Paynter’s Knicks Go Causes Massive Upset in Breeders’ Futurity

[Wandering Eyes]

Sent off the longest shot on the board at 70-1, KRA Stud Farm’s KNICKS GO (c, 2, Paynter-Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) was kicked away from the stalls by Albin Jimenez, set a decent pace and proved not for catching to cause a boilover result in Saturday’s GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, earning himself an all-expenses-paid berth in the gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill in four weeks’ time. A wire-to-wire graduate going 5 ½ furlongs on Ellis debut July 4, the $87,000 Keeneland September yearling was a well-beaten fifth behind Sombeyay (Into Mischief) in the GIII Sanford S. a little more than two weeks later and was last seen finishing third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity over the Arlington Poly Sept. 8. Adding Lasix for this first two-turn journey, the Maryland-bred seized command of the race early on and galloped along comfortably enough through fractions of :23.67 and :47.59. Sombeyay, prominent for the opening six furlongs, began to lose ground nearing the lane, but Knicks Go just kept on going and remained well clear to the wire. Signalman (General Quarters) was second ahead of the outposted Standard Deviation (Curlin), who made up a stack of ground from the tail after racing very wide on the final turn. Favored Dream Maker (Tapit) was hampered not long after the start and never looked comfortable in the run, finishing next to last. Knicks Go is the first graded winner and first Grade I winner for his sire (by Awesome Again). Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1. O-KRA Stud Farm; B-Angie Moore (MD); T-Ben Colebrook.

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