Brad Cox

Godolphin homebred Immersive (f, 3, Nyquist--Gap Year, by Bernardini), the unbeaten Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly of 2024, got back on track with her first visit to the winner's circle as a 3-year-old. It's not that she was ever far from it: two months after her GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies win, Godolphin announced she would be given some time off due to bone bruising. Immersive returned to the races in June at Churchill, finishing a neck behind MSW & GISP Take Charge Milady (Take Charge Indy) in the Monomoy Girl...

The cars scooting along on the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike may have little from a speed standpoint on Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby in Northeast Philly, as the pace looks to be very much on and that could help those with stalking or closing ability in the final age-restricted Grade I of the season around two turns. But make no mistake: speed has been king--by and large--in the $1-million contest over the past dozen years or so. The Bob Baffert-trained Bayern (Offlee Wild)--next-out winner of a much-discussed GI Breeders' Cup Classic--future champion...

Irad Ortiz, Jr., a five-time Eclipse-champion jockey and this country's leading rider by races won in each of the last eight seasons, will relocate from New York to Kentucky for the fall season. He will join a riding colony that also includes his brother Jose Ortiz, who is also represented by agent Steve Rushing. "My agent and I have talked about this for a little while now," Ortiz Jr. said. "There's a lot of business in Kentucky and the racing is really strong." The veteran reinsman had four rides on...

On Time Girl (f, 2, Not This Time) became the 12th 'TDN Rising Star' for her leading young Taylor Made sire--his eighth this year--at Churchill Downs Thursday evening. Off as the 2-1 second choice following a 2 1/2-length debut victory for Brad Cox at Ellis Park Aug. 3, the Albaugh Family homebred raced in between rivals in the early stages and made a flashy move into second heading into the far turn. She turned up the heat on the leader at the top of the stretch and leveled off with...

The unique Kentucky Downs meet featured on its Wednesday closing day card the GIII Blackwood Dueling Grounds Oaks Invitational Stakes, which was won in circuitous fashion by the late-running exploits of Fionn (Twirling Candy--Gaelic Gold, by Giant's Causeway). Never out of the money across seven prior starts, the filly christened her stakes run with a victory in the Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Mar. 8. Turning in a respectable third to the stellar Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 8, the...

4th-CD, 127k, Alw, N2L, 2yo, f, 6f, 6:30 p.m. ET    'TDN Rising Star' Tennessee Belle (Yaupon), a runaway winner at second asking for owner Boyd Racing and trainer John Ortiz at Saratoga Aug. 16, takes on winners for the first time on Churchill's opening day program. The daughter of MGISW Belle Gallantey (After Market) was previously a debut second behind subsequent GI Spinaway S. heroine and fellow 'Rising Star' Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) at the Spa July 26. The $75,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $160,000 Fasig-Tipton February yearling RNA'd...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The photo had just been taken in the winner's circle after the second race at Saratoga Race Course Thursday afternoon and before Cadenza (Charlatan) even left, Blake Cox was on the phone. It was his dad, Brad Cox, checking in from Kentucky. Brad Cox is the trainer of record for the stable, but it's 24-year-old son Blake, his top assistant, who runs the show in Saratoga. "I told him she ran good," Blake Cox said after walking out of the winner's circle and making his way...

1st-Kentucky Downs, $162,080, Msw, 8-28, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.90, fm, 4 lengths. AGGRESSIVE LIME (f, 2, Authentic--Cool Beans {MGSP, $262,650}, by Candy Ride {Arg}) broke from the middle of the gate as the 9-5 favorite and set a hotly-contested pace push every step by Riotous (Charlatan) through the opening half in :47.30. Those two traded the lead back and forth around the far turn but Aggressive Lime found the long Kentucky Downs straight to her liking and powered clear through the final furlong to graduate first out by four lengths....

5th-Horseshoe Indianapolis, $32,000, Msw, 8-25, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:36.31, gd, 8 3/4 lengths. GLOBAL ASSET (c, 3, Street Sense--Mexican Gold {GSW & G1SP-Fr, GSP-USA, $234,810}, by Medaglia d'Oro) closed from well back on debut June 14 over this course, and came in second over two next-out winners. Made the 3-5 favorite for this jump, he stumbled badly out of the gate but managed to recover to track from midpack as the pacesetter put up an opening quarter in :23.29 and four furlongs in :47.85. Moved from his ground-saving trip to the...

Brad Cox is native son of Louisville, Kentucky and proud of it. He also never goes anywhere without his trademark blue and white Brad Cox baseball cap. Career dreams? Of course he has them. One of these days, he might even take a vacation. Brad sat down with the TDN's Tim Wilkin to talk about that and a whole lot more. Here is the final installment of the Saratoga Q&A TDN: You grew up two blocks from Churchill Downs, correct? Brad Cox: That is correct. TDN: And you got a...

'TDN Rising Star' Patch Adams (Into Mischief) made it two straight top-level victories sprinting at the Spa with a game performance in Saturday's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. The rail-drawn, 5-2 favorite secured a fantastic pocket trip on the inside in third beneath Luis Saez behind the two-for-two 'Rising Star' Midland Money (Shancelot) and 'Rising Star' Captain Cook (Practical Joke) through an opening quarter in :22.38. Back a spot into fourth through a half mile in :44.52, Patch Adams shot through an opening along the fence as they straightened...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Though he was well aware of her pedigree, trainer Brad Cox said he didn't need a piece of paper to help him forecast Fille d'Oro's (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) future. "She didn't show us much on the dirt at Keeneland when she came in," Cox said. "She struggled a little bit on the dirt. We transferred her over to the synthetic and she really improved. Then we breezed her up here on the turf last week and she was really nice, a really good move." In...