Will Knows earns Indiana HBPA Winningest Horse of 2019

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Nov. 8, 2019) – It was a great season for Trainer Genaro Garcia and Owner Bruce Murphy as they took home top honors in their respective categories. One boost from the barn came in the form of Will Knows, who won five races during the 120-day meet to be named Indiana HBPA’s (Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association) 2019 Winningest Horse of the Year at Indiana Grand.

Will Knows caught the eye of Garcia and Murphy in the early stages of the 2019 racing season at Indiana Grand. They claimed him for $10,000 out of his first start for 2019, which was a win for his previous connections. From there, the four-year-old gelded son of Wilko reeled off three more consecutive wins. In nine starts for 2019, Will Knows completed the season with five wins, two seconds and one third, only missing the top three one time all year.

“We got him after the first race of the year and what a fantastic horse he turned out to be,” said Murphy, who co-owns the horse with Garcia’s Southwest Racing Stables. “He’s a pleasure to have in the barn. He’s not a beautiful horse to look at, but he’s so good natured and we are very blessed to have him.”

Will Knows also completed the season with more than $71,000 in earnings. He even tried his luck in the $100,000 Brickyard Stakes, which was the only time he wasn’t among the top three finishers. The Indiana bred ended his season at the end of October with a second place finish, rallying from behind in his personal style to just miss the win by one-half length.

Will Knows was presented with a blanket courtesy of the Indiana HBPA, which honors the top horse with the most wins each season. O’Prado Perk from the Tony Granitz Stable, also completed the year with five wins, scoring a streak of four victories to end the season. However, the three-year-old Paddy O’Prado gelding had less second place finishes and earnings which gave the nod to Will Knows for the award.

Three different jockeys rode Will Knows to victory this season with DeShawn Parker, Jose Riquelme and Leading Jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. guiding him to victory. Pedroza was aboard for three of his five wins in 2019.

Jon Schuster, vice president and general manager of racing, and Kevin Greely, director of racing, made the presentation to Murphy during the final day of racing Wednesday, Nov. 6. Photos by Coady Photography