Knicks Go a Secret No More Heading into KY Jockey Club

Everyone loves an underdog, and for the brunt of his burgeoning career, Knicks Go has worn that label with couture-level aplomb.

In four of his five starts, the son of Paynter  has gone to post at double-digits odds. As the waters have gotten deeper and the faith from the betting public further waned, the spunky gray colt has responded by throwing on glass slippers and uncorking efforts that are nothing short of storybook in nature.

When a proverbial dark horse keeps finding his way into the limelight, however, a new set of challenges emerges along with success. A grade 1 win and Breeders' Cup runner-up outing have made the Ben Colebrook trainee a secret no longer, and in the Nov. 24 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, Knicks Go will have to bear the weight of being the target at whom a full field of challengers will be aiming.

The sky-high odds Knicks Go has provided his backers are about to become a thing of the past as the Maryland-bred figures to be the clear favorite against 13 others in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club going 1 1/16 miles. That KRA Stud Farm's colt heads into the weekend with a chance to cement himself as an Eclipse Award finalist for divisional honors speaks volumes about how far he has come since stepping into the Keeneland starting gate Oct. 6 as the longest shot on the board of 13 in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1).

When he posted a gate-to-wire, 70-1 upset of the Breeders' Futurity field, the shock of it all was bolstered by the fact he drew off like a stone-cold chalk play during his 5 1/2-length triumph. Still, there was strong sentiment among pundits that said result was little more than a speed bias-aided fluke—that is, until Knicks Go came off the final turn of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with the lead and proceeded to make even-money pick Game Winner unearth some mettle in late stretch to get by his 40-1 self.

"I think he probably deserved to be a longshot at Keeneland coming off two subpar races, but I think probably 70-1 was a little bit too much," Colebrook said. "In the Breeders' Cup, I would have thought he'd have been a shorter price than 40-1. He's shown up both times we've tried him around two turns and that's kind of always what we thought he was: a two-turn horse. But he was showing a lot of speed this summer, so we decided to go ahead and get him going and get him some experience before the races stretch out. But now that he's doing what he wants, he's got a pretty good style.

"He can come not necessarily come from out of it, but he can sit off a horse or be on the lead if that's the case. He's shown he is pretty versatile."

The lack of respect that came Knicks Go's way in his grade 1 efforts is something Colebrook actually takes some of the heat for.

After breaking his maiden in frontrunning fashion first time out at Ellis Park July 4, Knicks Go finished fifth when wheeled back in the July 21 Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course—a move his conditioner says might have been asking too much too soon.

His third-place effort in the Sept. 8 Arlington-Washington Futurity over the synthetic surface at Arlington International Racecourse is one Colebrook said he and his owners simply drew a line through. They weren't surprised to see the colt start putting the pieces together when given 1 1/16 miles to work with at Keeneland, and his speed away from the gate has been one of his biggest assets in the large fields he has faced in his last pair of starts.

"Going to Saratoga, we probably went a bit too soon in hindsight," Colebrook said. "He ran a big race (in his maiden), probably ran a bit harder than it looked, and then shipped up to Saratoga. I think it's a lot to ask of a horse in his second start. I think his poor races, that was my fault. To me, I've made some mistakes, but he's done everything. He won first out, and the two times he's run two turns, he's run bang-up races. So the two poor races, I'll take the blame for."

The main concern Colebrook has coming into Saturday's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes is Knicks Go's No. 13 post position. The seven-furlong Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel Park Dec. 8 could be a backup plan—as well as simply resting up for the colt's sophomore campaign—but Colebrook said Nov. 21 he was leaning toward going ahead with Plan A this weekend.

"That race at Laurel is tempting just because it's for Maryland-breds, and you'd think it would be an easier race. But shortening him up back to one turn and shipping is a little of a concern, too," Colebrook said. "If we didn't run in the Jockey Club, which I think we probably still will, we might not run again this year. The 13 post is a concern, but he's quick enough out of the gate he can probably get into position."

On the opposite end of the post spectrum is Signalman, who will break from post No. 1 under Brian Hernandez Jr. The bay son of General Quarters was second to Knicks Go in the Breeders' Futurity and outran his own 67-1 odds to get third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

Joseph Besecker and Three Diamonds Farm's undefeated Dunph stormed to a 7 3/4-length win in the $300,000 Spendthrift Juvenile Stallion Stakes Oct. 28 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Mike Maker, Dunph was privately purchased by Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm following his 8 1/2-length maiden-breaking score in September at Penn National.

Also entered in the Jockey Club is Current, winner of the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland Oct 7. The chestnut son of Curlin  will be trying dirt for the first time after finishing seventh in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup  Juvenile Turf (G1T).

Entries: Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, November 24, 2018, Race 11

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo
• 5:56 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Signalman (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Kenneth G. McPeek	5/2
2	2Tracksmith (KY)	Adam Beschizza	122	Joe Sharp	20/1
3	3Manny Wah (KY)	Channing Hill	122	Wayne M. Catalano	20/1
4	4Dunph (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Michael J. Maker	6/1
5	5Plus Que Parfait (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Brendan P. Walsh	20/1
6	6Blue Steel (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	Dale L. Romans	15/1
7	7Limonite (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
8	8Royal Urn (NJ)	Leonel Reyes	122	Michelle Nihei	30/1
9	9Current (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Todd A. Pletcher	15/1
10	10Roiland (KY)	Edgar Morales	122	Thomas M. Amoss	20/1
11	11Mick's Star (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Thomas M. Amoss	30/1
12	12King for a Day (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
13	13Knicks Go (MD)	Albin Jimenez	122	Ben Colebrook	2/1
14	14Topper T (IA)	Florent Geroux	122	William I. Mott	20/1
15	15Everfast (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	Dale L. Romans	30/1
16	16Kentucky Allstar (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Michael J. Maker	30/1