed with a variety of mares.

Bold Journey (Hard Spun), the half-brother to GISW Americanrevolution, recently ran second in a stakes at Aqueduct for Bill Mott | photo courtesy Rob Tribbett

SUMMER ON THE LAWN (m, 12, First Defence – Summer Exhibition, by Royal Academy) to be bred to Charlatan

This is the dam of GISW Beyond Brilliant (Twirling Candy). She is booked to Charlatan. We were fortunate to be a part of his racing career as owners. He had so much speed and an ability to carry that speed a distance. Beyond Brilliant also has speed that can carry on both surfaces and I certainly think Charlatan could produce dual-surface runners given his pedigree.

SWEET CAUSE (m, 7, Giant's Causeway – Sweetness 'n Light, by Distorted Humor)

We are big believers in Giant's Causeway mares and Sweet Cause is from the family of MGISW Ms. Eloise (Nasty and Bold). We love mares with that type of race filly in her pedigree.

She will be booked to Catalina Cruiser. He is a horse that we really like and his first crop looked the part, which really didn't surprise us much because he is a beautiful horse. He's a big horse but he had a lot of speed for a big horse. We are going to be supporting him heavily this year.

YEAR OF PROMISE (m, 9, Gio Ponti – Shandra Smiles, by Cahill Road) to be bred to Twirling Candy

This mare is a half-sister to two Grade I winners–She's a Tiger (Tale of the Cat) and Smiling Tiger (Hold That Tiger). This year she will be going to Twirling Candy. Of our Grade I winners in 2021, two of them were by Twirling Candy. When we bred those mares he stood for $20,000 and really the best is yet to come for him.

This mare has already had a More Than Ready and a Constitution and now she will have a Twirling Candy. When we breed these young mares, we love to give them shots with these types of stallions. If she's going to be a producer, these stallions will get her there. Twirling Candy is rightfully now at that stud fee range where he's proven that he belongs. The two Grade I winners that we produced were a dirt 2-year-old and a turf horse, so that's a pretty impressive display of versatility.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

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Bittersweet Endings and New Beginnings at GreenMount

All good things must come to an end, they say, so on Friday Sabrina Moore, who co-bred the horse recently named the 2021 Longines World's Best Racehorse, boarded one last flight to watch Knicks Go (Paynter) make his final career start in the GI Pegasus World Cup before he begins stud duty at Taylor Made Farm.

Foaled at the Moores' GreenMount Farm in Reisterstown, Maryland, Knicks Go has taken his doting breeder to winner's circles most only dream of reaching. The story of a young horsewoman breeding a champion racehorse captivated many, with racing publications and local news outlets clamoring for interviews and visits to the farm throughout Knicks Go's ascension to stardom.

“It's funny, I keep telling people that I'm not sure how many times I can tell the same story over and over,” Moore said with a laugh. “I've used the word surreal a lot. Even now, it still feels surreal. He has opened a lot of doors for me as far as networking and meeting people. He's super special and always will be.”

Moore said that usually, she doesn't get too nervous before his races until a few hours before post time. But this week in the days leading up to Knicks Go's final start, the butterflies arrived early–perhaps because yes, she hopes Knicks Go can go out on a high note, but also because maybe she knows that as he crosses the wire, a life-changing chapter closes for them both.

“I've been trying not to think about it because I'm not sure how I feel about it yet,” she admitted. “It will be different and very weird. I guess I'll find out how I feel about it on Saturday. You wait your whole life to get a horse like this and I highly doubt I'll get another one. So I guess you just regroup and do the best you can to duplicate the process.”

First-time breeder Rodney Williams and his Mo Town filly | photo courtesy Sabrina Moore

Life may be quieter at GreenMount Farm once Knicks Go is out of the spotlight, but it certainly won't be any less busy. Moore estimates that this year she will be foaling out over 20 mares between clients' mares and their own broodmare band and already, foaling season is underway at GreenMount.

The first foal arrived on Jan 22. and Moore said the newborn's story reminds her of her own early days as a breeder.

The robust youngster, a filly by Mo Town, is the first foal for industry newcomer and first-time breeder Rodney Williams.

