A 70/1 long shot winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity S. at Keeneland on October 6 created a frisson of excitement for the crowd, trainer Ben Colebrook winning his first graded stakes, jockey Albin Jiminez ditto, and especially second crop sire Paynter, whose first two crops had not been setting the world on fire—until now. The colt, Knicks Go, took the Futurity with ease, full of run, eventually winning by 5 ½ in a win that was never in question. On a race day full of thrilling upsets, Knicks Go was the star, and he will now undoubtedly go to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-G1 as the Futurity provided him with the coveted “win and you’re in” opportunity.

Paynter won the Haskell Invitational S.-G1 at three, and finished second to Union Rags in the Belmont S.-G1, earning over a million dollars. His pedigree boasts Awesome Again on top, and he is out of a full sister to the great Tiznow, so it’s no surprise that he could get the distance, as should his progeny. Winstar stands him for $12,500 stands and nurses, and he is a handsome, short-backed, masculine stallion with lovely conformation, but his get has lacked star quality until now. Knicks Go has propelled him to fifth place on the second crop sires list, which is currently headed by Violence. This Breeders’ Futurity win has certainly sent Paynter into the ranks of serious young sires to be reckoned with.

An online nicking system gives Knicks Go a “D” rating, but as I’ve noted before, these rankings fail to consider stellar female families lurking in the dams’ side of the pedigree. Out of the Outflanker mare Kosmo’s Buddy, Knicks Go’s pedigree complements the Awesome Again sire line with inbreeding to Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector (as well as an addition of Alydar). It’s the mares that matter, however. Outflanker is out of Lassie’s Lady, by Alydar, out of Lassie Dear, from the female family of A.P. Indy (providing inbreeding to La Troienne as well). Kosmo’s Buddy’s dam is Vaulted, by Allen’s Prospect, a son of Mr. Prospector, out of the great blue hen Change Water, whose prolific family includes Cozzene, among many others. Kosmo’s Buddy’s second dam is Aube d’Or, by Medaille d’Or, whose pedigree riches I’ve discussed before. By Secretariat (out of one of the best Princequillo mares of all time, Somethingroyal) and out of Canadian Champion and blue hen producer Fanfreluche. Fanfreluche is key here, as she was by Northern Dancer himself, and she provides the female genetic material of that all time great, complementing the many doses of male Northern Dancer in this pedigree, through such sources as Deputy Minister and Danzig, among others. With this kind of female family, it should come as no surprise that Knicks Go has inherited the large heart gene which mares of this caliber deliver, over generations, to their offspring.

Knicks Go is owned by KRA Stud Farm and was bred in Maryland by Angie Moore. He was a $40,000 weanling at Keeneland November ’16, and an $87,000 yearling at Keeneland September ’17, and right now looks like the buy of the century for his connections. He’s now earned $330,515, with a record of four starts, two wins, and a third. Come early November, look for this handsome gray colt to try to make Paynter a superstar young stud. A rakish commentator on television insinuated that this colt’s namesake, the New York Knicks basketball team, don’t seem to go lately, but this colt may be a harbinger of good things for them in the upcoming basketball season.

-- Roberta Smoodin