The only horse in the Best Pal Stakes (G-2)
field without a race under his girth had an auspicious start to his
career. Know More, a well-built son of Lion Heart, presented well in the
paddock and race warm up, with his ears pricked forward, curiously taking in
the hoopla. Breaking on the far outside, Know More, under the guidance of
leading jockey Garret Gomez, sat comfortably in fifth place, running four wide
in the beginning stages of the race. He went widest of all on the turn and
briefly fell back to sixth. After getting his cue from Gomez, Know More started
his run. He lugged in slightly through the stretch. Once he straightened out, the
Doug O’Neil trainee switched leads and surged powerfully to catch the hard-trying
filly Heir Kitty
six strides before the wire. Know More won the Best Pal by a half a length,
recording a final time of 1:16.14. Besides entering the history books as the Best
Pal winner, Know More will also be noted as the only first time starter to win
his initial race in a graded stakes at Del Mar.
KNOW MORE (Lion Heart - Seattle
Qui, by Seattle Slew) races for the same connections as Kentucky
Derby/Preakness hero I’ll Have Another, owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neil. The colt sold for $210K at the Barretts May
two year olds in training sale after working a furlong in :10.
Know More has a miler speed over stamina pedigree. His sire Lion Heart retired to Coolemore Stud
at the end of his racing career in 2004. He was #2 on the first crop sire board
in 2008, #6 on the second crop sire list and was the leading third crop sire in
the USA in 2010. He was sold to stand stud in Turkey in 2010. Lion Heart produced a previous winner in the
2008 Best Pal, Azul Leon.
Sire:
Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat - Satin Sunrise, by Mr. Leader)Race record: 10-5-3-0 ($1,390,800)
Raced 2003-2004
Racing highlights:
1st – Hollywood Prevue (G-3)
1st – Hollywood Futurity (G-1)
2nd – San Rafael Stakes (G-2)
2nd – Blue Grass Stakes (G-10
2nd – Kentucky Derby (G-1)
1st – Long Branc BC Stakes (G-3)
1st – Haskell Invitational (G-1)
Female Family:
Know More’s dam Seattle Qui was unplaced in two starts. She bore four foals and all except one of
them have visited the winner’s circle. Know More is a half brother to Willard
Proctor Memorial winner Classical Slew (by Bernstein), a very precocious
youngster who also placed in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G-3) and a year later, the San Vicente Stakes
(G-2).
Know More has an international distaff line. His dam is a
half sister to the German Highweight Older Mare
Que Belle, dam of Will Rogers Stakes (G-3) hero Osidy. Another half
sister produced the Austrian Champion Older Horse and Stayer, Italian Stallion.
Broodmare Sire:
Triple Crown Champ Seattle Slew is Know More’s damsire.
Seattle Slew is a Brilliant/Classic Chef-de-race, meaning that he’s known to
impart brilliant speed and classic stamina to his offspring. Despite his demise
in 2002, Seattle Slew can still be found among the leading broodmare sires,
with over 100 stakes winners to his credit, and half of them graded stakes
winners.
Race Record: 17-14-2-0 ($1,208,726) Raced: 1976- 1978
- 1977 Champion Three-Year-Old and Horse of the Year.
- Only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated.
- Only Triple Crown Winner to defeat another Triple Crown Winner
(Affirmed. '78 Marlboro Cup).
- Victorious in eight Grade 1 races.
Know More is bred on the same Lion Heart/Seattle Slew
bloodline cross as three of Lion Heart’s best runners, 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf
heroine Dangerous Midge, Lion Heart’s only winner at 1 ¼ miles; the sprinter Pretty
Prolific, winner of the Sugar Swirl Stakes (G-3) and runner-up in the Test
Stakes (G-1); and the Grade 2 juvenile stakes placed Missyoulikecrazy.
The three-time Champion Spectacular Bid is Know More’s
second damsire. “The Bid” was indeed spectacular, winning graded stakes between
seven furlongs and 1 ¼ miles. He was second twice at 1 ½ miles. In the breeding
shed, Spectacular Bid didn’t live up to his lofty race record. However, he was
a moderate broodmare sire, his daughters producing 50 stakes horses. Spectacular Bid’s influence may be transferring
a little farther down the line. He’s the second damsire of Grade 1 winner Any
Given Saturday, Grade 3 winners Bohemian Lady, Hunting, Quiet Harbor and Seal
Cove. All five runners include Seattle Slew or his son A. P. Indy as damsires. Seal
Cove is a descendant of the Northern Dancer sire line, as is Know More.
Know More’s Prospects:
Know More appears to be a well-balanced muscular colt. His gait has average reach with slightly high
knee action, and he paddles slightly with his left fore. He possesses good acceleration.
Know More’s brilliant debut in the Best Pal Stakes will have
race fans buzzing about his future. Should he exit the race in good order, the Doug
O’Neil trainee will point to the seven furlong Del Mar Futurity (G-1) on
September 5. Should Know More run well
in the Futurity, the next logical step would be the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The
chestnut colt carries plenty of stamina through his distaff line and should
have no trouble handling 1 1/16 miles. Should
he run well in both of those races, we’ll take a closer look at his Classic
potential next year.
The question that should be posed is what exactly did Know More
beat in the Best Pal? Willard Proctor
Memorial victor Amarish
(by Scat Daddy) was disappointing in the Hollywood Juvenile Futurity and stopped
in the stretch of the Best Pal. Scherer Magic (by
Doneraile Court) benefited from the pace meltdown in the Hollywood Juvenile
Futurity but had no response in the Best Pal.
Granted, neither competitor owns a pedigree to be proficient over the
Del Mar Polytrack. Scat Daddy’s offspring are 0-4 and Doneraile Court has one winner
from nine starters over the surface. Other than the hard trying Heir Kitty, the
rest of the field was mediocre at best. Know
More’s final time of 1:16.14 was more than a second slower than last year’s Best
Pal hero Creative Cause (1:15.62), but on par with the 2009 Two Year Old Champ
Lookin’ At Lucky (1:16.06).
Before crowning Know More as a two year old champ or even as
the best colt in California, let’s see how he rebounds against better
competition. We’ll know more about this
promising colt next month after the Del Mar Futurity.
