Making the Grade: Itsaknockout

Itsaknockout being led into the winner's circle by some of his connections after winning the Fountain of Youth. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
Making the Grade, which will run through the 2015 Belmont Stakes, focuses on the winners of the big races, usually from the previous weekend, who could impact the next Triple Crown. We’ll be taking a close look at impressive winners and evaluating their chances to win important races based upon ability, running style, connections (owner, trainer, jockey) and pedigree. 
This week we take a closer look at Itsaknockout, winner of the $400,000 Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 21 at Gulfstream Park. 

Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to disqualify Upstart for interfering with Itsaknockout in the stretch of the Fountain of Youth Stakes, the fact is that with the victory Itsaknockout’s place in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby is now secure. The bay Lemon Drop Kid colt moved up to second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and now simply needs to make it healthy to the first Saturday in May to compete in the opening leg of the Triple Crown. Let’s take a look at Itsaknockout’s Derby chances.

Itsaknockout
Bay Colt
Sire (Father): Lemon Drop Kid
Dam (Mother): Stormy B, by Cherokee Run
Owner: Starlight Racing
Breeder: Brookfield Stud (Ky.)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Ability: Itsaknockout is officially undefeated, although fans of Upstart might dispute that record after he finished 1 ¾ lengths behind that rival in the Fountain of Youth before the DQ. But before we get to that race, let’s scroll back to his auction history and his first two starts.
Black Cherry Farm purchased Itsaknockout as a weanling at the 2012 Keeneland November breeding stock sale for $130,000 and nine months later his current owner, Starlight Racing, bought him for $350,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings. The purchase price and even just his spot in the prestigious Saratoga sale speak volumes to his physical conformation and class.
Itsaknockout won his career debut by a nose at seven furlongs in December at Gulfstream Park and earned a 93 Equibase Speed Figure. He improved to a 97 with a 5 ¼-length romp going a mile at Gulfstream on Jan. 4 in his three-year-old debut.
From there, trainer Todd Pletcher pointed Itsaknockout to the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. Sent off as the 5.40-to-1 third betting choice in the fountain of Youth, Itsaknockout made a nice move on the final turn and drew alongside Upstart, who lugged out into his path and impeded Itsaknockout before edging away. The race itself was an odd one in that all of the horses appeared to come home very slowly and then upon looking at the final times you realize it was even slower than you thought. Itsaknockout was given an 84 Equibase Speed Figure, which signifies a step back in progress, although the main track at Gulfstream did play quite slow all day. I have to admit, I’m not really sure what to make of it for either of the top two finishers, even nine days after the race.
What seems pretty clear, however, is Itsaknockout needs to improve to compete with the best three-year-olds, who have been putting up speed figures in the 103-114 range in graded stakes. He is so lightly raced that there is tremendous room for improvement, but what is working against him is that there is not much time to make up that ground on his peers.
Running style: Itsaknockout profiles as a classic stalker who will race just a few lengths off the pace and make his bid approaching the stretch. He has enough speed to get a head start on the closers and to stay within striking range of the early leaders but can relax enough so that he won’t wear himself out pressing a speed duel. It’s a running style that can be very effective in all three of the U.S. classic races, especially the Kentucky Derby.
STARLIGHT RACING'S JACK WOLF AND JOCKEY LUIS SAEZ CELEBRATE THE WIN

Connections: Seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher trains Itsaknockout. Pletcher has 32 three-year-olds nominated to the Triple Crown, including 2015 Withers Stakes winner Far From Over, Grade 1 winners Carpe Diem, Daredevil, and Competitive Edge and highly regarded Khozan. Pletcher won the Kentucky Derby in 2010 with Super Saver and the Belmont Stakes in 2007 with Rags to Riches and 2013 with Palace Malice.

Previous Making the Grades

Competitive Edge
American Pharoah
Carpe Diem
Daredevil
Texas Red
Ocho Ocho Ocho
El Kabeir
Leave the Light On
Nasa
Dortmund
Calculator
International Star
Upstart
Ocean Knight
Far From Over
Metaboss
Far Right

Owner Starlight Racing was founded in 2000 by lifelong racing fans Jack and Laurie Wolf. Four years later, Donald and Barbara Lucarelli joined the Starlight team as principals. Currently, Jack and Don serve as managing partners of Starlight partnerships, and Laurie and Barbara serve as StarLadies managing partners.
Starlight Racing, either alone or in partnership, has had six Kentucky Derby starters, including General a Rod in partnership and Intense Holiday last year. Starlight’s best Derby finish came with Harlan’s Holiday, who finished seventh in 2002. The racing operation’s top runners include Eclipse Award winners Ashado and Shanghai Bobby.
Itsaknockout’s regular rider, Luis Saez, has won more than 1,150 races since he took out his jockey’s license in 2009. He was the regular rider for multiple Grade 1 winner and champion Will Take Charge and also won a Grade 1 with Somali Lemonade. Saez’s two Kentucky Derby starters to date both were unplaced.
Pedigree: Itsaknockout’s sire (father), Lemon Drop Kid, was an elite racehorse who won the Belmont and Travers Stakes in 1999 and was named champion older male in 2000. By regally bred, multiple Group 1-winning miler Kingmambo, Lemon Drop Kid won a Grade 1 race at two, three and four.
He is a very talented and versatile sire with 82 stakes winners, including 36 graded stakes winners, and runners who excel on grass, dirt and synthetic surfaces. Lemon Drop Kid’s runners tend to be blessed with plenty of stamina. Elite main track runners such as Richard’s Kid and 2006 Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever and turf runners like Somali Lemondae, Citronnade and Cosmonaut serve as just a handful of examples of Lemon Drop Kid’s versatility at stud.
Itsaknockout is one of two stakes winners produced by Stormy B, by Cherokee Run. Stormy B’s lone career win came at a mile on dirt. His grandam (maternal grandmother), Seoul, by Deputy Minister, was a winner at 1 1/8 miles on the grass and produced Rush Bay, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf.
Stakes-placed sprinter Nomo Robbery is Itsaknockout’s third dam (maternal great-grandmother) and she produced three stakes winners, including Chorwon, a graded stakes winner on grass who earned $1,161,795 during his racing career. Nomo Robbery is also the granddam of 2012 Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can.
Itsaknockout boasts plenty of stamina and class in his pedigree to continue to excel as the race get longer on the Triple Crown trail and it would not come as a surprise if he enjoys some success on the grass later in his career. He needs to improve pretty quickly to compete with the best three-year-old this year, but with the points to make the starting gate and a pedigree that suggests he should handle 1 ¼ miles, Itsaknockout is an interesting Derby prospect. Expect his next race could go a long way toward determining if he is a legitimate contender.