Best retired two stallions to Taylor Made–GISW Instilled Regard (Arch) and GSW/GISP Instagrand (Into Mischief)–for their first seasons last year, with both represented by their first foals in 2022. A majority of his broodmare band, over 50 strong, will go to one of the two and are expecting foals by either of the young sires this year, but Best also supports another former runner who also entered stud last year in MGISP Rowayton (Into Mischief) at Diamond B Farm in Pennsylvania. He also uses a number of outside stallions.

With his first recorded start as an owner in 2017, Best has amassed a large and stellar group of broodmares in a short time, and said, “OXO has three priorities. 1, Quality. 2, Quality. 3, Quality.”

“OXO Equine has collected an unbelievably accomplished, well-bred, and beautiful group of mares,” said Taylor Whalen. “It is a joy to work with such an exceptional group. Larry has done a wonderful job of identifying young mares with active families. Breeders should pay close attention to the depth of his support for Instilled Regard and Instagrand. Both Instilled Regard and Instagrand were precocious accomplished racehorses, and they are receiving a caliber of mares that many stallions don't see until they are well established. Great things are in store for both OXO stallions and mares.”

With an addition of 18 maiden mares currently lined up for this season, in 2021 Best bred 33 mares he boards at Taylor Made. All but one of them went to Instagrand, Instilled Regard, or Rowayton. Every one of his maiden mares in 2022 is going to either Instagrand or Instilled Regard and all but 10 of his other mares will also stay with one of his own stallions.

Said Taylor Whelan, “Though OXO is excited and committed to support their own well accomplished stallions, they see the value in rotating top mares to interesting outside stallions. Essential Quality and Practical Joke both fit the mold. They were accomplished on the track, from the top two most powerful sire lines (Tapit/Into Michief) and have racing and commercial upside. We also learn from what goes well! We are taking Hung the Moon back to Quality Road. Her exceptional yearling colt by Quality Road was purchased last summer at Saratoga by Maverick Racing.”

Following is a selection of some of the biggest names in Best's broodmare band and their plans.

BEAU RECALL (IRE) (m, 8, Prancealot {Ire}–Greta d'Argent {Ire}, by Great Commotion), to be bred to Instagrand

Best acquired this MGSW for $350,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. She went to Instilled Regard for her first season last year and will visit Instagrand this year.

BLUE PRIZE (ARG) (m, 9, Pure Prize–Blues for Sale {Arg}, by Not For Sale {Arg}), to be bred to Practical Joke

Best purchased the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner for a sales-topping $5 million at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. He sent her to Into Mischief for her first foal, now a yearling filly. The MGISW and $2.6-million earner is due to Instagrand this year and will be bred back to Practical Joke. Taylor Whalen said the farm is very high on Blue Prize's yearling by Instagrand's sire.

CAMBIER PARC (m, 6, Medaglia d'Oro–Sealy Hill, by Point Given), to be bred to Instagrand

Out of Canada's 2007 Horse of the Year who has since produced four graded winners, Cambier Parc was a $1.25-million buy for Best at the 2017 Keeneland September sale and turned into a MGISW for him while under the tutelage of Chad Brown. The mare's first foal is due this year–an Instilled Regard foal–and she will be sent to the court of Instagrand.

CONCRETE ROSE (m, 6, Twirling Candy–Solerina, by Powerscourt {GB}), to be bred to Essential Quality

Another GISW in the OXO broodmare band, Concrete Rose was a $1.95-million acquisition by Best at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. The mare recently made headlines again when she delivered her first foal, which also happened to be one of the first reported foals by Instagrand.

FINITE (m, 5, Munnings–Remit, by Tapit), to be bred to Instagrand

Picked up at Fasig-Tipton November just two months ago for $2.2 million, Finite is a MGSW out of a full-sister to MGSW Tapiture. She is one of the maidens headed to Best's Instagrand.

INDIAN MISS (m, 13, Indian Charlie–Glacken's Gal, by Smoke Glacken), to be bred to Practical Joke

A $1.9-million buy by OXO at the 2020 Keeneland November sale, Indian Miss is the dam of 2019 champion sprinter Mitole (Eskendereya) and additional GISW Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow), who is slated to contest the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26. The oldest and most accomplished broodmare to date in the OXO broodmare band, Indian Miss is currently in foal to Instagrand and will go back to Practical Joke. Best also has her yearling colt by Into Mischief.

