K One King, following his victory in the Oaklawn Handicap earlier this year.
K One King, who beat Almutawakel, Cat Thief, and Budroyale in winning the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. I) in April, has been purchased by Graham J. Beck's Gainesway Farm and will stand for $6,500 in 2001 at that Lexington nursery."K One King was a very fast 2- and 3-year-old who was just hitting his stride when he won the Oaklawn Handicap at four," said Gainesway director of sales Michael Hernon. "K One King is an imposing, athletic, and correct horse who defeated top horses in a grade I. We're just happy to own him and will decide later whether to syndicate him." The horse has been at Gainesway since suffering a strained suspensory ligament in his right front leg in the June 17 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. II).K One King captured two of his four starts as a 2-year-old in 1998 and won the President's and John Battaglia Memorial Stakes the following year for Yoshiko Sato and trainer Akiko Gothard. Following the Battaglia, he was bought by Allen and Madeleine Paulson, but remained with Gothard, and ran second in the Gallery Furniture.com Stakes (gr. II) behind Stephen Got Even in his final Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep. K One King sustained ankle chips in the Derby, but still finished only 4 1/2 lengths behind winner Charismatic. K One King was sidelined the remainder of the year, and came back in the winter of 2000 at Gulfstream Park, where he won an allowance race. Following his win in the Oaklawn Handicap, he finished unplaced in the Pimlico Special Handicap (gr. I) and the Stephen Foster in what was his final start. K One King (Apalachee -- Tis Michelle, by Native Charger) enters stud with six wins from a dozen starts and earnings of $683,010.
