Brad Cox

Essential Quality (Tapit) overcame some mid-stretch traffic trouble and shot away from his rivals to easily capture Saturday's fourth race at Churchill Downs and earn 'TDN Rising Star' status in the process. Bet into 19-10 favoritism in what appeared to be a strong race on paper, the Godolphin homebred broke without incident and settled in about sixth position down the backstretch racing in about the four path. Sent along to split horses at the 2 1/2-furlong pole, he was full of run, but was forced to steady sharply while short...

Heavy favorite Gamine (Into Mischief)'s stiffest competition in Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks figured to come from a daughter of Daredevil--just not 15-1 Shedaresthedevil, who led home a one-two for her exported stallion over second choice Swiss Skydiver. The Flurry Racing Stables LLC, Qatar Racing Limited and Big Aut Farms representative covered the nine furlongs at Churchill Downs in an Oaks record of 1:48.28 (Bird Town, 2003, 1:48.64). The winning margin was 1 1/2 lengths, with the same margin back to 7-10 Gamine in third. Trainer Brad Cox and rider Florent...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-Churchill Downs, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m. Mike Rutherford's homebred BIG LAKE (American Pharoah) debuts for trainer Steve Asmussen. The chestnut colt is the first foal out of Resistivity (Student Council), who was third in the 2014 GII Forward Gal S. Brad Cox saddles Godolphin firster Essential Quality (Tapit), a son of graded placed Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality). TJCS PPs 5th-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, 7f, post time: 2:01 p.m. Shadwell Farm's homebred MUNQAD (War Front), a half-brother to GIII Gotham S. winner Shagaf...

After missing the entire 2019 season due to injury and colic, 2018's champion sophomore filly Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) returned to Grade I glory with an easy score in Friday's GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Downs. Away in good order from the outside stall in this eight-horse affair, the 2-5 chalk was four-wide rounding the first turn in a joint third as Lady Kate (Bernardini) hustled up to the front with Risky Mandate (Strong Mandate) shadowing her through a :23.4 opening quarter-mile. Racing off the fence in third, Monomoy Girl...

OXO Equine's Travel Column (Frosted) sailed to an impressive 4 1/4-length debut win at Churchill Downs Friday and was quickly awarded the 'TDN Rising Star' label. Sent off at 9-2, the gray filly was third in the early strides as Off We Go (Air Force Blue) jumped out to the early lead. Off We Go briefly had a clear advantage, but Travel Column, racing keenly, rushed up to press the pacesetter through fractions of :21.27 and :44.42. She surged to the lead at the top of the stretch and was...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-CD, $97K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 11:30 a.m. ET Gary Barber and Baccari Racing Stable's SALTY AS CAN BE (Into Mischief) opens her account in this sprint, the second event on a star-studded GI Longines Kentucky Oaks day card at Churchill. Bought for $850,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga, the bay is a half-sister to Salty (Quality Road), who won the GI La Troienne S. over this track for these connections in 2018 before selling for $3 million to Don Alberto at Fasig-Tipton November. Other interesting firsters...

OXO Equine's Mundaye Call (Into Mischief) may not be ready to face the big girls in Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks, but the progressive bay will look to punch her ticket for a date with the top fillies of her class in the near future as a looming short-priced proposition on the undercard in the GII Eight Belles S. Bought for the hefty sum of $950,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, Mundaye Call was just nipped when second by a head debuting for Don Chatlos at 4-5 last summer at Saratoga....

It was two years--and four months--ago that Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) gamely dug in past the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs to earn a victory in the GI Kentucky Oaks. This Friday, the popular champion will be in action at Churchill Downs on Oaks Day once more, this time as a 5-year-old in the GI La Troienne S., her first try in a Grade I since being sidelined for all of 2019. Following her Oaks triumph with scores in the GI Acorn S., GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Longines...

Joe Talamo, recently relocated from the West Coast, won his first jockey's title on the Kentucky circuit after riding 20 winners at Ellis Park's Runhappy Summer meet which concluded Sunday. "It feels really good," said Talamo, who won a race both Saturday and Sunday to pull out of a tie with Rafael Bejarano. "Obviously Bejarano didn't ride the last couple of weeks, so that definitely helped quite a bit, in all honestly. But more than anything, I was just really happy that we got into some nice barns and outfits...

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables' GI Ashland S. victress Speech (Mr Speaker)--third in the TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10--drilled a half-mile in :47.60 (XBTV video) beneath exercise rider Osman Cedeno over the Churchill Downs main track Friday morning, her final major work ahead of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks Sept. 4. Working by her lonesome in the 7:30-7:45 a.m. window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses, the Mike McCarthy trainee galloped through an opening quarter-mile in :24 flat and pulled up five furlongs in 1:00.20. It was the...

1st-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-23, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.14, fm. CALDEE (f, 2, More Than Ready--Holiday's Jewel {SP, $393,052}, by Harlan's Holiday), let go at a tick under 9-1 off an even fifth-place run sprinting on the dirt here July 19, seemed to find her preferred surface Sunday with a dominant front-running score. Facing minimal early resistance as she cruised along through splits of :25.25, :49.49 and 1:13.58,  the bay had plenty left in the tank for the stretch drive, and widened at will to defeat fellow second timer Uptown...

Victoria Ranch's King Guillermo (Uncle Mo), off since a runner-up effort in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby, worked a bullet five furlongs in :59.40  (1/46) Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in preparation for the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. With jockey Miguel Mena aboard, the bay colt worked through splits of :24.40, :36.80, and :48 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12. As he neared the wire, Mena had to navigate King Guillermo through a trio of slowing horses and directed the colt from the rail to the far...