Knicks Go
 

For a long time I’ve said today’s horses don’t run the same fractions as the good horses from the past.

Color me super impressed with Knicks Go

Wow!

That was impressive Ralph. I believe 46.19 in the half and simply kept on trucking. Superb performance by an excellent horse.

I think it showcases the "ALPHA" in a horse psychologically. When some horses get to lead the pack they are nearly impossible to beat. We use phrases like "Run them off their feet" which are cute to say but there's just something about some horses on the lead getting more and more confident during a race, particularly at that level.



I recall for most of his career, Game on Dude was the same way.

I have not seen a horse run like that in quite a while.

Nice to have horse to cheer for

With Charlatan on the shelf, Knicks Go will be running in the Met instead of the original spot.

Less than 3 weeks ago, Knicks Go was pointing for the Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park because Cox says he feels the horse is "better around two-turns" and it was a "great race" to start back from his middle eastern debacle.

Now suddenly he's good to go in a Grade 1 around one-turn because Charlatan is out. What a competitor...

Of course, even the Charlatan excuse might be BS (since he was already out before it was revealed he had been turned out with Baffert having been banned by NYRA).

The Sexton Mile drew the Grade 2 win machine By My Standards and top rated sprinter C Z Rocket.

I guess after Saudi Arabia, it's somewhat understandable they wanted to avoid Charlatan, as his speed is as big a problem for Knicks Go as his talent. If he could win the Met, it gives him a legitimate chance, depending obviously on a lot of things, to be Horse of the Year.

I am particularly glad to see Caddo River is apparently now running in the Woody and not the Matt Winn. It makes so much sense.

I just enjoy the typical trainerspeak going to great pains to justify why a major event doesn't suit their top level horse and then do a 180 when the favorite falls by the wayside. Completely disingenuous.

Of course, I was expecting him to do the same 2 weeks ago with Mandaloun...

Only way that entry makes sense is if he shows up subsequently in Florida with new trainer Juan Reviriego...

God Knicks Go has gotten so good, Cox really has developed him from 2,3,4 and now 5. Impressive training job.

It's unfortunate. Between keeping young horses lightly raced and the best horses avoiding each other the strength of graded stakes races in the US keeps declining.

Just the other day I did a 3 year rolling average of Beyer figures for older male graded stakes races on turf and dirt. They are all down about 2 points since late 2014 (the start of my database).

The Grade 1 races for older males were down around 6 points from the peak of public Beyers in the 90s when I checked a few years ago. So Grade 1 older males are down about 7-8 points. It has been much less dramatic for fillies and mares because at least they often keep running and face each other.

Even if some figure drift is involved, you can look at some of our Triple Crown races and see that most of the contending horses still have a condition. By the time they reach their peak they will be long retired.

He was previously trained by Ben Colebrook.... gained about 100 pounds when he was moved to Cox

I am sure he just had his teeth floated and that allowed him to eat better and be a more comfortable animal.

There is jaded, and then there is Greg. I don't know how you get up the spirit to even watch a race any more tbh. :)

Lets see who has good memories on the teeth floated comment.

:lol::lol::lol: