After his resounding victory in the GI Breeders’ Classic in 2021, the champion Knicks Go (Payer -Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) enjoyed a brief post-training hiatus as he spent about a week at Taylor Made Ranch, where he would soon begin his breeding career, before he back to Brad Cox stables in Churchill Downs.
The gray player for the Korea Racing Authority cemented his status as the top male senior in the country with his gate-to-string Classic win. Now, the Horse of the Year favorite is gearing up for the final dance to defend his title at the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. before he takes on student assignment in 2022 .
Meanwhile, the team at Taylor Made are counting down the days until they can welcome the famous gray back to their equine facility.
“We are very excited about Knicks Go,” Duncan Taylor said. “He is the epitome of a racehorse. When you have a horse that won the GI Breeders’ Futurity at two years old, come back and win the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and then the next year win the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, it doesn’t get any better. “
Knicks Go was able to get a feel for his future career early on during his short stint at Taylor Made when a large number of breeders visited the new stallion.
“I think his shape is definitely a plus,” Taylor said. “He reminds me a lot of Blushing Groom and Awesome Again. They are not very large horses, but they are well proportioned and have a lot of hips. I think those stallions cross well with a lot of different mares. He’s so right and he’s one of those horses with the look in their eyes. “
The Taylor family are familiar with their new addition through their involvement with the now retired stallion Tiznow, the female family also responsible for the production of Grade I studs. Payer, Oxbow and The Great Patriot.
Knicks Go takes in the view as it arrives at Churchill Downs on November 17 | Coady
“If you look at Breeders’ Cup this year, you have [Filly and Mare Sprint contestant] Bella Sofia, of Awesome Patriot, [Classic contestant] Oxbow’s Hot Rod Charlie and Knicks Go’s Payer,” Taylor explained. “So this sireline can get you a runner. We have Tiznow and everyone thinks, ‘Son of Cee’s Tizzy. Why do you want him? ‘ But it turned out he was a great steed for us.”
Raised in Maryland by Angie Moore and her daughter Sabrina Moore, Knicks Go is outside the winning bet of Buddy (Outflanker) mare Kosmo. As the first winner at the age of two, the foal went on to win the GI Claiborne Breeders ‘Futurity and was runner-up in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
“Sometimes when the horses race until they’re five years old, you forget their two-year career,” joked Taylor. “But the fact that he won First Grade at the age of two, that says it all. Everyone is looking for that. ”
At the age of three, Knicks Go failed to make it to the winner’s ring and was transferred to the Brad Cox stable for his 4-year-old season. He went undefeated in three games that started that year at more than 20 lengths combined, culminating in his season’s record-breaking performance in the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
This year, Knicks Go was a seven-year ahead of the ranked company, amassing first-place wins in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., Whitney S., and Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he beat a pair of sophomores in a row. First in the GI Kentucky Derby, winner Medina Spirit (Protonico) and winner GI Belmont S. Essential Quality (Tapit).
Knicks Go Wins 112 Beyer Speeds at Breeders ‘Cup Classic 2021 | Horsephotos
“The best quality of Knicks Go as a racehorse is speed,” says Taylor. “I remember Mr. [John] Gaines once said that we were trying to breed the horse with the highest speed, the best looks, and the furthest speed. That’s the kind of horse everyone is looking for. Knicks Go can not only run fast, but can also do speed. Setting a record in the Dirt Mile, it’s an achievement that shows he has speed. Then go under two minutes for a mile and a quarter [in the Classic], need a special horse. Those two achievements set him apart from other racehorses.”
Taylor says their team first started talking to the Korea Racing Authority about their superstar’s equine career when the foal was training for Whitney S. this summer.
“We knew they didn’t want to sell part of the horse, and they knew that we marketed well and worked hard,” he explains. “When we started doing our research, we realized he was the perfect fit for us so we started working on it.”
Knicks Go will kick off its student career with a $30,000 support fee. He joins the growing Taylor Made lineup alongside MGSW Tacitus, a regal hybrid of Tapit Who will stand for $10,000.
“For us, it’s hard to go out and buy a horse like this,” Taylor said. “We have to have some time to get our stallions. You’ve never seen us stand 20 or 25 stallions because we don’t have the money to do that. But we have the hustle and we do a great job with our stallions. We are energetic and always try new things”.
On a ranch that was once home to the likes of The Foretold Song of the Unbridled, as well as Saint Ballado and Forestry, Taylor Made’s stallion program has welcomed a number of promising new additions in recent years. this.
“When you run a butchery, the horses help each other,” notes Taylor. “Now we have Not this time, who showed that we had a proven stallion in development, and then Instagram, Permeation, Mshawish and Midnight storm, we have new blood at Taylor Made. So we have faith and we think Knicks Go is going to be a good tournament. ”
