Brad Cox

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. Nautilus (c, 2, by Cairo Prince--Pantanal, by Congrats) has every right to move forward with a race under his belt following a better-than-it-looked fourth on debut behind a blowout 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Cazadero (Street Sense) at Churchill Downs May 29. Drawn on the fence in that five-furlong affair, the $130,000 OBS March breezer (:10) was quickly outsprinted while under a ride and raced in tight quarters...

A live bugler played a first-race call to post that echoed and reverberated in front of a cavernously empty grandstand, and track announcer Travis Stone preceded his season-opening call with the declaration that "Better late than never, they're in the gate at Churchill Downs." But once the horses were off and running for Saturday's 11-race card, a sense of business-as-usual settled in--at least as defined by the new normalcy terms of spectator-free, pandemic-era racing in America. "It was surreal. I watched the first race of the season from the infield...

Champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) returned a winner after 18 months on the sidelines. Hammered down to 1-2 favoritism at the oval where she registered her two greatest triumphs, the chestnut was away in good order from the two-hole and was perched in a close-up fourth off the fence as Fashion Faux Pas (Flatter and Talk Veuve to Me (Violence) dueled through early splits of :22.87 and :46.33. Talk to Veuve to Me took control entering the far turn, but Monomoy Girl came roaring up behind her and was in front...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-CD, $85K, Alw/Opt. Clm ($80K), 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 2:32 p.m. ET Wildly popular champion MONOMOY GIRL (Tapizar) headlines a stacked opening day card at Churchill as she makes her long-awaited return in the day's fourth race. Unseen since locking up her 3-year-old filly title with a score in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff over this track in 2018, the chestnut has overcome a variety of issues and comes back with a snappy worktab in tow for trainer Brad Cox. Showing a half-dozen breezes at...

Ever since Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) surged past the Churchill Downs finish line to take the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, fans have eagerly awaited her return. It's been a long road over the past year and a half, but the now 5-year-old Eclipse champion is slated to make her 2020 debut beneath the Twin Spires Sat., May 16. The five-time Grade I winner will be the star of Churchill Downs' opening day, facing six other fillies and mares in a one-mile $80,000 allowance optional claimer. Her competition includes dual stakes...

A total of 162 horses, headlined by returning champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), were entered Tuesday for Saturday's opening day card at the Churchill Downs spring meeting. Off since winning the 2018 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl returns in the fourth race, a conditioned allowance event at one-mile on the main track with a purse of $85,000. "It's been a long time coming but we are thrilled for [Monomoy Girl] to return to the races," said trainer Brad Cox. "She's been working great down at Keeneland since late March and...

For racing fans missing the familiarity of the GI Kentucky Oaks this Friday, a loaded 14-horse field of talented sophomore fillies are ready to step in and take their star turn in the $400,000 GIII Fantasy S., which kicks off a sorely-needed blockbuster stakes weekend at Oaklawn. Favored at 2-1 on the morning line is Venetian Harbor (Munnings), making her first start in nearly three months. A debut second at even-money sprinting over the Del Mar turf Nov. 15, the $110,000 Keeneland September graduate moved to the main track Dec....

Clint and Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Wells Bayou (Lookin at Lucky), most recently winner of the GII Louisiana Derby, continued training towards a potential start in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby with a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 (9/17) at Oaklawn Park Sunday. Wells Bayou, on the outside during his drill with maiden stablemate Wild Union (Bayern), was credited with splits of :24.40 for his opening quarter-mile, :36.80 for three furlongs, :48.40 for a half-mile and galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven furlongs in 1:26.40....

Bellafina (Quality Road), tuning up for the Apr. 25 Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park, worked four furlongs in :47.80 (20/105) under Joe Talamo at the Hot Springs oval Saturday morning. Clockers caught the 4-year-old filly with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.20. "Unbelievable," Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. "Absolutely skipped over the track this morning." Bellafina, who shipped in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base Tuesday, was having her first work over the Oaklawn track Saturday. The three-time...

Given the clamor across social media through the week, one thing was certain heading into Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby--there was absolutely no chance that Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky) was going to go off at anything approaching his morning line of 8-1. Those that backed him were instead forced to swallow a price in the vicinity of 3-1, but the bay did not let them down, treating his 13 rivals to a front-running, 1 1/2-length beating. Exiting the Feb. 17 GIII Southwest S. in which he laid down swift...

Following a tweet from Rockingham Ranch owner Gary Hartunian that he was sending the horses he had with Jorge Navarro to trainer Brad Cox, Cox told the TDN that he would not be accepting the horses. "It's not true," Cox said of Hartunians's tweet. "After everything that has been going on the last day and a half, I don't feel comfortable accepting any of the horses that are involved in this situation." Cox's statement came after Hartunian tweeted the following Tuesday morning: "All of my horses with Jorge are being...

Spots are still available for owners in two new Churchill Downs Racing Club horses. Trainers Brad Cox and Tommy Drury will pick out and train an unraced 2-year-old for each of the new groups. Established in 2016, the club gives 400 people (200 per club) a low-cost pathway to introduce and experience the enjoyment of Thoroughbred racehorse ownership for the one-time membership dues of $500. Gary Palmisano will represent the club's interest and serve as a liaison for the club's members. Benefits include regular e-mail updates on the horse, visits...