breeders' cup dirt mile | Horse Racing Free Tips

Knicks Go to Stand at Taylor Made

Four-time Grade I winner and one of the favorites for 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go (Paynter–Kosmo's Buddy, by Outflanker) will retire to Taylor Made Stallions at the conclusion of his racing career, the farm announced Monday. Campaigned by Korea Racing Authority, Knicks Go is currently the top-ranked older horse on the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll as he prepares for his next start in the $6-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6. A stud fee will be announced after the Breeders' Cup.

“The KRA's goal was to buy and race in the U.S. with an eye toward developing stallions,” said Jun Park, racing manager for the KRA's United States stable. “As his name suggests, Knicks Go is a horse that was selected by a genome selection program called K-Nicks, which was designed to help select optimally excellent racehorses and stallions. To have done this for such a short time and to already have a multiple Grade I-winner like Knicks Go is very gratifying. We are excited to stand him at Taylor Made, and we look forward to his next career as a stallion.”

An earner of $5,553,135 thus far in his racing career, Knicks Go has registered triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures of 113, 111, 108 (twice), 107, and 104 and has recorded two track records at Keeneland, one of them in winning last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile where he stopped the clock in a sizzling 1:33.85. He also established a new course standard in his prep for the Dirt Mile, winning an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles by 10 1/4 lengths in a brisk 1:40.79.

Breaking his maiden on debut in July of his 2-year-old season, Knicks Go went on to capture that year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland with a 5 1/2-length romp. He was then second to eventual champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Dominating the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. to start his 5-year-old campaign, he also proved uncatchable in winning the historic GI Whitney S. at Saratoga in August by 4 1/2 lengths after crushing his rivals by 10 1/4 lengths in his prior start, taking the GIII Cornhusker H. at Prairie Meadows in July with a career-best 113 Beyer. He most recently cruised to a four-length score in the GII Lukas Classic S. Oct. 2 at Churchill Downs in his final prep for the Breeders' Cup.

“He really is what a horse is supposed to be,” Brad Cox said of Knicks Go. “They are supposed to get faster and stronger as they get older. He's a little bit of a throwback horse as far as accomplishing things early and then still being in training three years later.”

The post Knicks Go to Stand at Taylor Made appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Mind Control Confirmed For Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control, a determined winner (104 Beyer) of the $200,000 PARX Dirt Mile at Parx in Bensalem, Penn., on September 25, will make his next start in the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Rick Sacco, Racing & Operations Manager for Red Oak Farm, made the announcement after the 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty – Feel That Fire worked five furlongs on the training track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in 1:01.46 on Friday, October 15.

“Mind Control put in an excellent solo breeze and galloped out strongly,” noted Pletcher. “He finished out in 1:14.33, 1:27.09, and got the mile in 1:41.71. Mind Control will ship to California on October 31 to put in his final preparations for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.”

Sacco added that regular jockey and Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez has been engaged to ride the Red Oak Stable homebred Mind Control in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Velazquez was in the saddle for Mind Control's hard-fought PARX Dirt Mile victory over 2021 Grade 1 Met Mile winner Silver State.

Silver Slate collared Mind Control and briefly took the lead in the stretch, but Mind Control fought back on the inside to win by a head while covering the mile in 1:36.59.

“He didn't give up, I didn't give up! When I asked for more, he gave me more,” Velazquez said after winning the race.

Mind Control will enter the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a record of 9 wins from 23 lifetime starts and career earnings of $1,413,229. His two Grade 1 wins came at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the 2018 Hopeful and the 2019 H. Allen Jerkens, both run at seven furlongs.

Mind Control has made three starts at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile distance, winning twice and finishing second once. The PARX Dirt Mile was around two turns as is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

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Sacco informed that Mind Control's graded stakes-placed two-year-old half-sister Goddess Of Fire will make her third lifetime start in the $150,000 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., on Friday, November 5.

The Red Oak Stable (Stephen Brunetti) homebred by Mineshaft – Feel That Fire broke her maiden at first asking under John Velazquez in August at Saratoga. The bay filly followed up that winning effort with a third-place finish in the $300,000 Grade 3 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on September 18.'

