Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Knicks Go right on schedule
Knicks Go, the most accomplished 3-year-old on the grounds at Tampa Bay Downs, was scheduled for his first comeback breeze this weekend while continuing his training toward the Sam F. Davis Stakes next month at the Oldsmar, Fla., track.
Trainer Ben Colebrook said this week that “everything’s on schedule” with Knicks Go, the 40-1 runner-up behind Game Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November. A 70-1 winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in October, Knicks Go finished a disappointing 11th as a lukewarm favorite in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs in late November in his final start at 2.
“He’ll probably just go a little quicker than a two-minute lick, so the clockers might not even post a time for him,” Colebrook said. “We’ve been gradually working up to this with his morning gallops. He’ll have two or three more serious works before the Sam Davis, and hopefully, we’ll be good to go.”
The Grade 3 Sam Davis, a Kentucky Derby points race (10-4-2-1), will be run Feb. 9 at 1 1/16 miles.
Meanwhile, Colebrook said he intends to skip the next race in the Gulfstream Park stakes series for 3-year-old fillies, the Feb. 2 Forward Gal, with Fancy Dress Party, who remained unbeaten in three career starts with a 5 3/4-length romp last weekend in the restricted Glitter Woman at the Miami-area track.
“We don’t need to be in any hurry with her,” said Colebrook, adding he will consider the seven-furlong Forward Gal for Frond, a debut winner Jan. 4 at Tampa.
Colebrook, who is splitting time this winter between Tampa and his Kentucky farm, said his longtime stable star Limousine Liberal is jogging and “doing good” in Kentucky and is being pointed to an April return at Keeneland. The 7-year-old gelding has earned nearly $1.8 million.
34 nominated to Gasparilla
Entries will be taken Wednesday for the first three stakes of 2019 at Tampa that make up Saturday’s Skyway Festival.
Two of the stakes, the Pasco and Gasparilla, are sevenfurlong races for 3-year-olds with a particular emphasis on Florida-breds. Purses for each begin at $50,000, but as much as $75,000 in additional bonuses are available to horses registered with the Florida Sire Stakes and/or the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association.
Among the 34 fillies nominated to the Gasparilla is Jeannie’s Beepbeep, whose flashy 5 1/4-length debut triumph Dec. 15 produced numerous offers for a private sale. As yet, however, the Successful Appeal filly remains in the barn of Tony Granitz, who said this week he will discuss with owner-breeder Kendel Standlee about whether the filly will run in the Gasparilla.
The Pasco, which drew 27 nominations, is the main local prep for the Sam F. Davis.
The third Skyway Festival stakes is the $50,000 Wayward Lass for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
‘Hint’ set for second breeze
Trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said a second breeze on the comeback trail for the standout sprinter Imperial Hint could come as early as Sunday, weather pending. The 6-yearold sprint star worked a bullet half-mile in 47.40 seconds on Jan. 3 and is being pointed to the Feb. 16 Pelican at Tampa as a prep for the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 30.
Imperial Hint was third as the favorite in the Nov. 3 BC Sprint at Churchill Downs and is one of three sprint finalists in the 2018 Eclipse Awards to be announced Jan. 24.
◗ Going into Friday action at Tampa, Samy Camacho continued to lead the jockey standings with 41 winners and a $2.27 ROI. Antonio Gallardo, the perennial kingpin, is second with 26 wins and a $1.51 ROI. Among trainers, Gerald Bennett led Kathleen O’Connell by a 20-12 count.
◗ The nominal feature on a 10-race Sunday card is a $22,500, first-level allowance (race 8) for fillies and mares going a mile on the turf. First post is 12:15 p.m. Eastern.