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Malibu Moon Filly Flashes Serious Speed at Gulfstream; Named TDN Rising Star

Gary and Mary West homebred Slumber Party (Malibu Moon) showed off a high cruising speed Sunday to easily best a well-bred group of fillies at Gulfstream and earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. With an upbeat worktab at Palm Meadows on display, the 5-1 shot broke on top and quickly opened up on her competition down the backside. She posted splits of :22.50 and :45.33, and rounded the bend five or six lengths clear. Showing no signs of stopping from there, the chestnut cantered home a geared-down 7 1/2-length winner, stopping the clock in 1:23.05 for seven panels. Fellow firster Pass the Champagne (Flatter), well backed herself at 3-1 off a 12-1 morning line for the typically patient Rusty Arnold barn, got up for second. The winner's dam Devilish Lady (Sweetsouthernsaint) flashed South Florida speed herself, annexing the 2011 GIII Azalea S. at Calder. She has a 2-year-old colt by Pioneerof the Nile and a yearling filly by Uncle Mo. Devilish Lady was bred to former West colorbearer West Coast for 2021.

5th-Gulfstream, $43,000, Msw, 1-24, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:23.05, ft, 7 1/2 lengths.
SLUMBER PARTY, f, 3, Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Devilish Lady (GSW, $400,318), by Sweetsouthernsaint
2nd Dam: Devilish Brunette, by Diablo
3rd Dam: Appealing Brunette, by Valid Appeal
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $25,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. Free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Gary & Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.

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Keeneland, Red Mile Announce Temporary Closure of Historical Horse Racing Operations

Keeneland Association and the Red Mile issued a joint press release Jan. 24 announcing the closure of historical horse race (HHR) gaming that the two tracks operate in partnership at the Red Mile harness track. The Sunday morning decision came three days after the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled that it will not rehear an appealed Sept. 24 decision that told a lower court to re-examine the legality of the most crucial form of funding for purses in the commonwealth.

“We were disappointed the Kentucky Supreme Court denied our petition for rehearing,” the press release stated. “At this time, Keeneland and Red Mile have made the very difficult decision to temporarily close historical horse racing operations until there is more clarity surrounding the situation. We have confidence the Kentucky legislature will continue its efforts to protect jobs and state revenue generated by historical horse racing, as well as protect Kentucky's signature horse racing industry.”

An additional sentence was tacked on to that release on the home page of the Red Mile's website: “Red Mile will close at end of business on Sunday, January 24th. A reopening date has not been identified at this time.”

HHR handled $2.2 billion during the commonwealth's most recent fiscal year, and revenue from that form of gaming annually contributes tens of millions of dollars to the Kentucky purses. This form of gaming has been operational—but challenged by opponents in the courts as illegal—for the better part of a decade on the grounds that HHR does not meet the definition of pari-mutuel wagering.

In its September judgment, the Supreme Court ruled 7-0 that HHR machines made by Exacta Systems do not “create a wagering pool among patrons such that they are wagering among themselves as required for pari-mutuel wagering.”

Although the Supreme Court case only involves HHR machines made by Exacta Systems, whose machines are in use at the Red Mile, Kentucky Downs and Ellis Park, the gaming systems operate in broadly the same manner throughout Kentucky, meaning that a precedent established for one version is likely to affect all forms of HHR gaming.

Churchill Downs, Inc., which owns the tracks and gaming licenses associated with Kentucky's Churchill Downs and Turfway Park, has already halted reconstruction on its demolished Turfway grandstand, vowing late in 2020 not to continue until HHR's legality gets sorted out.

Although Thursday's Supreme Court decision was not entirely unexpected, it eliminated a judicial avenue for keeping HHR functional in Kentucky, making it clearer that getting HHR passed via new legislation remains the Thoroughbred industry's best path forward, according to some stakeholders.

But the Kentucky legislature only meets for 30 days in odd-numbered years, meaning that there is increased time pressure to take up the issue before the 2021 session ends Mar. 30.

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Knicks Go Runs ‘Em Ragged In Pegasus World Cup

With many of his would-be divisional challengers already off to the breeding shed, Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) asserted himself as a major 2021 force while scoring his fourth straight victory in Saturday's $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream. Last seen besting Jesus' Team (Tapiture) by 3 1/2 lengths in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland Nov. 7, the 6-5 chalk zipped right to the lead as expected and clicked off opening splits of :22.90 and :46.16. Still in cruise control as he got six furlongs in 1:09.91, the grey continued into the lane straight and strong, cantering home 2 3/4 lengths to the good in 1:47.89 in what was his first start beyond 8 1/2 panels. Jesus's Team nailed longshot Independence Hall (Constitution) for second.

“He is one of the top handicap horses in the country now. He's a top horse. This is what you get up for every day, seven days a week, long days for moments like this,” said trainer Brad Cox, who has saddled Knicks Go to four wins from as many tries since taking over his training. “I'm very proud of the horse and my team and thank the Korea Racing Authority for the opportunity with this horse.”

Of the trip, Cox said, “I felt comfortable. Joel [Rosario] had a hold on him. He had a little pressure on the outside, but he was fresh from the Breeders' Cup, so I was confident he would stay on.”

