W. L. McKnight Stakes

W. L. McKnight Stakes
Grade 3 race
LocationGulfstream Park
(2014–present)
Calder Race Course (1973–2013)
Inaugurated1973
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Websitewww.gulfstreampark.com
Race information
Distance1½ miles (12 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFour years & older
PurseUS$200,000

The W. L. McKnight Stakes is an American Grade 3 Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.[1] Inaugurated in 1973 at Calder Race Course it remained there through 2013 when the track closed. In 2017 a race condition was changed from being open to horses age three and older to those who were four and older. A race on turf at a distance of a mile and one-half, due to safety concerns it was shifted from the turf course to the main dirt track in 1993, 2005, and 2013.

The race was named for William L. McKnight, the founder of Tartan Farms.[2] Prior to 2019, it was run as the W. L. McKnight Handicap.

Historical notes

[edit]

Twilight Eclipse has the distinction of winning the McKnight Handicap back-to-back on two different racing surfaces. At Calder Race Course, the gelding won the race on grass in 2012 and in 2013 on dirt after it was switched from a soggy grass course to the dirt track. It was only the second time in his career that Twilight Eclipse had run on dirt.[3][4]

In 1995, Flag Down set the race record that still stood when the Calder track closed. Flag Down was bred by Windfields Farm and raced by Allen Paulson who at the time was also racing the great future U. S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Cigar.[5]

Of its fifty-three runnings, no female horse has won the McKnight.

Records

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Speed record:

  • 2:25.90 @ 112 miles on Gulfstream Park turf course: Taghleeb (2017)
  • 2:24.11 @ 112 miles on Calder turf course: Flag Down (1995)

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

  • 2 – Buckram Oak Farm (Mahmoud Fustok) (1980, 1982)
  • 2 – Constance Daparma & Marjan Stable, Inc. (1985, 1986)
  • 2 – Patricia A. Generazio (2007, 2008)
  • 2 – West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc. (Terry Finley CEO) (2012, 2013)
  • 2 – Ken & Sarah Ramsey (2015, 2018)
  • 2 – Michael M. Hui (2017, 2019)

