Brad Cox

The worktab at Churchill Downs Saturday morning was replete with many of racing's biggest names scheduled to make an upcoming start during next month's Breeders' Cup, including champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), GI Preakness S. heroine Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Grade I-winner Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike). Targeting the Distaff, the 2018 3-year-old champion filly completed six furlongs in 1:12. Working in tandem with GSW and GISP Owendale (Into Mischief, 6f 1:13), the 5-year-old carved out eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00, galloping out in front of her stablemate...

MGISW War of Will (War Front) kicked off the Breeders' Cup action Friday morning at Churchill Downs. With jockey Declan Carroll in the irons, the bay went in fractions of :11.60, :23.40, :34.80 and :46.80. They galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.20, seven furlongs in 1:24.80 and a mile in 1:38.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. War of Will has made all three of his starts this season on turf, most recently finishing third in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile, but is being pointed for the GI Breeders'...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-KEE, $70K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 5:30 p.m. ET A number of juveniles with strong established form take on some well-bred newcomers in a salty Keeneland finale Thursday. Juddmonte homebred American Patrol (American Pharoah) will be sent out by Bill Mott, who trained his half-sister Emollient (Empire Maker) to local all-weather wins in the 2013 GI Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Juddmonte Spinster S. as well as a pair of highest-level victories going 10 panels on the grass. Emollient has already produced...

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) repeated her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy debut victory with a record-setting success in Keeneland's GII J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine S., a "Win and You're In" event for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at this oval Nov. 6. Running the field off their feet from the start, the 280,000gns TATOCT purchase graduated by five lengths going a mile on the lawn at Churchill Downs Sept. 1. She was hammered down to 3-2 favoritism to repeat in this black-type bow. Taking up her...

Mike Maker edged defending champion Brad Cox and two-time winner Steve Asmussen to claim the top prize in the Maryland Jockey Club's $100,000 Sentient Jet Trainer Bonus offered to horsemen for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend, Oct. 1-3, at Pimlico Race Course. Maker led the way with 43 points, three more than Cox and Asmussen, to earn a $50,000 bonus. Maker registered wins with 2-year-old colt Catman (Kitten's Joy) in the Laurel Futurity S. and 3-year-old filly Evil Lyn (Wicked Strong) in the S. He also ran...

Attempting to follow up on a victory by fellow Godolphin-bred Maxfield (Street Sense) in last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity, Essential Quality (Tapit) thoroughly dominated his competition to score, thus earning a trip to next month's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Three paths wide into the first turn as Upstriker (Upstart) assumed the earning advantage, Essential Quality pressed that rival through an initial quarter in :23.97. Challenging for the lead despite pilot Luis Saez kept his feet set firmly in the dashboard, the homebred poked his head in front following a...

Appearing well on her way to a divisional championship, Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord (Ire) hit a roadblock named Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) last time out, and the two will face off once more in a six-horse renewal of Saturday's GI First Lady S. at Keeneland, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Filly & Mare Turf. Runner-up for a Champion Juvenile Filly Eclipse Award after a dominant 2018 campaign that culminated in a 6 3/4-length GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf romp, Newspaperofrecord had a lost...

After bypassing the GI Kentucky Oaks, Juddmonte homebred Bonny South (Munnings) is the clear-cut filly to beat in Saturday's GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico. The chestnut broke through with a last-to-first upset in the GII Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21, then was a well-beaten fourth in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland July 11. She bounced back with a good second behind the GI Preakness S.-bound Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) in the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga last time Aug. 15. "The biggest thing...

A field of nine, including several impressive debut winners, are set to line up in Saturday's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. at Keeneland, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Founder (Upstart) was green, but awfully good at first asking, graduating by a neck over his Chad Brown-trained stablemate and next out winner Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in the Saratoga mud going six furlongs Aug. 29. He brought $600,000 from Jeff Drown and Don Rachel after breezing a quarter in :21 flat at OBS March. Godolphin...

A trio of 'TDN Rising Stars,' including unbeaten Thoughtfully (Tapit), will square off in Friday's GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The rail-drawn Thoughtfully, tabbed as a 'Rising Star' out of a blowout debut win for Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs June 11, made good on the promise with a sparkling performance in Saratoga's GII Adirondack S. Aug. 12. The $950,000 FTSAUG graduate tries two turns for the first time here. Drawn one to her outside is fellow...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PAIR OF BLUE-BLOODS DEBUT IN NY 4th-BEL, $63K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6f, 2:30p.m. Regally bred Godolphin homebred TACTICAL MOVE (First Defence) debuts for Bill Mott in this test off of a string of bullet works, most recently breezing a best-of-30 half-mile in :49 flat on Saratoga's Oklahoma track Sept. 21. He is out of Grade I winner Game Face (Menifee), who is also responsible for GSP Coliseum (Tapit). Chad Brown also unveils a well-bred runner in Juddmonte homebred Starfront (Malibu Moon), a half to GSP Eloquent...

For the fourth consecutive year, the Maryland Jockey Club is offering the $100,000 Sentient Jet Trainer Bonus to horsemen that accumulate the most points during stakes races over GI Preakness S. weekend, Oct. 1-3 at Pimlico Race Course. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen captured the $50,000 prize in both 2017 and 2018 but finished second to Brad Cox in 2019. Led by the 145th running of the Preakness, presented this year as the final jewel in a refashioned Triple Crown and a "Win and You"re In" qualifier for the...