Let us know who you're breeding your mares to in 2022, and why. We will print a selection of your responses in TDN over the coming weeks. Please send details to: garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans: OXO Equine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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The 5-year-old daughter of Tapizar gave Cox his first Grade 1 win in the Ashland in April of 2018. Since then, even without Monomoy Girl in his barn for the entire 2019 season, Cox's career has skyrocketed; he has now won 15 Grade 1 races as a trainer.

“It's hard to put into words what she means to me,” Cox said on Wednesday's Breeders' Cup teleconference. “Monomoy Girl put us in a position to have an opportunity to have eight, maybe nine horses in the Breeders' Cup this year. Horses like her definitely kickstart your career and get you to a different level.”

Cox trains the potential favorites in both the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Essential Quality and Aunt Pearl.

Essential Quality, a 2-year-old son of Tapit owned by Godolphin, won the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 3.

“I think the sky's the limit with this horse,” Cox said. “He's had a race over the Keeneland track, he trained there a good bit of the summer, and he's had two nice works since his last race… I'm hoping he gets a good trip and he'll be in the mix.”

Aunt Pearl, a 2-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega, set a track record in the G2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland last out.

“She's a very fast filly who's able to carry her speed around two turns,” said Cox. “She had a really, really nice work last Friday at Churchill.”

In the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Cox may be represented by both Owendale and Knicks Go.

A Grade 1 winner at two, the now-4-year-old Knicks Go was transferred to Cox's stable over the winter. He's won a pair of allowance races this season, first at Oaklawn in February and last out at Keeneland, setting a track record on Oct. 4.

“We're 100 percent committed with Knicks Go,” Cox said. “He had a setback and minor surgery after the race in February, and there was talk of retiring him… When he came back he trained extremely well just like last winter, and he had his three-other-than condition. We took advantage of that at Keeneland, but we didn't expect him to break the track record. Obviously he loves Keeneland. Before that race, it never crossed my mind to run him in the Breeders' Cup. But after that performance… he has early speed and with the short stretch, I think he'll be a factor.”

The trainer isn't sure whether Owendale will start in the Breeders' Cup. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief was most recently second in the G3 Pimlico Special, and may alternatively target the G1 Clark at the end of the Churchill Downs November meet.

“Owendale worked well with Monomoy Girl last week, and I feel like he's doing well,” Cox said. “If we don't land in the Dirt Mile, we'll go in the Clark.”

Cox's other Breeders' Cup entrants are: Abarta (Juvenile Turf), Beau Recall (Mile), Factor This (Mile), and Arklow (Turf).

In terms of Monomoy Girl, the mare has been entered in the Nov. 8 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Cox left the door open, however, when asked if she might return to race again in 2021.

“A lot of Monomoy Girl's future depends on her performance on Breeders' Cup day,” Cox said. “It was a long road, we had a couple of setbacks in '19, and took a lot from our staff and for everybody involved with her to get her back to compete and to win a Grade 1. We feel like she's better this year than she was in '18.”

The post ‘It’s Hard To Put Into Words’: Cox Grateful For Career-Boosting Champion Monomoy Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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On Saturday, trainer Brad Cox's barn worked five of their nine probable runners in this year's Breeders' Cup. Most notably taking to the track was superstar mare Monomoy Girl. The likely favorite in the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (GI) worked with her regular pilot Florent Geroux aboard and started about one length behind stablemate Owendale. Owned by Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables, Monomoy Girl swiftly worked through eighth-mile splits of :12, :24.40, :36.20, :47.80 and 1:00. Monomoy Girl galloped out in front of Owendale through seven furlongs in 1:26.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols. Owendale completed his six-furlong move one second slower than Monomoy Girl in 1:13.

“Anyone you put with Monomoy, she seems to always out-work them,” Geroux said. “She's worked with a lot of really good horses in the past and Owendale is a really good horse. She just always gets the better of them.”

“There's not much really to say about her other than she's just really, really, really good right now,” Cox added. “We'll see what the future holds for her but as a 5-year-old she's showing how mature she's become.”

