Brad Cox

Ryvit (Competitive Edge), recorded his third victory in-a-row at Oaklawn Park on Saturday afternoon and his first stakes win for the Heiligbrodts. After a debut second Apr. 13 at Keeneland, the bay colt was third May 5 at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Juvenile S. Taking a break, he returned to action in Hot Springs Feb. 18 and was a well-beaten sixth before winning against restricted auction company Mar. 25. Stepping up against optional claimers, the Steve Asmussen trainee won from off-the-pace by 2 lengths Apr. 14. Facing a well-backed...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite and last out GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Forte (Violence) headlined a busy morning beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs as 12 candidates for this year's Run for the Roses turned in their final works for the first leg of the Triple Crown. Last year's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte, who worked a half-mile in company in :49.80 over a fast track, was one of four breezers for trainer Todd Pletcher. Other Pletcher half-mile workers...

3rd-Keeneland, $98,610, Msw, 4-27, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:27.71, ft, 11 lengths. ARDEN'S ASSAULT (f, 3, Violence--Can't Explain {SW & GSP, $219,809}, by Not For Love), debuted to be third when routing in a rained-off event Mar. 18 at the Fair Grounds, made the trek to Keeneland and entered the gate Thursday with added blinkers as the 2-1 choice in a tightly-bunched wagering field. Pushed for speed early by Luis Saez, she stormed to the front along the rail and was never challenged through a half in :46.04. In a one-horse...

Three GI Kentucky Derby hopefuls, as well as a GI Kentucky Oaks potential entrant, worked Wednesday morning over a fast surface at Churchill Downs, the track said in a release on Wednesday. Hiroyuki Asanuma's G2 UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) drilled five furlongs in 1:01.40 and was partnered with Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd.'s Continuar (Jpn) (Drefong), who worked a half-mile in :50. Shortly after those breezes during the 7:30-7:45 training window for Derby and Oaks horses, R.T. Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine's Sun Thunder...

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) recorded his first published workout at Churchill Downs Friday morning when he breezed five furlongs in 1:02 outside stablemate Bright Future (Curlin). Along with Forte's five-furlong move, other Kentucky Derby contenders to record workouts were Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) (six furlongs, 1:13.40); Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) (five furlongs, 1:01); Tapit Trice (Tapit) (four furlongs, :48.60) and Verifying (Justify) (five furlongs, 1:01). Forte was ridden in his workout by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and started about a half-length behind Bright Future....

Spendthrift Farm's duo of GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) and GII Jeff Ruby Steaks runner-up Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) had their penultimate works prior to Kentucky Derby Day when they each breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 Thursday morning at Churchill Downs. The duo clipped through opening eighth-mile fractions of :12.60, :24.40 and :36.20. They galloped out together through six furlongs in 1:13.40. "I think people gave Kingsbarns a discount because of the time of the Louisiana Derby," Spendthrift Farm President Eric Gustavson said. "I don't think you...

Attendees of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club (KTFMC)'s monthly meeting, held Tuesday evening at Limestone Hall, were treated to "A Discussion with North America's Leading Trainers," featuring a panel that included Brad Cox, Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher and Brendan Walsh. FanDuel/TVG host and reporter Scott Hazelton moderated the discussion, as the trainers, who all have GI Kentucky Derby and/or GI Kentucky Oaks contenders in their stables, shared stories about their beginnings and how it all led to where they are today. "I was born in South Dakota and when...

Champion Monomoy Girl displayed many admirable traits during her four years on the racetrack, but those closest to her would be quick to say that she has never exactly been known for her easygoing nature. Independent, tenacious and self-assured would be much better adjectives to describe the GI Kentucky Oaks victress and two-time GI Breeders' Cup Distaff heroine. "She's very sassy, that's for sure," said Florent Geroux, who teamed up with the chestnut daughter of Tapizar for 16 of her 17 lifetime starts. "She's not really a 'people horse' who...

6th-Keeneland, $96,906, Msw, 4-16, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.01, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. SAUDI CROWN (c, 3, Always Dreaming--New Narration, by Tapit), let go at 5-1, chased pacesetting favorite Briterdayzahead (Girvin) while four wide through an opening quarter in :22.29. Some two lengths back following a half in :45.25, the gray colt reeled in the pacesetter with a furlong to run and strode clear with authority to win by 4 3/4 lengths. Wild Thinker (Lord Nelson) chased him home in second, while Briterdayzahead was third. Salde Callaghan purchased Saudi Crown for $45,000...

Flurry Racing Stables and Hoffman Family Racing's Key of Life (Mo Town) is the even-money favorite on the morning line for Sunday's GII Beaumont S. at Keeneland, the lone graded offering of the day in the U.S. The bay filly, who faces six rivals in the seven-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies, comes off a front-running tally in the Mar. 25 Purple Mountain S. While she will be trying seven furlongs for the first time in her career, the Brad Cox trainee already owns a pair of victories over the Keeneland...

Godolphin homebred First Mission, coming off an impressive maiden-breaking score at Fair Grounds last month, made the jump to graded company with aplomb, striding home a determined victor of the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off at 2-1, the dark bay colt sat just off pacesetting Arabian Lion through fractions of :24.12 and :48.01. He cut the corner into the stretch as the pacesetter drifted out into the lane and gamely persevered as that foe drifted back in on him and he was inching clear late. "This...

Two of trainer Brad Cox's four GI Kentucky Derby contenders turned in half-mile works at Churchill Downs Saturday, with GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby third-place finisher Jace's Road (Quality Road) both credited with working, hours apart, in :48.20 (20/99). Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire worked alongside stablemate Tapit's Conquest (Tapit), who was most recently seventh in the Louisiana Derby, just as the track opened at 5:30 a.m. Sporting blinkers while working outside his stablemate through early fractions of :12.40 and...