Maryland-bred Knicks Go (Paynter), the Eclipse Award winner as champion older horse and Horse of the Year for 2021, has been named the Honorary Postmaster for Preakness 147.
Bred by the mother and daughter team of Angie and Sabrina Moore and foaled at their GreenMount Farm in Glyndon, Md., Knicks Go will be recognized Thursday, May 19 during the Alibi Breakfast at historic Pimlico Race Course.
In 1996, the United States Postal Service opened a temporary Preakness station at Pimlico the week of the Preakness. It returns this year after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Past honorary postmasters have included Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito, champions Cigar and Ben's Cat, and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
“It's really exciting. I love Preakness and it's something I've looked forward to every single year since I was a little kid,” Sabrina Moore said. “To be honored during Maryland's biggest week is great. I'm super flattered. It's unbelievable.”
Knicks Go is the third Maryland-bred to earn Thoroughbred racing's top annual honor. Hall of Famer Cigar was champion older horse and Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996. Before the Eclipse Awards were established in 1971, Challedon was named Horse of the Year in 1939 and 1940.
During his championship season, Knicks Go won five of eight starts including three Grade I races–the Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, Whitney at Saratoga and Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar–and earned more than $7.3 million in purses. Retired after running second in defense of his Pegasus title Jan. 29, Knicks Go finished his career with 10 wins, four seconds and a third with $9,258,135 in purse earnings, second only to Cigar's $9,999,815 among Maryland-breds.
Knicks Go is standing stud at Taylor Made Stallions, Inc. in Nicholasville, Ky. for a $30,000 fee.
“Looking back at it, it's like those days are now just starting to get further and further away,” Moore added. “I realize how special it's been. Now it's just memories, and I get to look back on all of the things that he's done. It helps you get through every other day just pushing on and, hopefully, working on the next big horse one of these days.”
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