Sunday, Del Mar
BEST PAL S.-GII, $150,000, DMR, 8-5, 2yo, 6 1/2f (AWT), 1:16, ft.
1--+#@KNOW MORE, 117, c, 2, by Lion Heart
        1st Dam: Seattle Qui, by Seattle Slew
        2nd Dam: Qui Bid, by Spectacular Bid
        3rd Dam: Qui Royalty, by Native Royalty
($130,000 yrl '11 KEESEP; $210,000 2yo '12 BESMAY). O-J Paul Reddam; B-Joseph LaCombe Stables, Inc (KY); T-Doug F O'Neill; J-Garrett K Gomez; $90,000. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $90,000. *1/2 to Classical Slew (Bernstein), SW & MGSP, $129,520. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ 'Triple Plus' Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.



2--Heir Kitty, 119, f, 2, Wildcat Heir--Be Silver, by Silver Buck. ($19,000 RNA wlng '10 OBSOCT; $32,000 2yo '12 OBSAPR). O-David A Bernsen, Michael Bloom, Lisa Kruse & Altamira Racing Stable; B-Pedro Gonzalez & Jorge Herrera (FL); T-Peter Miller; $30,000.
3--Miss Empire, 120, f, 2, Empire Maker--Miss Excitement, by Rajab. ($85,000 yrl '11 KEESEP; $165,000 2yo '12 OBSMAR). O-Gary & Cecil Barber & Kevin Tsujihara; B-Dan & Frank Cassella (KY); T-Peter Miller; $18,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 8.60, 9.90, 16.40.
Also Ran: Heir of Storm, Scherer Magic, Amarish, Moreno, K Court.
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Taylor Made Sales.
   The Reddam/O'Neill connection may have found the colt to fill the void left by dual Classic winner I'll Have Another (Flower Alley) with Know More, who they thought so much of that they unveiled him in a Grade II. He didn't disappoint. The bay, who breezed a :10 flat eighth before bringing $210,000 at Barretts May, came in with a steady, though not particularly speedy series of drills. He remained a reasonably well-kept secret to be let go at 8-1 against a solid-looking field here, but made both his purchase price and price on the board look like major value once the running was done. 
   Know More was kept well in the clear by pilot Garret Gomez early as he cruised along in mid-pack behind a free-running Amarish (Scat Daddy). He dropped back a few slots around the turn and it appeared briefly as if he'd have little say in the outcome, but Gomez soon called on his colt for more and got an immediate response. Know More lugged in at the top of the lane, but switched leads when given a left-handed stick and accelerated quickly to run down the filly Heir Kitty with a convincingness that belied the final margin. Even-money choice Sherer Magic, the subject of some ill-fated bridge jumping off his victory in the GIII Hollywood Juvenile Championship July 14, had no response when asked the question and trudged home fifth.
   "He's been a work in progress in the mornings," said Gomez of the winner. "He's been on edge, especially mentally. He wouldn't relax. He'd be too much into his game. So we've been working with him, between the ears, to slow him down. Get him to enjoy his work. I've worked him two or three times in the morning, working to get him to be more comfortable. Today, he did it right. He broke out of there good and he relaxed. When I asked him to move up on the backside, he did it just fine. Then he went to running... We just have to be hopeful that he's all that we think he is."
      O'Neill, on the decision to unveil Know More in this spot, explained, "We're blessed with three or four good maidens right now and we're trying to keep them separated. We thought he was the best one so we'd try him in this race. Garrett was kind enough to come out and work him a couple of times and when he said he would take the mount for us that cinched it." He added, "It exceeded our expectations. We were expecting him to put in a good effort, but you never expect something like this right out of the box." Know More is expected to return for the GI Del Mar Futurity Sept. 5.