He added, “It's a very prestigious race. I know it hasn't been around that long, but when you look at past winners, it's a very prestigious list of horses that have won it–world champions, actually, with Gun Runner and Arrogate. They weren't just national horses. They competed and won on the world stage, so it's a big race.”

Rosario also rode GIII Fred W. Hooper S. winner Performer (Speightstown) to victory earlier on the card, and has now piloted Knicks Go to three straight.

“He's a very special horse,” Rosario said. “He just goes faster and faster…He was really enjoying what he was doing out there, so I was never worried about somebody getting close to me.”

A debut winner in July of his juvenile season for previous conditioner Ben Colebrook, Knicks Go stretched out effectively later that term to run away with Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at odds of 70-1. He was second at 40-1 in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but a lackluster sophomore campaign saw him go winless from eight tries, the best of which was a second in the Ellis Park Derby. He was 10th when trying grass in the GIII Commonwealth Turf Cup S. in November of 2019 and was a member of the Cox barn for his next outing, a 7 1/2-length Oaklawn optional claimer drubbing last February. Knicks Go was sidelined with a knee chip following that effort and underwent surgery. He returned to Lexington to dominate there by double digits Oct. 4, and ran to 8-5 favoritism when scoring one of four Breeders' Cup victories for Cox on the first weekend in November.

Pedigree Notes:

Knicks Go stands alone as the only Grade I winner to date for WinStar sire Paynter, but as a GISW at two, a Breeders' Cup winner at four, a Pegasus winner at five, and owner of a few track records thrown in for good measure, he is the star every stallion manager wants to represent a sire. Paynter, even better known for his defeat of laminitis than his Grade I-winning career, has four graded winners among his 16 black-type winners.

The breeding of Knicks Go has been well-documented, with his dam's last two matings being significantly upgraded: Kosmo's Buddy has a yearling filly by Justify and was bred to Ghostzapper for 2021. Ghostzapper, like Paynter, is a son of Awesome Again. Knicks Go, the fifth Maryland-bred generation of his family, is one of 10 stakes winners out of daughters of the Danzig sire Outflanker.

“I am very proud of Jesus, he's a great horse. Today, he didn't have the luck to win, because Knicks Go ran again along in front. I am very soon that Jesus will be on the top in big races. I feel proud of him.” –Trainer Jose D'Angelo of Pegasus runner-up Jesus' Team

“It was a huge race. I thought he got a fantastic trip. It looked like he was loaded all the way up the backside. Around the turn, obviously coming off a bad race, I was wondering and hoping he had a little bit left, and he was game. To get beat what, a head, for second, he ran huge. He ran hard today. I thought Flavien [Prat] gave him a great ride. The horse has had a tough couple of days here schooling and stuff, he's challenging at times, but it was all worth it today.” –Trainer Mike McCarthy on third finisher Independence Hall

Saturday, Gulfstream
PEGASUS WORLD CUP INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $2,942,000, Gulfstream, 1-23, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:47.89, ft.
1–KNICKS GO, 123, h, 5, by Paynter
1st Dam: Kosmo's Buddy (MSW, $298,095), by Outflanker
                2nd Dam: Vaulted, by Allen's Prospect
                3rd Dam: Aube d'Or, by Medaille d'Or
($40,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $87,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Korea
Racing Authority; B-Angie Moore (MD); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Joel
Rosario. $1,740,000. Lifetime Record: 18-6-3-1, $3,088,995.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: F.
2–Jesus' Team, 123, c, 4, Tapiture–Golden Memories, by Suave.
($30,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Grupo 7C Racing Stable; B-Pamela

Gartin (KY); T-Jose Francisco D'Angelo. $580,000.

3–Independence Hall, 123, c, 4, Constitution–Kalahari Cat, by
Cape Town. ($100,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $200,000 RNA 2yo '19
FTFMAR). O-WinStar Farm LLC, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners,
Twin Creeks Racing Stables, LLC and RKV Racing, LLC;
B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy.
$290,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, NK, 6 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 11.80, 27.70.
Also Ran: Sleepy Eyes Todd, Code of Honor, Coastal Defense, Kiss Today Goodbye, Last Judgment, Math Wizard, Tax, Mr Freeze, Harpers First Ride. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Uncle Mo Colts Stays Perfect in Hot Springs

7th-Oaklawn, $84,000, Alw, 1-23, (NW1X), 3yo, 6f, 1:10.29, ft, 3 1/2 lengths.

SWIFTSURE (c, 3, Uncle Mo–Island Saint {GSP, $133,860}, by Speightstown) wired the field to take his debut by 3 1/4 lengths in his career bow at the Fair Grounds Nov. 27 and was hammered down to even-money to repeat here. Hustled out of the gate, the dark bay was overtaken by longshot Lock Up (Maclean's Music) and kept a watchful eye from second through a swift first quarter in :21.51. Closing the gap on the backstretch, Swiftsure took control at the top of the lane and skipped clear for a 3 1/2-length score, providing trainer Steve Asmussen with his 700th victory at Oaklawn. Sir Wellington (Palace) filled the place spot. Swiftsure is the first foal out of Island Saint, who has since produced a yearling filly by Into Mischief. She was bred back to that red hot Spendthrift stallion. Sales history: $95,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $78,600. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O-Siena Farms, LLC and Asmussenequine.com; B-Siena Farms LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.

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