Knicks Go, Call Paul, and more: The week in social media

by | Feb 14, 2019 | Breaking, Business, Regionwide, Top Stories

Call Paul

Call Paul and jockey Trevor McCarthy cruised in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. Photo by Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO.

by Chelsea Lowman

During the past week, racing social media has been buzzing about events on — and off — the racetrack. Here in the Mid-Atlantic, we’ve seen awards given, schedules expanded — and of course, runners running.

Here’s what Midlantic racing social media has been buzzing about:

PA-bred, Maryland-sired Call Paul swipes the Swale

Call Paul had the internet talking this week — well, technically last week — after he soared to a 1 ¼ length victory in the $150,000 Swale Stakes (Gr.3) at Gulfstream Park on February 2. The nimble Pennsylvania-bred proved unflappable after breaking a step slow from the gate, bouncing back to bring home the glory after setting opening fractions of :21.76 and :44.27 for the 7 furlong test. With Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle, Call Paul completed the race in a final time of 1:23.43.

Trained by Jason Servis, Call Paul is not new to the spotlight, having already scored in Saratoga Special (Gr.2) and Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at the age of two. This grade 1 placed colt has currently made it to the winner’s circle four times out of his six starts, and has collected earnings of $366,920.

Call Paul is by Maryland sire, Friesan Fire, who stands at Country Life Farm in Fallston, MD, for a fee of $4,000. The colt was purchased from the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale back in 2018, for $210,000. The final bid went to Michael Dubb and his partnership, which consists of David Simon, Bethlehem Stables LLC and Bruce Irom.

 

Monmouth Park receives subsidy, will boost purses

Exciting news spread through social media over the past week when it was announced that Monmouth Park will add days and dollars to its 2019 racing program.

Set to kick off on May 4, the 2019 season will see a stakes schedule consisting of 64 black-type races that will total $7.1 million in purse money. The improvements to the program were made in the hopes of attracting higher quality horses to the track and enhancing the overall racing experience to all who attend.

The Monmouth Park race meet will last for 61 days, and will see over $30 million in total purse funds.

 

Knicks Go earns top Maryland-bred honors

Back in October of 2018, Maryland-bred Knicks Go captured the imagination of the public by taking the field gate to wire in the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (Gr.1), at staggering odds of 70-1. One month later the Paynter colt backed up his longshot effort with a gritty second-place finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Gr.1), behind undefeated champion, Game Winner. A troubled 11th in the Kentucky Jockey Club stakes in his final start of 2018 wasn’t enough to dim the gray colt’s efforts for the season, as he has gone on to be named Maryland-bred Horse of the year, as well as champion two-year-old.

Knicks Go was honored for his accomplishments at the second annual Renaissance Award ceremony on February 12, at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. After claiming victory twice in 2018 and placing in stakes races on two other occasions, Knicks Go earned $672,515.

Bred in Maryland by Angie and Sabrina Moore, Knicks Go is out of the Outflanker mare Kosmo’s Buddy. Knicks Go was first sold for $40,000 to Northface Bloodstock through the consignment of Bill Reightler at the Keeneland November mixed in 2016, and was later resold to Korea Racing Authority for a final price of $87,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale the following year.