Knicks Go | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘From Little Fluffy Baby To Super Racehorse’: Breeder Moore Recounts Journey With Knicks Go

It was a cold and eventful January evening when Pegasus World Cup Invitational Champion (G1) Knicks Go, rated first in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, came into this world.

Co-breeder Sabrina Moore now recounts that evening as the Maryland-bred prepares for his final start before the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in Saturday's Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Spending time with Maryland Jockey Club co-host Naomi Tukker at her Maryland farm, Moore also talks about her relationship with Knicks Go's dam, Kosmo's Buddy, and the challenging realities of running a commercial enterprise.

Moore was present at Keeneland when the enigmatic grey recorded his first Grade 1 success in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). She elaborates on the pride, the emotion, the ride he has taken the Moore family on.

After Knicks Go's Whitney Stakes (G1) victory in August, Sabrina was reunited with her old charge for the first time since he left their care. “Going from little fluffy baby to super racehorse” was her way of summing up the horse she knew.

The story of Knicks Go continues, with two of his siblings living under the watchful eyes of the Moore's at Greenmount farm in Maryland.

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Knicks Go Lays Over Field in Lukas Classic

The inaugural running of the GIII Lukas Classic in 2013, contested as the Homecoming Classic, was won handily by the previous year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Fort Larned (E Dubai), who would go on to finish a hard-trying fourth in defense of his Classic title five weeks later. This year's renewal goes through Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter), who is expected to cement his status as the favorite for the championship day feature Saturday afternoon.

An imperious winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile over a Keeneland main track that played to his strengths, the Maryland-bred wired the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. in January to earn a trip to the $20-million Saudi Cup. A tiring fourth over the one-turn, nine-furlong configuration at King Abdulaziz in February, he failed to fire in the GI Met Mile H., also around a single bend June 5, and got the confidence boost he needed with a 10 1/4-length romp in the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. going a two-turn mile and an eighth July 10, good for a career-best 113 Beyer. When Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) elected not to match motors with him in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 7, Knicks Go was loose on the lead and set an aggressive pace, but had plenty to offer late in besting Maxfield (Street Sense) by 4 1/2 solid lengths.

Beaten at odds-on in the GI Woodward S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup last season, Tacitus (Tapit) was a non-threatening fourth in last year's Classic and makes his first start since a seventh in the Saudi Cup. He looks to be training forwardly at Saratoga for this return to action.

Independence Hall (Constitution) popped a career-best 104 Beyer when finishing three lengths adrift of Knicks Go in the Pegasus and was most likely in need of the run when fifth to GI Awesome Again S. hopeful Tripoli (Kitten's Joy) in the GI TVG.com Pacific Classic over the Classic course and distance first off a four-month layoff Aug. 21.

The post Knicks Go Lays Over Field in Lukas Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Knicks Go Has Home-Field Advantage In Saturday’s Lukas Classic

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, the top-ranked horse in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll after convincing wins in this year's Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park and Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, was made the overwhelming 2-5 morning line favorite in Saturday's $400,000 Lukas Classic (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs – his final test before tackling the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) on Nov. 6 at Del Mar.

“He's a horse that puts a lot into his training and he's done that leading into Saturday's race,” trainer Brad Cox said. “He's accomplished a lot this year and we believe the Lukas Classic is a good race to compete in prior to the Breeders' Cup. This race doesn't require him to ship and he can run out of his own stall.”

Knicks Go (22-8-3-1—$5,368,995) had a strong 1 ½-mile gallop early Thursday morning prior to schooling in the paddock at 10 a.m. The Maryland-bred competed four times at Churchill Downs while under the care of trainer Ben Colebrook but has not recorded victory beneath the Twin Spires.

Knicks Go is scheduled to face five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile Lukas Classic including Juddmonte's multiple graded stakes winning homebred Tacitus. The gray son of Tapit arrived to trainer Bill Mott's Churchill Downs base earlier in the week from Saratoga. Saturday's race will be the first time Tacitus has competed since finishing seventh in the $20 million Saudi Cup (GI) in February.