Cox's morning started at 5:30 a.m. when Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway's $2.4 million earner Arklow worked outside of stablemate Plainsman through splits of :12.60, :24.80 and :47.80. Plainsman completed five furlongs in :59.80. Arklow, who was ridden by Geroux, continued to gallop out around the clubhouse turn in front with a six-furlong gallop out in 1:11.80. The $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf (GI) will mark Arklow's 30th career start but only the second with the addition of blinkers.

“I wish I would've added the blinkers in start 19 instead of 29,” Cox joked. “He's really turned the corner since we put them on for the Kentucky Turf Cup Classic (G3) last out. This year has been interesting with this horse. He ran a good race in June (in the $100,000 Louisville) and we ran him back in the Elkhorn where he didn't run bad but I had the not-so-great idea of sticking him on a plane and running six days later at Monmouth (in the G1, $315,000 United Nations). After he finished fourth that day, I said we have to make a change and add blinkers. It really worked out in the Kentucky Turf Cup, which in and of itself turned out to be a really interesting race when there was a torrential downpour before the running of the race.”

Immediately following Arklow's move, Cox worked Korea Racing Authority's four-time winner Knicks Go, who recently cruised to a 10 1/4-length score at Keeneland in a conditioned allowance event. The gray son of Paynter worked solo through early fractions of :24.40 and :48 with a six-furlong gallop out of 1:12.80.

“This horse has really come around,” Cox said. “I hope we can get into the Dirt Mile because I think he will really like two-turns and have a pace advantage with his stamina.”

Also in the first set of Cox horses was Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's recent $350,000 First Lady (GI) runner-up Beau Recall (IRE), who is likely to face the males in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (GI). She worked by herself through fractions of :13.20 and :25.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.80.

In Cox's next set he worked Gaining Ground Racing's 12-time winner Factor This, who easily breezed through splits of :13, :25.40 and :49.20. The recent winner of the $250,000 Dinner Party (GII) worked outside of stablemate Gold Standard.

The fastest recorded five-furlong move of the morning came from Allied Racing Stable's $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) contender By My Standards when he whipped through fractions of :12, :23.40 and :34.80 with jockey Gabriel Saez aboard. The duo galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 and completed seven furlongs in 1:24.80.

“Last week was the first work we did a little bit something serious with him (since he won the Alysheba),” Calhoun said. “He was full of energy and bounced around great after it. It's been a different year for sure losing a few races here or there. We were fortunate to have (the Alysheba) on the undercard of the rescheduled Derby. We probably could've shipped somewhere around the country but our goal was how to get him to the Breeders' Cup Classic. We decided to stay here run in the Alysheba and point to the Breeders' Cup from there.

“Some really good horses look like they're coming together (for the Classic) and horses that have beaten us. Tom's d'Etat beat us (at Churchill in the Stephen Foster). I have a ton of respect for him. Maximum Security hasn't done anything wrong in his career. It's a top group of horses that we'll have to turn the tables on them. … I think By My Standards has been very consistent this year and has gotten better as the months have gone on.”

The aforementioned Tom's d'Etat, who has been off since his troubled third-place effort in the $750,000 Whitney (GI) in early August, continued his serious preparation for the Classic with a solid six-furlong move under jockey Miguel Mena. The duo worked with stablemate Oak Hill. Tom's d'Etat, owned by G M B Racing, worked through splits of :12.20, :23.80, :47.20 and 1:00. Oak Hill completed five furlongs in 1:01.

“The schedule with the pandemic got a little awkward with everyone,” Stall said. “The races didn't quite work out in the calendar quite right for him. My gut feeling said to go into the Classic fresh anyway and when the last round of stakes races came out I didn't like the way they were placed so we stuck with the plan to train up to the race.”

Just before Tom's d'Etat worked, a trio of horses from the Kenny McPeek barn worked solo for the Breeders' Cup. Among them was recent $1 million Preakness Stakes (GI) heroine Swiss Skydiver. With Robby Albarado in the saddle, the classy 3-year-old filly breezed through fractions of :12.40 and :24.40.

