Is Knicks Go a slam dunk in Whitney?
By: Nick Costa, Trackside with Trackman
A compact but talented field of five millionaire older horses, including one filly, will assemble Saturday for the 94th running of the $1 million Grade 1 Whitney Stakes going 1 1/8-miles at Saratoga.
Whitney Day will feature three Grade 1 events, led by the historic Whitney, with an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 6 at Del Mar on the line.
The card is bolstered by two additional Grade 1 stakes - The $1 million Saratoga Derby for three-year-olds on the turf and also the $500,000 Test Stakes for 3-year-olds fillies sprinting seven furlongs.
The stakes-laden card also includes the Grade 2, $250,000 Glenn Falls for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up on the turf and the $120,000 Fasig Tipton Lure Stakes, a restricted 1 1/16-mile turf event for older runners.
Some of the greatest horses in American racing history have won the Whitney including Kelso who won it for the third time in 1965 at the age of eight. The 1973 edition of the race saw one of the most dramatic upsets when the legendary Secretariat finished second to Onion.
This nine-furlong contest, features some of the best runners in the country, and should be a bettor’s race for sure with so many good horses going off at fair odds.
Let’s take a look at the field from the rail out.
1 - By My Standards – Gabriel Saez/W. Bret Calhoun – 10-1 - Is a multiple G2 winner who has been runner-up in two G1 events. Last out he was second in the G1 Met Mile and was second best in last year’s G1 Whitney here at the Spa. Despite poor showings in a couple of other G1 events, his overall company line is strong, and he’s proven to be highly competitive at this top echelon of racing.
2 - Silver State – Ricardo Santana, Jr/Steve Asmussen - 4-1 - Has won all four starts this year, including a G1 and G2 in his last two outings. Consistency and determination are his motto as he sports 7 wins from 11 lifetime starts, garnering a top three position in 10 of them. He’s going to take a lot of money here and deservingly so. With the year this colt has had thus far, it would be icing on the proverbial cake if he could give Asmussen the landmark win to put the trainer on top of the all-time list if the situation exits when post time rolls around.
3 - Swiss Skydiver – Irad Ortiz, Jr/Ken McPeek – 6-1 - A winner over six different tracks, including Saratoga when taking last year’s Alabama. Hasn’t run since April in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom where she finished third. Faced some tough company there. (Monomoy Girl was 2nd) – She’s a multiple Grade 1 winner who’s already beaten the boys when winning the Preakness and finishing second to males in the Blue Grass last year. Will try to become the seventh filly to capture this race, with the last being Personal Ensign in 1988. She’s quite capable in this spot. Have to respect her.
4 - Knicks Go – Joel Rosario/Brad Cox – 6-5 - Has turned into a super horse under trainer Brad Cox. Finished 4th over in the Saudi Cup (Only beaten by two of the best horses in the world). That race could have taken something out of him, like it does with all the horses that run over there and return to the U.S., as he came back and ran fourth in the G1 Met Mile. Last out, he won the G3 Cornhusker. It wasn’t a tough race for him competition wise, but he did win it, so, he may be returning to top form. Based on his stamina and running style, he is a strong candidate to win.
5 - Maxfield – Jose Ortiz/Brendan Walsh – 8-5 - 4-year-old son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner, Street Sense, has won 7 of 8 lifetime starts including a pair of G2 events in his last two starts at Churchill Downs where he is undefeated. Suffered his only defeat out in California when third in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap three starts back. Possesses a lot of talent, but has to step up here against this pretty tough bunch. He has the potential and looms a major threat.
ANALYSIS
There are absolutely no throw outs here. Any one of the five high-quality horses have a reasonable chance to win, but only one will. For me, that’s the horse who gets everything its own way.
The likely beneficiary of such a scenario is Knicks Go. The four-year-old grey has earned gigantic speed figures since coming under the care of trainer Brad Cox and in those races, he was basically left unchallenged to dictate wire-to-wire victories. I don’t see any of the other challengers going with him early, so it’s his race to lose.
In addition, the Saratoga surface has been very kind to early speed types this meet. He’s super quick out of the gate and an absolute beast going two turns and is 2 for 2 at the 1 1/8 distance. His engine will be motoring on high octane.
The only thing I’m leery about is Knicks Go will be racing without Lasix and his only two losses earlier in the season came without being administered the race day medication, but on the other side of the coin, it can also be argued both races occurred around one-turn. Nonetheless, he’s still my top choice.
I’ll be looking for either By My Standards or Maxfield to fill out the exacta slot. Hopefully, it’s the former whose odds will be much higher than the latter.
By My Standards finished second to Silver State last out in the Met Mile, but the Calhoun trainee ran the much better race oppose to the winner (I suggest you watch the replay), and that strong finish could signal he’s ready for a top performance.
Maxfield was handed his only loss in his only other Grade 1 race, but now he appears to be a better horse than that of five months ago. He dominated the Stephen Foster at this very distance and connections have pointed him for this big opportunity.
If someone gets brave and presses Knicks Go, or if the non-Lasix truly turns out to be his downfall, both horses will be running hard late with a big shot to win.
Good luck, and as always, enjoy the race!
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