Red Oak's mare Feel That Fire is currently in foal to Uncle Mo and has a Candy Ride yearling filly that is currently being broke at Red Oak Farm.

“Goddess Of Fire is an improving filly and she should handle the added-distance races down the road,” said Sacco. “If the filly runs well in the Tempted Stakes, we'll point her for the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (Grade 2) at Aqueduct on December 4.”

Goddess Of Fire breezed a half-mile on the Saratoga training track on Friday, October 15 in :49.08. “Todd has been pleased with the filly's progression and he's been given the green light to take his time and let her mature at her own pace,” added Sacco.

“These are exciting times for the Red Oak Farm team and we look forward to racing Goddess Of Fire in the Tempted at Aqueduct on November 5 and watching Mind Control on the racing industry's biggest stage in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 6 at Del Mar,” Sacco concluded.

The post Mind Control Confirmed For Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fairytale Finale? Hard-Knocking Restrainedvengence To Be Entered In Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Restrainedvengence, the sometimes-irascible cash cow for trainer Val Brinkerhoff and his owners, Bobby Grayson Jr. and Val's wife, Kelly, will face the most daunting test of his long career when he runs in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov.6.

“The Mile (on turf) is too tough with the likes of Mo Forza, and the Dirt Mile is coming up light, so that's where we're going,” said Brinkerhoff, who has had Restrainedvengence since Day One, running the 6-year-old gelded son of Hold Me Back on turf, dirt, synthetic, in sprints and routes from coast to coast.

In 34 career starts, Restrainedvengence has 10 wins, four seconds and three thirds with earnings of $917,682. He worked four furlongs Friday in 50 seconds flat.

“It was an easy breeze,” said Brinkerhoff, who celebrates his 65th birthday next Tuesday, Oct. 19. “He'll have one more here before we go to Del Mar.”

Edwin Maldonado, who piloted Restrainedvengence to a courageous nose victory as the 13-10 favorite in the $200,000 Downs at Albuquerque Handicap on Sept. 18, will be back aboard in the Dirt Mile. Restrainedvengence won the same race last year by a head under Ruben Fuentes.

Restrainedvengence may be a cut below racing's A-List Thoroughbreds, but on the track he's all race horse. Anyone who doubts that should watch a replay of his victory in New Mexico.

Winning the Breeders' Cup would be a fitting fairytale finale.

“The Breeders' Cup is a big step,” Brinkerhoff allowed, “but we might not get another chance.”

The post Fairytale Finale? Hard-Knocking Restrainedvengence To Be Entered In Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Miller Prepares C Z Rocket, Mo Forza For BC Starts At Del Mar

The best place to try and find Peter Miller at a race track is the Winner's Circle.

Always a threat to win a training title anywhere he competes on a full-time basis, Miller, who celebrated his 55th birthday on Oct. 2, already ranks among the leaders at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., with five victories after five days.

Miller's aspirations to become a jockey were dashed when Mother Nature failed to cooperate, so he worked as a groom when in high school before serving an apprenticeship with legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham and later Mike Mitchell and Don Warren.

Miller presently is focused on the upcoming Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 5 and 6 at Del Mar, hard by his home in Encinitas, less than six miles from the seaside track as the crow flies. Two of his primary candidates are Mo Forza for the Mile and C Z Rocket for the Sprint or the Dirt Mile.

“Mo Forza came out great from his win in the City of Hope Mile (Oct. 2 at Santa Anita) and we're looking forward to and excited about the Breeders' Cup,” Miller said.

Mo Forza, a full horse at age five and a son of Uncle Mo, gained millionaire status with his City of Hope victory and has eight victories from 14 career starts.

“He's tactical, but if they go real fast, he can sit back. He's quite a horse,” Miller said.

“We're considering the Sprint as well as the Dirt Mile for C Z Rocket,” Miller added of the durable seven-year-old gelded son of City Zip, who has won 12 of 29 starts and earned $1.5 million.

C Z Rocket's forte is stalking rather than being on the lead, a concern for Miller.

“The track profile at Del Mar is for speed,” Miller cautioned, “and it may play against him in the Sprint, so we're considering the Dirt Mile.”

As to Santa Anita, “so far, so good,” Miller said. “Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

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