“She was pulling today and feeling really good with the cool weather,” Albarado said. “No complaints, she feels amazing. … I'm going to gallop her the last five days before the race as I did at Pimlico. We're going to see how she's doing and make a decision (about the Classic or Distaff) from there.”

Robby Albarado on Swiss Skydiver: “She feels amazing.”

McPeek also worked $1 million Juvenile Fillies (GI) probables Simply Ravishing and Crazy Beautiful. The one-two finishers, respectively, in the $350,000 Alcibiades (GI) had eerily similar workouts. Crazy Beautiful worked through fractions of :12.20 and :24.20, while Simply Ravishing went :12.20 and :24.40.

The Saturday morning action completed around 9:20 a.m. with CJ Thoroughbreds, Left Turn Racing and Casner Racing's $500,000 Derby City Distaff (GI) third-place runner Sally's Curlin who breezed through opening splits of :12.40, :24, :36.40 and :48.40. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40.

Starting on Friday at Churchill Downs, there will be a special training period for Breeders' Cup contenders from 7:30-7:45 a.m. The special training session is scheduled to run through Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The full list of Breeders' Cup contenders that worked Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included the following horses:

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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 in 1:26.40 for seven furlongs.

“Anyone you put with Monomoy, she seems to always out work them,” said Florent Geroux, the chestnut’s regular partner. “She’s worked with a lot of really good horses in the past and Owendale is a really good horse. She just always gets the better of them.”

Added trainer Brad Cox, “There’s not much really to say about her other than she’s just really, really, really good right now. We’ll see what the future holds for her, but as a 5-year-old, she’s showing how mature she’s become.”

Cox’s morning started at 5:30 a.m. Arklow (Arch)worked outside of GSW Plainsman (Flatter) through splits of :12.60, :24.80 and :47.80. Plainsman completed five furlongs in :59.80. Arklow, accompanied by Geroux, galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.80. The GI Breeders’ Cup Turf will mark Arklow’s 30th career start, but only the second with the addition of blinkers.

“I wish I would’ve added the blinkers in start 19 instead of 29,” Cox joked. “He’s really turned the corner since we put them on for the [Sept. 12 GIII] Kentucky Turf Cup Classic last out. This year has been interesting with this horse. He ran a good race in June (in the $100,000 Louisville) and we ran him back in the Elkhorn where he didn’t run bad but I had the not-so-great idea of sticking him on a plane and running six days later at Monmouth (in the Grade I, $315,000 United Nations). After he finished fourth that day, I said we have to make a change and add blinkers. It really worked out in the Kentucky Turf Cup, which in and of itself turned out to be a really interesting race when there was a torrential downpour before the running of the race.”

Also in the first set of Cox horses was GI First Lady S. runner-up Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who appears likely to face the males in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. She worked by herself through fractions of :13.20 and :25.60, galloping out five furlongs in 1:03.80.

Among the leaders of this season’s crop of sophomore fillies, the Oct. 3 Classic winning Swiss Skydiver continued her march toward Breeders’ Cup day with a four-furlong move in :47.80. With Robby Albarado in the saddle, the Ken McPeek-trained filly breezed through initial fractions of :12.40 and :24.40.

“She was pulling today and feeling really good with the cool weather,” said Albarado. “No complaints, she feels amazing…I’m going to gallop her the last five days before the race as I did at Pimlico. We’re going to see how she’s doing and make a decision [about the Classic or Distaff] from there.”

McPeek also worked Juvenile Fillies probables Simply Ravishing and Crazy Beautiful. The one-two finishers, respectively, in the GI Alcibiades S. worked separately, posting internal fractions of :12.20 and :24.20, and capping off the move in :48 flat.

Tom’s d’Etat, who has been off since a troubled third in the Aug. 1 GI Whitney S. in early August, posted a solid six-furlong move under jockey Miguel Mena in preparation for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. Breezing in tandem with Oak Hill (Distorted Humor), last year’s GI Clark winner worked six panels in 1:12.80, with internal splits of :12.20, :23.80, :47.20 and 1:00. Oak Hill completed five furlongs in 1:01.

“The schedule with the pandemic got a little awkward with everyone,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said. “The races didn’t quite work out in the calendar quite right for him. My gut feeling said to go into the Classic fresh anyway and when the last round of stakes races came out, I didn’t like the way they were placed so we stuck with the plan to train up to the race.”

