If it was a case of who beat who and by how much, Zozos' stakes audition was a smashing success.
Facing winners for the first time in his two-turn debut, Zozos roared to a 10 ¼-length victory in Friday's featured eighth race at Oaklawn, a $100,000 entry-level allowance, to remain unbeaten in two lifetime starts for trainer Brad Cox and breeder/owners Barry and Joni Butzow.
Among the horses Zozos ($9.80) vanquished was heavily favored Barossa, who dead-heated for second in his first start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset after previously being based in Southern California with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Barossa was exiting a third-place finish, beaten 10 lengths, in the $300,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) Dec. 11 at Los Alamitos. The 1-2 finishers, Slow Down Andy and Messier, were separated by a length in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Messier was a 15-length winner of the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) Feb. 6 at Santa Anita in his 3-year-old debut. Slow Down Andy is scheduled to make his 3-year-old debut in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds.
Cox, the reigning two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer, said Zozos will be pointed to a major Kentucky Derby points race, but when and where are question marks.
“He'll get time now,” Cox said after watching his horses train Saturday morning at Oaklawn. “I'm not running him back quick. So, if anybody's asking, he's going to get his time. He's going to get one big swing and then he'll tell us. He could pop up in the Louisiana Derby, the Arkansas Derby or the Blue Grass. There are other options, so we'll give him the time. He looked like he came out of the race in great shape.”
The $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) is Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds. The $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) is April 2 at Oaklawn. The $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) is April 9 at Keeneland.
Zozos, a son of Munnings, had to work hard in his career debut victory, a grinding half-length decision at 6 furlongs Jan. 23 at Fair Grounds. Friday was a breeze under Florent Geroux.
Zozos stalked Barossa through modest fractions of :23.83 for the opening quarter and :48.92 for a half-mile before taking command on the outside turning for home. Zozos was four lengths clear in midstretch and the advantage snowballed in the run to the wire. The winning time over a fast track was 1:44.40.
“Ran good,” Cox said. “We liked him a lot when he ran first time. I thought his first race was OK. Bounced out of it in good order and gave us a good work last week. That's why we ran him back a little quick, quicker than normal. Thought it was a good run. Was encouraged to see that he'd like two turns. Kind of thought he would, but you never know until you try it and he showed us what we needed – obviously to a Derby prep.”
Geroux was riding Zozos for the first, but said he had been on the colt in the morning “a long time ago.” Geroux noted that Zozos was on his left lead through the stretch in his debut, possibly a sign of greenness. Zozos switched to his right lead, on cue, in the upper stretch Friday.
“I expected him to run a good race, but he ran even better than I expected,” Geroux said. “It was a good surprise. I thought he would like the distance. It's great, hopefully, for the future. We hope he can step it up at the stakes level. It looked like he improved a lot stretching out and ran a much straighter race than he did the first time, too, so that was encouraging.”
Geroux and Cox teamed to win the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G2) for older horses in 2020 at Oaklawn with Warrior's Charge, another son of Munnings.
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