2021 American Horse of the Year
Knicks Go was a brilliant champion who pulled off one of the most amazing turnarounds in racing history, going from a struggling young horse to a dominating Horse of the Year. He was foaled in 2016 and was bred and owned by the Korea Racing Authority. His sire was Paynter, a son of Awesome Again, and his dam was Kosmo's Buddy, a daughter of Outflanker. His name came from the Knicks Go cheer for the New York basketball team, fitting for a horse with so much speed.
Knicks Go flashed huge promise as a two year old. Trained at the time by Ben Colebrook, he won the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in 2018 and then ran a brave second in the 2018 Breeders Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs behind Game Winner. The racing world thought a star was born. But his three year old year was a struggle. He failed to win a single race and bounced from poor effort to poor effort, leaving fans wondering what had happened.
His connections moved him to the barn of trainer Brad Cox, and the change brought him back to life. Knicks Go turned into a different horse, with new training methods and a focus on his front running speed. As a four year old in 2020, he reeled off a string of huge wins, including the Lukas Classic and the 2020 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland by 3 and a half lengths.
His five year old season in 2021 was one of the great campaigns of the modern era. He won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park by 2 and three quarter lengths in his season debut. He took the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga in dominating fashion, and capped his career with a wire to wire win in the 2021 Breeders Cup Classic at Del Mar. He retired after the Classic with 10 wins from 22 starts and earnings of over 9.2 million dollars. He was named the 2021 Horse of the Year and Champion Older Dirt Male.
Knicks Go went to stud at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky and was an instant success in the breeding shed. He is now one of the leading young sires in America. Knicks Go is remembered as the comeback kid of his generation, a horse who hit rock bottom and rose to become one of the dominant champions of the early 2020s.
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