McKnight going to Oaklawn meet

Prof_Factor · Dec 20, 2017

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/...first-season-oaklawn-magical-woodbine-season/

I really hope Oaklawn is going to do the random test thingy again.
He says he's planning to be "active in the claim box".
This ain't Woodbine, Norman.
Winter congregation begins. Ain't no mice left in the snake pit, just more snakes.

Prof_Factor · Dec 21, 2017

I was curious how well other trainers did with horses they claimed from McKnight, and which had won for McKnight.
So I generated this list and noted any change in performance. I considered 8-12 speed figure point change substantial enough to merit comment. Let's just say, nobody got any horse to improve.
Another thing I did notice was how rarely McKnight lost horses to claimbox. Only 11 on this list.

[h=3]McKnight pre-owned winners 2017[/h]

Date	Horse	New Trainer	Claim	Races	Wins	Current	Speed Fig Flux
04/23/17 r5	EYE ON BERLIN	Anthony Adamo	20k	8	2	CLM 16k	-
05/12/17 r7	TH ORIGINAL SCOTTY	W. V. Armata	11.5k	11	1	CLM 13k	-
06/23/17 r3	GOOD LOOKING LEO	Joseph Humber	5k	3	0	CLM 6k	decrease
07/05/17 r5	GERTIE T	Vito Armata	40k	3	0	CLM 20k	decrease
09/10/17 r7	SWEET RHAPSODY	Angus Buntain	9.5k	5	0	CLM 6k	decrease
09/20/17 r7	NIIGON ROAD	Alexander F. McPherson	16k	3	0	CLM 13k	-
10/04/17 r5	CORRYVRECHAN	John P. LeBlanc claimback	10k	2	0	CLM 10k	decrease 15 before and after
10/13/17 r2	CAPTURE YOUR HEART	Sherry Vanden Berg	5k	3	0	CLM 6k	decrease
10/13/17 r7	DEFONDO	Robert J. Rose	5k	1	0	CLM 8k	-
10/25/17 r8	BEAR ON FIRE	Martin Drexler	8k	1	0	CLM 10k	-
12/02/17 r4	SOLON'S WARNING	Cole Bennett	11.5k	1	0	CLM 13k	decrease 15 before and after

Prof_Factor · Dec 21, 2017

Also, McKnight clearly claimed more from others and I noticed ALL improved almost immediately, anywhere from 5 to 15 speed figure points. Some of the change can be attributed to jockey switch as McKnight usually used one of the top jocks.
I don't think he will fare well against Oaklawn collective, in the claiming game, but I would expect any new McKnight horses that he hasn't raced yet to run better than PP's.

Bruins4Life · Dec 25, 2017

You make it sound as if Woodbine doesn't test horses. They would love to catch him with a positive.

Prof_Factor · Dec 25, 2017

I know when Oaklawn started the random milkshake testing last year, a couple of leading trainers numbers went south. Not just their win percentage numbers, but individual horse speed figures.
The two seemed elegantly correlated.
I hope they do it again this year.

As far as McKnight and Woodbine testing .... I wouldn't venture to speculate.
Speaking of which, I've flipped it around and compiled a list of all McKnight claimees (claimed from others).
He claimed and re-raced 36 horses ... 14 showed notable increases and 2 showed decreases (although 1 was borderline case).

[h=3]McKnight claimee's 2017[/h]

Date	Horse	Old Trainer	Claim	Races	Wins	Current	Speed Fig Flux
04/16/17 r5	BAKERSFIELD	Martin Hinckson	13k	3	0	CLM 10k	decrease
05/22/17 r7	BEARSATLANTICMIST	Reade Baker	40k	7	2	CLM 40k	-
08/06/17 r3	BEST BARD	James Smith	40k	3	0	CLM 60k	-
11/29/17 r5	BREWS TOONIE TOSS	Lisa Burry	6k	1	1	CLM 10k	-
05/28/17 r7	CHEBURASHKA	Robert Tiller	20k	6	2	CLM 25k	-
04/30/17 r6	CONSTANTINO	Mark Casse	40k	6	2	CLM 60k	-
06/09/17 r3	CORRYVRECHAN	John P. LeBlanc	13k	5	1	CLM 10k	increase 15
05/05/17 r8	DAMASCUS ROAD	Mark Casse	20k	4	1	CLM 40k	increase
09/03/17 r6	DAN THE TIN MAN	Ricky Griffith	16k	3	1	CLM 20k	increase 13
11/08/17 r8	DAWNMINO	Lorne Richards	20k	2	1	CLM 60k	increase
06/07/17 r8	DO THE MATH	Elliot Sullivan	8k	2	0	CLM 8k	-
05/19/17 r7	DON CAMILLO	Daniel Vella	40k	4	1	CLM 40k	-
08/26/17 r10	ESCONDERA	Roger Attfield	20k	5	3	CLM 20k	-
11/19/17 r9	FAIRY HILL	Steve Owens	25k	1	0	ALW	-
09/03/17 r10	GIANT STORM	Marilyn McMullen	20k	5	2	CLM 60k	increase
06/30/17 r5	GIZMO JONES	Robert Tiller	13k	6	3	CLM 10k	increase 15
07/21/17 r4	GOLDEN SPEAR	Daniel Vella	20k	2	1	ALW n1x	increase
05/17/17 r5	LUNAR LIGHT	Mark Fournier	10k	8	2	CLM 13k	-
08/05/17 r6	LYLA LORRAINE	Krista Cole	20k	5	1	CLM 20k	increase
08/26/17 r5	MONEY TALKER	Josie Carroll	25k	3	0	CLM 40k	increase
11/10/17 r10	NIIGON'S GLORY	Sylvain Pion	16k	1	0	CLM 40k	-
09/04/17 r5	PENNY STAMP	W. Armata	6k	3	0	CLM 8k	-
09/16/17 r13	PRIZED BOURBON	Darwin Banach	20k	3	1	ALW n1x	increase
09/13/17 r3	REIMAGINED	Niall Collum	10k	3	2	CLM 13k	increase
05/12/17 r4	ROCK N'CANDY	Nicholas Gonzalez	25k	7	1	CLM 40k	-
06/25/17 r7	SASSY OMBRE	W. Gracey	20k	5	2	CLM 32k	increase 15
11/10/17 r10	SEEKING THE BAY	Larry Cappuccitti	16k	1	0	CLM 20k	increase
04/28/17 r8	SMART SPREE	Vito Armata	25k	7	2	CLM 25k	-
06/09/17 r4	SOLON'S WARNING	David Bell	20k	6	3	CLM 13k	-
11/01/17 r4	STRING BIKINI	Ralph Biamonte	10k	2	1	CLM 10k	-
09/24/17 r2	SUNNY'S RAINBOW	Michael De Paulo	20k	3	2	ALW n1x	increase
11/10/17 r10	SUPREME COMMANDER	Sid Attard	10k	1	0	CLM 13k	decrease
08/05/17 r6	THE CRAIC	Michael Doyle	20k	6	3	CLM 60k	-
09/23/17 r9	THIS IS MY NIGHT	Francine Villenueve	16k	2	0	CLM 20k	-
09/03/17 r9	THUNDER POINT	Doinic Polsinelli	10k	4	3	CLM 10k	-
08/23/17 r8	WILLY'S CASTLE	John Charalambous	20k	3	0	CLM 20k	-

Prof_Factor · Dec 25, 2017

In the above tables, I only note substantial changes.
To say that he is that much smarter than all the other horsemen around just seems unimaginable to me.
And then consider the turnaround in just a few weeks in some cases. Magical indeed.