Brad Cox

11th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f, 5:58 p.m. ET. LNJ Foxwoods campaigned champion female sprinter Covfefe (Into Mischief), whose first registered foal ELLEN JAY (Constitution)--also trained by Brad Cox--will bear the gold and royal blue colors for her unveiling under the Twin Spires. A half-sister to Japanese multiple group stakes winner Albiano (Harlan's Holiday), Covfefe is also responsible for 2-year-old colt in-training Rothko (Tapit) and she has a new filly on the ground by Gun Runner. TJCIS PPS 3rd-BAQ, $75K, Msw, (S), 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34 p.m. ET. Gold Square...

Albaugh Family Stable's Catching Freedom (Constitution) is being considered for a start in the GI Preakness S. at Pimlico a week from Saturday, Jason Loutsch, co-owner and racing manager for the operation, told the Pimlico media office. Settled far off the strong early pace of the GI Kentucky Derby by Flavien Prat, the $575,000 Keeneland September yearling made a long run into contention, sneaking through inside in upper stretch before staying on into fourth, beaten two lengths behind the three-horse photo. Loutsch said the GII Louisiana Derby winner, trained by...

Godolphin's 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense), impressive winner of the GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs May 3, will take the next logical step in the $1-million GI Stephen Foster S. beneath the Twin Spires Saturday, June 29. "He ran a huge race," trainer Brad Cox told the Churchill media office. "We're very proud of his effort, Down the lane, it seemed like he was getting stronger as he got closer to the wire." Favored at just over even-money in the 8 1/2-furlong Alysheba, the homebred sat handy...

12th-Churchill Downs, $125,885, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 5-3, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.08, sy, 4 1/4 lengths. ALMOSTGONE ROCKET (f, 3, Into Mischief--Bound {MSW, $419,174}, by Jump Start) became a 'TDN Rising Star' off her 11 3/4-length thrashing of the field in her Oaklawn debut Apr. 5. Adding just a half-furlong here, the 2-1 favorite sat just off the frontrunners as Mink's Palace (Palace Malice) led through fractions of :22.75 and :45.96. Once given her head, the filly unleashed a wide bid around the turn, swept right on past that...

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Weeks and months of preparation, with a healthy dose of good luck, are complete. A full field of 20 will line up for the 150th anniversary renewal of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Much of the pre-race hype has revolved around the defending juvenile champion Fierceness (City of Light). A runaway winner in the GI Florida Derby in his latest start, the 'TDN Rising Star' has been training like a beast, signaling he is ready to do big things come Derby day. His trainer, Todd...

LOUISVILLE, KY-Offering a preview of what may be to come in Churchill's next two day's Classics, 'TDN Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) continued a power-charged run for trainer Brad Cox when taking the GIII Alysheba S. The win was the second graded win of the afternoon for Cox, who also took the La Troienne S. with Idiomatic (Curlin), and it was the third straight win for jockey Florent Geroux, who also won with Idiomatic and Ova Charged (Star Guitar) in the GIII Unbridled Sidney S. T O Saint Denis...

LOUISVILLE, KY -- Heading up to Friday's first graded stakes race of the day at Churchill Downs, trainer Brad Cox appeared to be oozing confidence in regard to the returning champion older dirt female Idiomatic (Curlin) in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne S. In the 8 1/2-furlong test for fillies and mares, the Juddmonte homebred proved that Cox's instinct had been spot on, winning by 3 3/4-lengths over Free Like a Girl (El Deal) in the slop. Installed the 4-5 favorite, she argued the issue with Dorth Vader (Girvin), who...

For an eighth straight year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering bonus money totaling $100,000 to trainers who run a minimum of five horses in the 15 Thoroughbred stakes races during Preakness weekend, May 17 and 18, at Pimlico Race Course. The blockbuster weekend includes a total of 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $4.4 million in purses. The trainer with the most points will receive $50,000, second is worth $25,000, third $12,000, fourth $7,000, fifth $4,000 and sixth $2,000. Points are accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third...

This week's morning action at Churchill Downs only served to entice onlookers by the sheer breadth and quality of contenders set to line up for the 150th renewal of the GI Kentucky Oaks and its undercard Friday. A stacked field of 14 is set for the Oaks, led by the 7-2 morning line choice Tarifa (Bernardini), who drew post 8 but moves in to the seven slot following Thursday's scratch of Tapit Jenallie (Tapit). Flavien Prat has the mount on the GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks...

Godolphin homebred Encino (Nyquist), winner of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Apr. 13, has been scratched from Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby. Trainer Brad Cox said that Encino will not run in the Kentucky Derby after being off after training Tuesday morning. Also-eligible Epic Ride (Blame), a longshot third for trainer John Ennis while making his dirt debut in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 6, will draw into the field. Encino will not run in the @KentuckyDerby per trainer Brad Cox. Also-eligible Epic Ride draws...

After a busy weekend of works, it was a relatively quiet morning for the 20 contenders for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Monday. Only two Derby horses are expected to have published workouts this week, with Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and T O Password (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}) scheduled to work Tuesday morning. A day before those works, both Japanese runners followed similar routines Monday, warming up in the mile chute for a half-hour before galloping a mile and a half and then returning to the...

With the assignment of GI Kentucky Derby post positions over the weekend, speculation takes a (slight) shift toward logical assessment. Here are some random takeaways on, well, randomness now that fate has left its gentle impression on the field... Dornoch getting buried in post one didn't exactly help the chances of two full-brothers winning the Derby in back-to-back years. This son of Good Magic will have a tough enough task getting out ahead of the field from the rail--which has an 8.5% Derby win rate since the use of a...