Know More captures Best Pal in first career start

Breaking from the outside post 8 with Garrett Gomez, Know More got away in

good order and avoided rookie mistakes. The son of Lion Heart eased back off the

pace and showed poise while rating kindly down the backstretch.

Up front, Amarish was zipping through fractions of :22 4/5 and :45 4/5. Heir

Kitty, one of two fillies in the field, advanced to chase the leader. Turning

into the stretch, she was full of run, and made what appeared to be a winning

move when driving past Amarish.

But Know More was answering every question put to him by Gomez. The

first-timer lengthened stride on cue on the far turn, switched leads in the

stretch, and kicked into gear. Although Heir Kitty tried to respond, Know More

proved irresistible as he collared her and completed 6 1/2 Polytrack furlongs in

1:16. Dispatched as the 8-1 fourth choice, the winner paid $19.20, $8.80 and

$9.80.

"We're blessed with three or four good maidens right now," O'Neill said, "and

we're trying to keep them separated. We thought he was the best one so we'd try

him in this race.

"Garrett (Gomez) was kind enough to come out and work him a couple of times,"

the trainer added, "and when he said he would take the mount for us, that

cinched it."

Know More, who opened his bank account with $90,000, was bred by Joseph

LaCombe Stables in Kentucky. First bringing $130,000 as a Keeneland September

yearling, he was sold to his current connections for $210,000 as a two-year-old

in training at Barretts in May.

The bay colt is a half-brother to former O'Neill trainee Classical Slew,

winner of the 2009 Willard L. Proctor Memorial and third in the Hollywood

Juvenile Championship as well as the next season's Grade 2 San Vicente. They

were produced by the Seattle Slew mare Seattle Qui, who is herself a half-sister

to German highweight older mare Que Belle, the dam of Grade/Group 3 scorers

Osidy and Quetsche. Others in the immediate family include Austrian champion

Italian Stallion and Group 2 stars Johann Zoffany and Quelle Amore.

Know More's third dam is the noted producer Qui Royalty, responsible for

English champion two-year-old colt Bakharoff, U.A.E. highweight Emperor Jones,

Grade 3-winning matron Sum and stakes scorers Demonry, Appointed One, Majlood

and Thyer.

Know More's accomplishment has garnered him a spot in the annals of Southern

California racing. Del Mar's Senior Media Coordinator Dan Smith recalls the last

time a first-time starter won a stakes on the Southern California circuit was in

1974 at Santa Anita when the three-year-old filly Modus Vivendi, who raced for

Ben Ridder, was trained by Gordon Campbell and was ridden by Don Pierce, won the

La Centinela Stakes.

"Now it's on to the Futurity," O'Neill said of the next target.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com