The W. L. McKnight Stakes is an American Grade 3

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

held annually at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 20 ...

. Inaugurated in 1973 at

Calder Race Course Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo. The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic r ...

it remained there through 2013 when the track closed. In 2017 a race condition was changed from being open to horses age three and older to those who were four and older. A race on turf at a distance of a mile and one-half, due to safety concerns it was shifted from the turf course to the main dirt track in 1993, 2005, and 2013. The race was named for

William L. McKnight William L. McKnight (November 11, 1887 – March 4, 1978) was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded the McKnight Foundat ...

, the founder of

Tartan Farms William L. McKnight (November 11, 1887 – March 4, 1978) was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded the McKnight Foundat ...

. Prior to 2019, it was run as the W. L. McKnight Handicap.

Historical notes

Twilight Eclipse has the distinction of winning the McKnight Handicap back-to-back on two different racing surfaces. At Calder Race Course, the

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

won the race on grass in 2012 and in 2013 on dirt after it was switched from a soggy grass course to the dirt track. It was only the second time in his career that Twilight Eclipse had run on dirt. In 1995, Flag Down set the race record that still stood when the Calder track closed. Flag Down was bred by

Windfields Farm Windfields Farm was a six square kilometre (1,500 acre) Thoroughbred horse breeding farm that was founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Origin The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor originated w ...

and raced by

Allen Paulson Allen Eugene Paulson (April 22, 1922 – July 19, 2000) was an American businessman. Business career in aviation Born in Clinton, Iowa, Allen E. Paulson was on his own at age 13, supporting himself selling newspapers and doing janitorial wor ...

who at the time was also racing the great future U. S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

. Of its fifty-three runnings, no female horse has won the McKnight.

Records

Speed record: * 2:25.90 @ 1 miles on Gulfstream Park turf course: Taghleeb (2017) * 2:24.11 @ 1 miles on Calder turf course: Flag Down (1995) Most wins: * 2 – Flying Pidgeon (1985, 1986) * 2 – Twilight Eclipse (2012, 2013) * 2 –

Presious Passion Presious Passion (foaled March 5, 2003) is a multiple Graded stakes race, Grade I winning Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred in the United States, he is a gelded son of multiple Grade I winner Royal Anthem and the unraced mare, Princesa's Pa ...

(2007, 2008) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 4 – José Santos (1985, 1986, 1990, 1995) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 – Michael J. Maker (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023) Most wins by an owner: * 2 – Buckram Oak Farm (Mahmoud Fustok) (1980, 1982) * 2 – Constance Daparma & Marjan Stable, Inc. (1985, 1986) * 2 – Patricia A. Generazio (2007, 2008) * 2 – West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc. (Terry Finley CEO) (2012, 2013) * 2 –

Ken & Sarah Ramsey Kenneth L. "Ken" Ramsey (born 1935) and Sarah Kathern "Kitten" Ramsey (February 5, 1939 – May 29, 2022) are horse breeders and owners of Thoroughbred race horses. They have multiple graded stakes winners, three Breeders' Cup winners, and the R ...

(2015, 2018) * 2 – Michael M. Hui (2017, 2019)

Winners

References

{{reflist Graded stakes races in the United States Turf races in the United States Open middle distance horse races Horse races in Florida Gulfstream Park Calder Race Course Recurring sporting events established in 1973 1973 establishments in Florida