The fastest recorded five-furlong dirt breeze of the morning was registered by Classic contender By My Standards (Goldencents), who completed the task in a crisp :58.60. Rolling through initial fractions of :12, :23.40 and :34.80 with jockey Gabriel Saez aboard, the winner of the Sept. 4 GII Alysheba S. galloped out six furlongs in 1:11 and rounding out seven panels in 1:24.80.

“Last week was the first work we did a little bit something serious with him [since he won the Alysheba],” said trainer Bret Calhoun. “He was full of energy and bounced around great after it. It’s been a different year for sure losing a few races here or there. We were fortunate to have [the Alysheba] on the undercard of the rescheduled Derby. We probably could’ve shipped somewhere around the country, but our goal was how to get him to the Breeders’ Cup Classic. We decided to stay here run in the Alysheba and point to the Breeders’ Cup from there.

Also making an appearance on Saturday’s worktab at Churchill, recent GI Woodward H. winner Global Campaign (4f, :48; Classic), GII Dinner Party S. scorer Factor This (The Factor) (5f, 1:02; Mile), 2018 GI Breeders’ Futurity winner Knicks Go (Paynter) (5f, 1:00.20; Dirt Mile), GSW Sally’s Curlin (Curlin) (4f, 1:01.40; Filly & Mare Sprint), and Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}) (5f, 1:04.20; Juvenile Fillies Turf).

At Keeneland in Lexington Saturday morning, a trio of hopefuls also continued preparations for the Breeders’ Cup. Chief among them was Jesus’ Team (Tapiture), who breezed five panels over a muddy track in 1:00.80 in advance of the GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Grade I winner Ollie’s Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}), who is slated to contest the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“It was a good work and he will come back again next Saturday [Oct. 31] and work a half-mile,” said trainer Jose D’Angelo. “I have only been in this country a year. I have not been here to race, but I have been to the sales.”

Third in the Preakness, the former claimer also finished third in the GII Jim Dandy S. Sept. 5.

Ollie’s Candy, runner-up in her latest start in the Oct. 4 GI Juddmonte Spinster S., will try to improve on a fourth in last season’s Distaff. The first worker over the freshly harrowed track at 7:30 a.m., the John Sadler-trainee posted a bullet five furlongs in :59 over a muddy track. The 5-year-old reeled off internal splits of :23, :47.40, galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.60. Juan Levya, assistant to Sadler, was aboard.

“She got over the track really well and galloped out well,” Leyva said.

Ollie’s Candy has been cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect (Book 1, Hip 83) in Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale. The sale begins Nov. 9.

Following Keeneland’s second morning renovation break Saturday, Bellafina (Quality Road), who is expected to make her next start in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, worked five furlongs on her own in 1:00.60 with Nick Bush aboard.

Second in the Filly and Mare Sprint to champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) last year, Bellafina posted fractions of :11.40, :23, :35.40, 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.20.

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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 3-year-old campaign, running second as a prohibitive favorite in the GIII Edgewood S. and GIII Wonder Again S. before a disastrous last-place run in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. Returning after 11 months on the shelf, the ‘TDN Rising Star’ looked like her old self with a four-length score in the GIII Intercontinental S. and three-length success in the GI Just A Game S. at Belmont. Left alone on the lead at 1-2 in the GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. Sept. 5, she was overhauled late with no visible excuse.

The bay faces other speed in here, which could set up Beau Recall for a long overdue Grade I victory. Placing in the GI Del Mar Oaks as a 3-year-old, she added runner-up finishes in the Just A Game and GI Rodeo Drive S. last season and was second to Newspaperofrecord in this year’s Just A Game. Fifth at 6-5 in the GII Yellow Ribbon H. Aug. 8 at Del Mar, she bounced back with an 8-1 upset in the Distaff Turf Mile, her fourth Grade II success.

It’s now or never for champion Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) to get her 6-year-old campaign on track. Annexing the GI Matriarch S. to close out 2018, the chestnut went three-for-four last year, including a score in this race and a fast-finishing triumph over males in the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile to wrap up her Champion Turf Female title in a loaded year for the division. This year though, she ran an even third in the Just A Game at even-money and never made any impact in an uncharacteristically dull seventh in the GI Fourstardave H. Aug. 22 at Saratoga.

