San Francisco Chronicle (Sunday)
Knicks Go not pushed in 4th straight victory
DEL MAR, San Diego County — The opposition knew Knicks Go would charge out of the starting gate. Yet, none of his rivals went after him.
He had it all his own way in setting an uncontested lead and winning the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic by 23⁄4 lengths on Saturday at Del Mar.
Knicks Go ran 11⁄4 miles in 1:59.57. He earned his fourth straight victory and in the process solidified a bid to win the Eclipse Award as Horse of the Year.
“Speed is very dangerous,” winning trainer Brad Cox said. “I kind of felt like if they did try to go with him they may jeopardize their own opportunity to win the race.”
Ridden by Joel Rosario, 5-year-old Knicks Go squared off against a trio of top 3-yearolds — controversial Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit, Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie, whose ownership has San Diego ties.
“He broke really sharp,” Rosario, who won his 15th Cup race, said of Knicks Go. “He looked like he was really enjoying what he was doing. I could see his ears, he was so relaxed.”
Sent off at 3-1 odds by the crowd of 26,553, Knicks Go paid $8.40 to win. He won the Dirt Mile at last year’s event and became the sixth horse to win two different Cup races. He has South Korean ownership.
“This one was very, very high on our list of races we wanted to win and we capped it off,” said Cox, who won his first Classic.
Cox also saddled 9-5 favorite Essential Quality, who finished another length back in third.
Medina Spirit couldn’t muster the necessary late kick to threaten Knicks Go and was second for trainer Bob Baffert.
“I’m very proud of him. He ran a great race,” Baffert said. “To me, he’s the best 3-yearold. He showed it today. That’s what racing is all about, proving it on the racetrack. And he proved it today that he’s the real deal.”
The colt failed a post-race drug test after the Derby and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has yet to make a final ruling based on its investigation.
Baffert was allowed to enter horses in the season-ending world championships, but the event’s money-leading trainer had to meet certain conditions, including stricter out-of-competition testing of his horses and greater security at his barn. He agreed to the extra scrutiny and was required to pay for it out of his own pocket. He won the $2 million Juvenile with Corniche on Friday.
Hot Rod Charlie, second to Essential Quality in the Belmont, was fourth. Fans chanted “Let’s go Chuck!” before the race.
The Classic results provided balm for Cox, who didn’t win with any of his other horses during the weekend.
Stilleto Boy finished a distant fifth at odds of 51-1 in the eight-horse Classic for Golden Gate Fields trainer Ed Moger Jr.
Steve Miyadi, another trainer with a stable at GGF, had Lieutenant Dan finish second — 1¼ lengths behind favored speedster Golden Pal — in the Turf Sprint.
The two horses ran 1-2 for the entire 5 furlongs, and Lieutenant Dan finished 31⁄2 lengths ahead of third-place Charmaine’s Mia.
“He wasn’t ready to run against a rocket ship,” Miyadi said of Lieutenant Dan. “He ran great, probably the best race of his life.”