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Miles)
Time
Win$
Gr.
2023 Red Knight 9 Irad Ortiz Jr. Michael J. Maker Trinity Farm 112 2:25.11 $116,500 G3
2022 Abaan 5 Luis Saez Todd Pletcher Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Alex Daigneault 112 2:29.53 $115,320 G3
2021 Tide Of The Sea 5 Tyler Gaffalione Michael J. Maker Three Diamonds Farm 112 2:24.57 $87,420 G3
2020 Spooky Channel 5 Julien Leparoux Brian A. Lynch Terry Hamilton 112 2:26.16 $116,560 G3
2019 Zulu Alpha 6 Irad Ortiz Jr. Michael J. Maker Michael M. Hui 112 2:36.80 $114,080 G3
2018 Oscar Nominated 5 José Ortiz Michael J. Maker Ken & Sarah Ramsey 112 2:30.08 $119,040 G3
2017 Taghleeb 6 Tyler Gaffalione Michael J. Maker Michael M. Hui 112 2:25.90 $115,320 G3
2016 Race not held
2015 Charming Kitten 5 John R. Velazquez Todd Pletcher Ken & Sarah Ramsey 112 2:27.76 $59,520 G3
2014 Divine Oath 3 Javier Castellano Todd Pletcher Let's Go Stable (Kevin Scatuorchio & Bryan Sullivan) 112 2:34.25 $57,040 G3
2013 Twilight Eclipse 4 Jose Lezcano Thomas Albertrani West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc. (Terry Finley CEO) 112 2:23.66 $75,175 G3
2012 Twilight Eclipse 3 Manoel Cruz Thomas Albertrani West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc. (Terry Finley CEO) 112 2:26.71 $90,210 G2
2011 Musketier 9 Luis Saez Roger L. Attfield Stella Perdomo 112 2:28.25 $90,520 G2
2010 Prince Will I Am 3 Javier Castellano Michelle K. Nihei Casa Farms I (Susan A. Atkins) 112 2:38.40 $93,000 G2
2009 Cloudy's Knight 9 Rosemary Homeister Jr. Jonathan E. Sheppard S J Stables LLC (Shirley & Jarrold Schwartz) 112 2:27.63 $88,350 G2
2008 Presious Passion 5 Elvis Trujillo Mary E. Hartmann Patricia A. Generazio 112 2:25.64 $86,490 G2
2007 Presious Passion 4 Elvis Trujillo Mary E. Hartmann Patricia A. Generazio 112 2:26.13 $115,320 G2
2006 Devil's Preacher 3 Rafael Bejarano George R. Weaver R. A. Hill Stable (Randy Hill) 112 2:38.28 $120,000 G2
2005 Meteor Storm 6 Javier Castellano Wallace A. Dollase The Horizon Stable (M. Jarvis, G. Margolis, K. Smole, J. Conway) 112 2:25.91 $120,000 G2
2004 Dreadnaught 4 Jean-Luc Samyn Thomas H. Voss Trillium Stable (Douglas Joyce) 112 2:26.60 $120,000 G2
2003 Balto Star 5 John R. Velazquez Todd Pletcher Anstu Stables, Inc. 112 2:24.87 $120,000 G2
2002 Man From Wicklow 5 Jerry D. Bailey Richard A. Violette Jr. Richard A. Violette Jr. 112 2:28.05 $120,000 G2
2001 Profit Option 6 Mark Guidry Kenneth E. Hoffman Mark Conway, K. E. Hoffman, Team Canonie, Inc. 112 2:27.95 $90,000 G2
2000 A Little Luck 6 Mike E. Smith Barclay Tagg Kathleen Crompton 112 2:29.01 $90,000 G2
1999 Wicapi 7 Cornelio Velásquez Joseph G. Calascibetta Acclaimed Racing Stable (Michael R. Berry) 112 2:26.28 $90,000 G2
1998 Wild Event 5 Shane Sellers Louis M. Goldfine Arthur I. Appleton 112 2:26.93 $90,000 G2
1997 Panama City 3 Pat Day Patrick B. Byrne Robert Sangster & Joseph Lacombe 112 2:27.00 $90,000 G2
1996 Diplomatic Jet 4 Jorge F. Chavez James E. Picou Fred W. Hooper 112 2:24.20 $90,000 G2
1995 Flag Down 5 José Santos Christophe Clement Allen E. Paulson 112 2:24.00 $90,000 G2
1994-1 Star of Manila 3 Craig Perret Burk Kessenger Jr. New Phoenix Stable (Gary Drake) 112 2:28.40 $90,000 G2
1994-2 Cobblestone Road 5 José Ferrer Oliver E. Edwards Bruce Watkins & Stanley Stahl 112 2:27.80 $90,000 G2
1993 Antartic Wings 5 Rene Douglas Michael Lerman Sandy Price 112 2:32.40 $60,000 G2
1992 Bye Union Avenue 6 Rene Douglas Reynaldo H. Nobles Due Process Stable 112 2:27.20 $90,000 G2
1991 Stolen Rolls 5 Pedro A. Rodriguez Lawrence W. Jennings Esquire Farms 112 2:27.00 $60,000 G2
1990 Drum Taps 5 José Santos Neil J. Howard William S. Farish III 112 2:29.80 $60,000 G2
1989 Mataji 4 Douglas Valiente Happy Alter Alters Racing Stable 112 2:25.60 $90,000 G2
1988 All Sincerity 4 Constantino Hernandez Angel M. Medina Almost Heaven Stable, Inc. 112 2:25.40 $120,000 G2
1987 Creme Fraiche 6 Eddie Maple Woody Stephens Brushwood Stable (Elizabeth Moran) 112 2:27.00 $120,000 G2
1986 Flying Pidgeon 5 José Santos Luis Olivares Constance Daparma & Marjan Stable, Inc. 112 2:39.60 $120,000 G2
1985-1 Jack Slade 4 Gerland Galitano David C. Kassen Andrew Adams 112 2:26.20 $69,900 G2
1985-2 Flying Pidgeon 5 José Santos Luis Olivares Constance Daparma & Marjan Stable, Inc. 112 2:25.80 $70,800 G2
1984-1 Open Call 6 Jorge Velásquez Robert J. Reinacher Jr. Greentree Stable 112 2:30.20 $63,755 G2
1984-2 Nijinsky's Secret 5 José Vélez Jr. Kent H. Stirling Hedley McDougald 112 2:31.20 $63,675 G2
1983 Current Blade 6 Jerry D. Bailey John P. Campo Buckland Farm 112 ± 2:29.20 $70,020 G2
1982-1 Ghazwan 6 Constantino Hernandez Leonard Imperio Buckram Oak Farm (Mahmoud Fustok) 112 2:28.80 $61,920 G2
1982-2 Russian George 5 Miguel A. Rivera Jean Cruguet Sea Salt Farm, Inc. 112 2:29.80 $61,320 G2
1981-1 El Barril 5 Jacinto Vásquez Angel A. Penna Jr. Walnut Hill Farm 112 2:28.40 $51,630 G3
1981-2 Buckpoint 5 Jerry D. Bailey J. Bert Sonnier Owen Helman 112 2:28.00 $52,230 G3
1980-1 Old Crony 5 Don Brumfield Edward I. Kelly Sr. Bwamazon Farm (Millard A. Waldheim) 118 ± 1:48.40 $35,565 G3
1980-2 Drum's Captain 5 Jeffrey Fell Leonard Imperio Buckram Oak Farm (Mahmoud Fustok) 118 ± 1:48.00 $34,875 G3
1979 Bob's Dusty 5 Richard DePass William E. Adams Robert N. Lehmann 118 ± 1:48.00 $55,800 G3
1978 Practitioner 5 Jesus S. Rodriguez Leo Sierra Dogwood Stable 118 ± 1:48.00 $56,520 G3
1977 Hall of Reason 5 Mickey Solomone Dukas "Duke" Davis Malcolm Woldenberg 118 ± 1:47.20 $52,200 G3
1976 Toonerville 3 Gene St. Leon Norman St. Leon Frank & Mike Ryan & Norman St. Leon 118 ± 1:44.60 $55,800 G3
1975 Snurb 5 Gene St. Leon Reed M. Combest B.L.T. Stable (Art Bruns, et al.) 118 ± 1:46.00 $37,800 LR
1974 Shane's Prince 5 Eddie Maple Frank J. McManus Red Hand Stable 118 ± 1:46.00 $35,700
1973 Getajetholme 4 Joseph E. Imparato J. Bert Sonnier Ralph Sessa 118 ± 1:47.20 $38,700

References

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  1. ^ "Stakes Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Virginia McKnight Binger of Tartan Farms Dead". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Twilight Eclipse takes McKnight". ESPN. 2012-11-24. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  4. ^ "Calder: Twilight Eclipse unfazed by McKnight's switch to main track". Daily Racing Form. 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  5. ^ "Horse Racing Notes". Los Angeles Times. 1995-12-17. Retrieved 2020-06-14.