IRAD ORTIZ JR.

Knicks Go set the early pace and kicked away to a 2 3/4-length victory in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Corniche won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by 1 3/4 length at Del Mar, stamping the colt as the early favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, where his trainer, Bob Baffert, has been banned.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Known Agenda owner Vincent Viola kept asking trainer Todd Pletcher the same question over the last few days. “Do you think we really have a shot in the Florida Derby?" Known Agenda ran away from the field in the Florida Derby on Saturday, and might keep on going all the way to Churchill Downs to start the Triple Crown season. Pletcher won the Florida Derby for a record sixth time, and Known Agenda covered the 1 1/8 miles on the dirt in 1 minutes, 49.45 seconds. Viola had to be talked out of a plan to send Known Agenda to the Santa Anita Derby, simply because he didn't think the horse was ready for the Florida Derby.

Pegasus Day was a big day for Knicks Go's connections, and also for Gulfstream, which had horseplayers trackside for the first time in more than 10 months. Pegasus Day always brings out celebrities as well; former NBA player Amar'e Stoudemire was at Gulfstream to give the call of “Rider's Up!" Attendance at Gulfstream was capped at 1,800, or about one-sixth of what the capacity was for the four previous editions of Pegasus Day. “It’s meant a lot to a lot of people.”And he enjoyed Pegasus day more than most. Pletcher had horses grab first and second in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf, the race that preceded the $3 million main event, with 5-2 favorite Colonel Liam getting loose in the stretch to get a narrow win over Largent.

Wagers may be made in Christine Lee’s or Gulfstream Park Casino. Swiss Skydiver, who captured the Gulfstream Park Oaks, went on to beat the boys in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The $200,000 Davona Dale, the mile final prep for the Gulfstream Park Oaks, will be contested on the Feb. 27 Fountain of Youth undercard. The $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) kicks off Gulfstream’s turf program Dec. 12 while offering an opportunity for Pegasus World Cup Turf invitational candidates to prep over the Gulfstream turf course. For more information, please contact Gulfstream Park Box Office at 954-457-6201.

8 post position for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the marquee race of the season-ending World Championships at Keeneland. Kentucky Derby champion Authentic, a Baffert pupil who held off Tiz the Law in a wire-to-wire victory at Churchill, will go off at 6-1 from the No. I can’t do any more for him.”Filly Swiss Skydiver, who won last month's Preakness against males and was a Classic pre-entry, opted to run against her own gender in Breeders' Cup Distaff over 1 1/8 miles. “She was 11 of 11 in the Breeders’ Cup in 2018," he said. 7 post for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile that cap Friday’s five-race feature card for 2-year-olds.

It wasn't quite the post position trainer Barclay Tagg wanted for Tiz the Law. Still, it wasn't far off for the colt who on Wednesday was made the early 6-5 favorite for the Belmont Stakes. Tagg was hoping the Florida Derby winner would land anywhere between spots 5 to 7 in the starting gate for Saturday's beginning of the reconfigured Triple Crown series. Tiz the Law drew the No. He likes this track, so I'm glad to be back on it.Instead of concluding the Triple Crown, the Belmont is kicking off the series.