The Lukas Classic is carded as the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Lukas Classic will go at 4:22 p.m. Named after Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the race shares the Saturday spotlight with the $300,000 Ack Ack (GIII), which goes as Race 10 at 5:26 p.m.

The complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): New Orleans Classic (G2) winner Chess Chief (James Graham, Dallas Stewart, 20-1); Knicks Go (Joel Rosario, Cox, 2-5); $3.7 million earner Tacitus (Jose Lezcano, Mott, 5-2); multiple stakes winner Shared Sense (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cox, 15-1); Pegasus World Cup third Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy, 10-1); and West Virginia Governor's (G3) winner Sprawl (Joe Talamo, Tommy Drury Jr., 12-1).

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks.

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Top-Rated Knicks Go Leads Field Of Six In Saturday’s Lukas Classic

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, the top-rated horse for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (Grade 1), headlines a compact field of six accomplished older horses that entered Saturday's $400,000 Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs – the marquee race on closing weekend of the September Meet.

The Lukas Classic, which could serve as a final prep prior to the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, was carded as the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Lukas Classic will go at 4:22 p.m. Named after Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the 1 1/8-mile race shares the Saturday spotlight with the $300,000 Ack Ack (G3), which goes as Race 10 at 5:26 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Knicks Go won last year's $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) to close his 4-year-old campaign. The now 5-year-old son of Paynter started the year with a 2 ¾-length victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park and will enter the Lukas Classic following his dominating 4 ½-length score in the $1 million Whitney (G1) at Saratoga.

Knicks Go has competed four times at Churchill Downs but has yet to record a win beneath the historic Twin Spires. The speedy Maryland-bred's career record is comprised of 22 starts with eight wins, three seconds and one third with purse earnings of $5,368,995. Jockey Joel Rosario, who has ridden Knicks Go in his last eight starts, will have the call Saturday from post No. 2.

Chief among Knicks Go's competition in the Lukas Classic is multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus. The Juddmonte homebred is scheduled to make his first start since his seventh-place effort in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on Feb. 20. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 5-year-old son of Tapit has recorded graded stakes triumphs in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), Wood Memorial (G2) and Suburban (G2). New York-based jockey Jose Lezcano will travel to Churchill Downs Saturday for the mount from post 3.

Also entered is Claiborne Farm and Adele B. Dilschneider's $200,000 West Virginia Governor's Cup (G3) winner Sprawl. Trained by Tommy Drury Jr., Sprawl gamely prevailed by 1 ¾ lengths in the Aug. 7 West Virginia Governor's Cup under jockey Joe Talamo. The chestnut colt by City Zip will have Talamo in the irons for Saturday's affair from post 6.

The complete field for the Lukas Classic from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

New Orleans Classic (GII) winner Chess Chief (James Graham, Dallas Stewart)
Knicks Go (Rosario, Cox)
Tacitus (Lezcano, Mott)
multiple stakes winner Shared Sense (Brian Hernandez Jr., Cox)
Pegasus World Cup third Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, Michael McCarthy)
Sprawl (Talamo, Drury)

Fans who are unable to make it to Churchill Downs for the races can download and watch all the action on the Churchill Downs LIVE app. The Churchill Downs LIVE app is available free of charge on Amazon, Apple TV and Roku and features full access to the HD live stream of the Churchill Downs simulcast signal and three additional angles including the Saddling Paddock.

Action from Saturday's card at Churchill Downs is also scheduled to air from 12:30-6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 2 as part of “America's Day at the Races.”

Wagering is available on www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks.

The final Twilight Thursday presented by Blue Moon of the calendar year will kick off closing week of the September Meet. Thursday's eight-race card has a first post of 5 p.m. and features $1 Blue Moon and select domestic beer, local food trucks and live music from Roadie. Racing on Friday-Sunday will have a first post of 12:45 p.m. Tickets and more information for racing this week can be found at www.ChurchillDowns.com/tickets.

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