Over the past five years, Williams has owned several Midlantic-based claiming-level horses and despite many cautioning him against it, the Baltimore native decided to try out the breeding game.

A medical device manager, Williams discovered his passion for racing when he spent his childhood summers alongside his grandfather, a high school principal and lifelong racing fan, bouncing between Bowie, Pimlico and Timonium racetracks.

In 2018, following the passing of his grandfather, Williams was able to achieve both their dreams by purchasing Lovely Girl (Bodemeister), a maiden claimer running at Mahoning Valley. When Lovely Girl ran a close second at Timonium a few months later, he lost his voice for two days. Then when she won her first race, he knew there was no turning back.

After Lovely Girl's win, a breeder approached Williams about purchasing her. He reluctantly agreed, but couldn't stop thinking about the 'what if's' of if he had kept her as a broodmare himself.

Meanwhile, he had his eye on another race filly named Ask Siri (Union Rags). He had lost the shake to claim her three times, so when it came time for her to retire, he was able to purchase her privately. Williams connected with Moore through a mutual friend and after Ask Siri was bred to Mo Town, the maiden mare returned to Maryland and arrived at GreenMount Farm.

As the foaling date approached, Williams did his research and compiled a list of everything he could do in order to prepare for the new foal. He even volunteered for foal watch at GreenMount, but Moore assured him that she had everything under control.

“I told him not to worry and reminded him that this is what he was paying me for,” Moore said with a laugh.

On Saturday morning, Williams woke up to a text at 6 a.m. His foal had arrived. He pulled through the gates at GreenMount roughly 15 minutes later.

“I just couldn't believe it,” he recounted. “She was already standing up and nursing. 'Siri' was totally calm and she was looking at me like, 'What's your problem? I've got this.'”

Ask Siri (Union Rags) and her Mo Town filly | photo courtesy Sabrina Moore

Asked to compare the experiences of a racehorse owner and a breeder, Williams was quick to answer, “It's completely different, but just as exciting. As a racehorse owner, it's just two minutes. There's anxiety when they're getting in the gate, but after those two minutes, all that really matters is that they come back healthy. With breeding, you have a whole year of stress. It's a process that requires a lot of patience, but once they're born, all your research and your conversation with people comes to fruition and it's a pretty darn good feeling”

As long as the name is approved, the daughter of Ask Siri will fittingly be called Ask Alexa.

Williams said he isn't sure yet where she could end up, but as he weighed the options of selling her verses keeping her for his own small racing stable, his voice rose at the mention of watching Ask Alexa run with his own silks.

“Once you dip your toes in the water, there's no turning back,” he said. “You go through the ups and downs of everything, but the true, raw story is really the care that goes into these athletes. It's an amazing thing and it's very contagious.”

Moore is looking forward to the weekend in the spotlight at Gulfstream with Knicks Go. But for her it might be just as rewarding, be it more humble, to watch a young filly step onto wobbly legs in her first hours of life as her novice owner looks on.

“One thing I've realized is that our first job is to take good care of our horses, but the second is to provide an experience for the owners by being as transparent and hands-on as possible,” she explained. “Rodney's excitement is so cool to watch. He really appreciates all the hard work that everyone puts into it and he's a natural. It's like looking back in time to when our first couple of babies arrived and how exciting that was.”

Moore had a long checklist to get through before she could leave for Florida. She has a mare due to foal any day that needed to find a sitter and in between turnout, cleaning stalls and monitoring foals, she had to find time to pack. But she's thrilled that for this last go-round, her sister is coming along with her for the first time.

“No one else in my family is really 'horse-y,'” she said. “They can't really grasp how much of a big deal this is. I gave my dad a Knicks Go hat the other day and I was like, 'Hey, these are going for $250 on Ebay so please don't put this in the Goodwill pile.'”

While not everyone will understand quite how monumental Saturday's race may be, Moore is thankful for the support and encouragement she's received by many throughout Knicks Go's career and is equally grateful for the horse that made it all possible.

“To have a horse win one Grade I is just insane and something I never thought would happen to me,” she said. “This horse has had to work so hard to prove himself but this weekend, whatever happens will happen. He doesn't have to prove himself anymore, but for him to close the book by going out a winner would be something really special for us all.”

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