Go, Knicks Go for Classic glory

The question to be answered! Can Knicks Go do the extra distance of the Breeders’ Cup Longines Classic, utilising his front running two-turn dirt ‘power-on’ tyle at Del Mar.

To be again ridden by Joel Rosario, and at $3 with Sportsbet, this will be his first attempt over the $6m Longines Classic distance of 1m2f, jumping from gate five for Hall of Fame trainer Brad Cox.

A last start four length winner of the Lukas Classic Stakes of 1m1f at Churchill Downs, Knicks Go returned to Grade 1 status in an all-way victory over Maxfield in the Whitney Stakes of 1m1f.

However, in failing earlier in both the one-turn Saudi Cup and Metropolitan Handicap, he next scored a 10 length victory in his ‘two-turn boot camp’ Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.

Now branded a ‘two-turn dirt miler specialist’ with victories in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup, can he do it again at Del Mar before a possible second Pegasus World Cup.

In the Korea Racing Authority changing direction for their US stallion propositions at stand at the Juju National Stud Farm, its Knicks Go who will stand at Taylor Made Farm, Kentucky in 2022.

Identified by the radical KRA K-Nicks genetic program, the 5yo was a $87,000 graduate of the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, being the best of his Haskell Stakes winning sire Paynter.

With the tempo of this Longines Classic building, it’s also Brad Cox who has the Belmont Stakes hero Essential Quality at $4, having also won the Travers Stakes, and fourth in the Kentucky Derby.

In being last year’s unbeaten Champion Juvenile in winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Futurity, it was Knicks Go who had won the Breeders Futurity and second in the BC Juvenile.

To retire to his owners Godolphin Jonabell Farm in Kentucky after the Breeders’ Cup, he’s home bred by triple US champion sire Tapit, from the immediate family of Japanese champion Contrail.

At $5 is the Pennsylvania Derby 3yo Hot Rod Charlie, $6.50 for Medina Spirit, the Kentucky Derby and Awesome Again Stakes winner, with Max Player $9 on winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

With COVID restrictions easing for this 38th World Championship, it’s the ban on Lasix and a new whip strike rule that has seen a rise to 56 foreign entries, with Japan having seven runners.

Now California stages some 46% of its races on turf, and today its Britain’s Highclere Stud graduate Domestic Spending who is $5.50 in the European dominated $4m Longines Turf of 1m4f.

In being a 300,000 Gns. buy at the Tattersalls October Yearling Book 1 Sale in 2018, he’s by the highly successful Kingman, being the family of Breeders’ Cup heroine Queen’s Trust and sire Luso.

Trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables and ridden by Flavien Prat, this 4yo gelding comes into the Longines Turf having run a neck second to Two Emmys in the turf Mister D Stales 1m2f.

In a career of 7 wins and 2 placing from 9 starts, he began the year by dead-heating in the Turf Classic of 1m1f at Churchill Downs and then won the Manhattan Stakes over 1m4f at Belmont Park.

Unraced at two, Domestic Spending is said to have a ‘turf classic season’ in taking the Saratoga Turf Derby over 1m1½f as his third career win, and next the Hollywood Derby of 1m1f at Del Mar.

Looking for back-to-back victories in the Longines Turf is the $2.62 favourite Tarnawa who last year out stayed the Coolmore mare Magical for the owner HH Aga Khan and trainer Dermot Weld.

To be again ridden by Colin Keane, Tarnawa is also coming off a second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe to the German outside Torquator Tasso, and previously second in the Irish Champion Stakes.

With 44% of Del Mar’s run races now on turf, it’s the Charlie Appleby trained Yibir who is at $7 having won the turf Jockey Club Derby at Belmont Park, with $8 for the Prix Vermeille winner Teona.

In being the Longines Turf most successful trainer with six wins, its Irish champion Aiden O’Brien who has Japan at $26, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Broome at $34.

Also, to be supplements in-lieu of withdrawals is his Belmont Derby turf winner Bolshoi Ballet also at $26, being the first supplement and $34 for Japan’s full-brother Mogul.