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“There are four Grade 1s here (in which we are entered), so I figured I'd better stay here,” said Cox, whose Grade 1 activity at Keeneland begins with Travel Column in Friday's Darley Alcibiades and concludes Sunday with Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Shedaresthedevil going in the Juddmonte Spinster. “I sent my son Blake and my assistant from Indiana Grand (Ricky Giannini) to Pimlico.”

Travel Column, owned by OXO Equine, will be trying to give Cox a second consecutive Darley Alcibiades victory following the 2019 triumph by Eclipse Award winner British Idiom.

“She worked with (Claiborne Breeders' Futurity-G1 entrant) Essential Quality last Saturday (at Churchill Downs) and it was the first time I had worked them together,” Cox said about Travel Column. “They went five-eighths in :59 and 4 and galloped out three-quarters in 1:12 and 2. I have done as much as I can with them in the morning.

“Now they have to get good trips. There are solid horses in both races.”

Godolphin, which won the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity with Maxfield last year, owns Essential Quality.

In Saturday's First Lady (G1) Presented by UK HealthCare, Cox sends out Beau Recall (IRE) for Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing. Beau Recall is coming off a repeat victory in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) last month in which she ran down First Lady rival Newspaperofrecord (IRE).

“She has had two maintenance works since and is doing well,” Cox said. “I hope she gets the same setup that she had the last time.”

Cox has a 24 percent win rate in 2020 and ranks second among North American trainers with $11,945,923 in earnings. On Saturday, in addition to Keeneland and Pimlico, Cox will have runners at Belmont and Hawthorne.

His Pimlico invasion begins Friday afternoon with Owendale, the 2019 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) winner, in the Pimlico Special (G3). His biggest guns Saturday are Bonny South in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan (G2) and Factor This in the Dinner Party (G2).

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The First Lady is one of five graded stakes on Saturday's 11-race program at Keeneland that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET, and will go as Saturday afternoon's eighth race at Keeneland, with a 4:51 p.m. post time.

Robert LaPenta, Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners and Bethlehem Stables' Uni (GB), the champion grass mare of 2019, will try to become the first repeat winner of the First Lady as she headlines a field of six.

Uni used the First Lady last year as a springboard to victory over the boys in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Santa Anita. She finished seventh as the favorite in her most start in the Fourstardave (G1) against males at Saratoga and prior to that was third in the Just a Game (G1) to stablemate and First Lady rival Newspaperofrecord (IRE).

Owned by Klaravich Stables, Newspaperofrecord will be making her Keeneland debut. Winner of the 2018 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Churchill Downs, Newspaperofrecord finished second in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs.

Joel Rosario will ride Uni and break from post five. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Newspaperofrecord and break from post four.

Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's Beau Recall (IRE) turned the tables on Newspaperofrecord in the Distaff Turf Mile after finishing second to her in the Just a Game. Trained by Brad Cox, Beau Recall will break from post position one and be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

The field for the First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare, from the inside with riders, is: Beau Recall (IRE) (Leparoux), Dalika (GER) (Luis Saez), Daddy Is a Legend (James Graham), Newspaperofrecord (IRE) (Gaffalione), Uni (GB) (Rosario) and Crystal Lake (Joe Talamo). All starters will carry 124 pounds.

The post Stablemates Uni, Newspaperofrecord Headline ‘Win And You’re In’ First Lady appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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It was trainer Brad Cox's fifth win in the past two days at Churchill Downs, after saddling a pair of maiden special weight winners in Travel Column and Essential Quality, Monomoy Girl to win the G1 La Troienne, and Shedaresthedevil to win the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

“I thought she had a big shot midway down the lane,” said Cox. “She did exactly what Manny (Franco) was instructed to do. He actually did exactly what Irad (Ortiz Jr.) did in the race last year when she won it. The race in California (the Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap) she never had a shot. I want to thank those owners for allowing her to run here at Churchill. She loves it here. We sort of knew coming into this week that it could be a big week for our stable. This is our home and to have this sort of weekend on the biggest stage in the sport is really special.”

