Brad Cox

A $700,000 daughter of Munnings, Muhimma ran to the billing Friday, streaking home the easiest of winners at Churchill Downs as the 4-5 favorite for Shadwell Stables and trainer Brad Cox. Outrun only by one of the only runners in the field with prior experience in My Lil Punky (Outwork), Muhimma was content to let that rival handle the tempo up the backstretch, sitting second through fractions of :22.36 and :45.11. Moving under her own devices under a motionless Florent Geroux, the favorite cruised up along the outside of the...

With better than three months left on the racing calendar for 2024, 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has already locked up the 3-year-old filly championship, having dominated her peers in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn Stakes and GI Coaching Club American Oaks. She lost little in defeat when running fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) to a head in the GI Travers Stakes, but she returns to her own sex for Saturday's $1-million GI Cotillion Stakes, the first half of a Grade I double in...

For many lifelong racetrackers, it's a natural ascent to start out as a hot walker, move up to becoming a groom and perhaps eventually, work your way towards exercise riding. That wasn't the case for Edgar Revolorio, groom of GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Highland Falls (Curlin). Revolorio grew up around horses in his native Guatemala and when he moved to Texas to work with Quarter Horses, he started out there as an exercise rider. As he gained experience on the racetrack and learned more about the art of grooming,...

In a deal that came about unexpectedly for Rodney Eckenrode's Equistar--the training and breeding operation east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that stands Smarty Jones and Brody's Cause--GSW Zozos (by Munnings) will join the farm's stallion roster for 2025 with a stud fee of $2,500 in the offing. The dark bay who was bred and campaigned by Minnesotans Barry and Joni Butzow recently retired from trainer Brad Cox's shedrow after a career which began at three. Zozos's career highlights include a runner-up finish in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds...

Godolphin's Highland Falls (Curlin) outdueled favored Arthur's Ride (Tapit) and strode home an easy winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sunday at Saratoga. The 4-year-old earned his first top-level victory, as well as an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, and gave jockey Flavien Prat his record-setting 13 graded win of the meeting. Arthur's Ride, coming off a win in the GI Whitney Stakes, rushed up and over from his outside post and had a clear advantage heading into the first turn through an opening quarter...

Brightwork (Outwork), who returned from a 10-month layoff to win the GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga Saturday, could make her next start in the GII Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 19, if all goes well, according to trainer John Ortiz. "We'll let her tell us where to go next," Ortiz said. "This is the biggest effort I've seen her lay out in the afternoon--she was running against 3-year-olds that have been running and I want to make sure she comes out of it in good shape and has enough...

The 2024 GI Spinaway Stakes was a tale of the haves and the have-nots. On one hand, there was just a single stakes winner in the field. But that runner, The Queens M G (Thousand Words), was looking to sweep the 2-year-old stakes on offer at Saratoga this season--a feat not commonly accomplished. Lined up to oppose her was a talented group of maiden winners led by 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon) and Godolphin homebred Immersive (Nyquist). And of the 11 fillies lined up seeking Grade I glory, only...

1st-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 8-31, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.60, fm, 2 1/4 lengths. DESTINO D'ORO (f, 2, Bolt d'Oro--Heart of Destiny {GISP, $242,089}, by Lion Heart), debuting at 8-1 in her first start since bringing $185,000 at OBS April earlier this year, found herself towards the back of the field after a slightly awkward beginning and was kept off the pace on the outside as Wonderland (Medaglia d'Oro) set speedy fractions of :23.06 and :46.01. Out in the center of the track around the far turn, she came roaring up...

In the GIII Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds over the grass at Saratoga on Friday afternoon, West Hollywood (Uncle Mo) was the winner, but the race was marred by the first racing fatality of the summer season as The Big Torpedo (Big Brown) had to be euthanized on the track, according to details provided by a release from NYRA. Owned by Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro and James Klein, The Big Torpedo (#5)--who was in the process of making every pole a winning one--sustained a catastrophic injury to his left front leg...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--There was a steady stream of people ambling over to trainer Kenny McPeek's barn at the Annex behind the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. They all wanted to send good thoughts to him and his 3-year-old filly, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), as Saturday's $1.25 million GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course quickly approached. McPeek, standing outside his office with his canine companion Sonny at his side, accepted all the positive vibes. Some lucky ones were even able to secure a pink Thorpedo Anna baseball cap, which were...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Brad Cox said he was listening to a radio show a few days ago and his ears perked up when the chat got to the upcoming GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in November. "They were talking about Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) being a good matchup, and I was like, 'wow, she is completely forgotten," trainer Brad Cox said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track Thursday morning. 'She' is Idiomatic (Curlin), and if anyone has put her...

2nd-Saratoga, $90,000, (S), Msw, 8-21, 2yo, 6f, 1:11.65, ft, 3 1/4 lengths. SACROSANCT (c, 2, Honest Mischief--Vibrato, by Unbridled's Song), the 8-5 favorite, strode home an easy 3 1/4-length victor of his debut at Saratoga Wednesday, becoming the first winner for his freshman sire (by Into Mischief). The bay colt rushed up to press the pace down the backstretch through an opening quarter in :22.58. He took over approaching the stretch as the half went up in :46.12 and was well in control despite drifting slightly down the lane. Skytown...