Will arrive at Gulfstream Park, Florida today
Knicks Go tuned up for a title defence in the January 29 US$3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) with a bullet five-furlong workout January 23 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The Brad Cox trainee, who captured last year's Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park by 2 3/4 lengths, breezed at 5:45 a.m. CT and was timed in 1:00 2/5, the fastest of 58 workouts recorded at the distance at the New Orleans track. Exercise rider Edvin Vargas was aboard.
Sunday's breeze was the 6-year-old son of Paynter 's second straight bullet in a series of eight workouts (seven at Fair Grounds) since capturing the November 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) by 2 3/4 lengths at Del Mar.
Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, widely expected to be named the 2021 Horse of the Year next month at the Eclipse Awards ceremony, is scheduled to ship to Gulfstream Park by van today (Monday, Jan 24) for his final career start in the Pegasus, in which he is slated to clash with Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good. Knicks Go will retire to Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky, and stand for an advertised fee of US$30,000 in 2022.
"He breezed good and we're really happy with him. We'll check him in the morning and if everything is good to go, he'll be on the van and head out at 8:30 a.m.," Cox said. "We'd like to get him there as quickly as possible; I'm thinking it will take around 13 hours. I'm flying in Monday afternoon, so I'll meet him there and we'll be ready to go."
Three California-based horses finished final preparations Sunday at Santa Anita Park for a pair of Pegasus World Cup races. Hit the Road , trained by Dan Blacker, drilled five furlongs on turf as did the Richard Baltas-trained Bob and Jackie , both in preparation for the US$1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T). The Baltas-trained Bodhicitta went the same distance while readying for the US$500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Stakes (G3T).
All three came onto Santa Anita's one-mile main track via the quarter-mile chute at about 11:45 a.m. PT and worked separately over the turf oval.
Hit the Road, winner of the 2021 Frank Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T), worked under assistant trainer and regular exercise rider Juan Landeros in 1:01 2/5 in what appeared to be a maintenance move. In his penultimate Pegasus work last Sunday, the 5-year-old son of More Than Ready smoked five furlongs on turf in in :58 2/5. He is campaigned by D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski, and Dave Odmark.
Bob and Jackie, who captured last month's San Gabriel Stakes (G3T), was the first horse on the turf and started with three furlongs in :35 4/5 en route to a final clocking of :59 3/5 under jockey Jose Valdivia Jr.
A 6-year-old son of Twirling Candy , Bob and Jackie is a four-time stakes winner looking for his second graded win. He is owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran.
Bodhicitta, a 6-year-old English-bred mare by Showcasing , broke off about three furlongs behind her stablemate and worked five furlongs in :59 3/5 with jockey Umberto Rispoli up. Also owned by Nguyen, Bodhicitta is a grade 2 winner who most recently finished second in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) on New Year's Day.