Ridden for the first time by Javier Castellano, the Chad Brown-trained Newspaperofrecord went straight to the lead out of the gate. She pulled away to an easy two-length lead around the clubhouse turn, setting her own fractions of :23.99 and :47.93 under a moderate hold. Juliet Foxtrot and Belle Laura were up close in second and third, while La Signare, Beau Recall, and Daddy Is a Legend made up the rest of the field.

Rounding the far turn, La Signare was making up a lot of ground on the outside but never appeared to be a threat to the loose-on-the-lead Newspaperofrecord. The heavy favorite pulled away by several lengths at the top of the stretch, but appeared to idle on the front and was caught by the giant late rally of Beau Recall.

Beau Recall blew by Newspaperofrecord in the final sixteenth, crossing the wire about two lengths in front. Newspaperofrecord had to settle for second, with La Signare checking in third. Juliet Foxtrot finished fourth.

“She knows how to get it done,” Franco said. “I just rode her with confidence. I let her have the target in front of us. I was patient until we got in the clear and that's when I asked her to run and she just exploded.”

Bred in Ireland by Tom Wallace, Beau Recall is out of the Great Commotion mare Greta d'Argent. She was a $19,025 yearling at the Tattersalles Ireland sale, and broke her maiden in her home country before shipping to the United States. Under the care of trainer Simon Callaghan, the mare tallied a Grade 2 victory and a trio of graded stakes placings through November of 2018, and then was transferred to trainer Brad Cox.

Beau Recall won a listed stakes at the Fair Grounds, then was entered in the 2019 Keeneland January sale but did not meet her reserve when bidding stopped at $385,000. She returned to the track and racked up wins in the G2 Distaff Turf Mile and G2 Yellow Ribbon in 2019, and this year's edition of the Distaff Turf Mile is her first victory of 2020.

Overall, Beau Recall's record stands at 8-8-0 from 29 starts for earnings of over $1.4 million.

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His father was good friends with Eduardo Inda, the right-hand man for Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and an integral part of the team that campaigned John Henry to the Hall of Fame as well.

“So I was able to be around John Henry quite a bit,” Cosato said. “I've got pictures with me and John Henry before and after he won the Santa Anita Handicap in 1982. John Henry was my lifelong favorite – until Beau Recall came along. For her to be at that level, in my mind, speaks volumes.”

Beau Recall, a 6-year-old Irish-bred mare, is the defending champion in Saturday's $150,000, Grade II Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares which will be run for the 68th time.

“It was a lengthy inquiry for something I didn't think merited being brought up in the first place,” Cosato recalled. “But in the end, the stewards' decision was the one we were hoping for.”

The Yellow Ribbon was one of three victories and three runner-up efforts in a six-race 2019 campaign for Beau Recall that accounted for $605,600 of her `more than $1.1 million in career earnings. The Yellow Ribbon was her second Grade II victory of the year, coming three months after a 10-1 upset in the Distaff Turf Mile, which gave Cosato and partners the thrill and prestige of going to the winner's circle before 150,729 spectators at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Cosato doesn't favor one over the other. He savors both.

“Any time you win one of those big races it's just a complete blessing,” Cosato, who grew up in Temple City and now lives in Sierra Madre, said. “Nothing beats winning at home, and I'm a Californian who has been coming to Del Mar since I was a kid.”

Beau Recall has raced twice in 2020. She finished ninth of 14, albeit beaten only 2 ¼ lengths, in the Mint Julep at Churchill Downs on May 30 and second in the Grade I Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on June 27.

“Her comeback race (Mint Julep) turned out to be nothing more than a workout,” Cosato said. “She never had room to run, never got to unleash the late kick that makes her so good.”

In the Just a Game, Beau Recall's late charge came up three lengths short against front-running Newspaperofrecord but a half length ahead of Uni, winner of the 2018 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar and an Eclipse Award as the top female turf runner last year.

Beau Recall prevailed over five rivals, among them multiple stakes-winning Vasilika, in the 2019 Yellow Ribbon. There are seven others entered Saturday, among them Jolie Olimpica, winner of two graded turf sprints at Santa Anita this year and Keeper Ofthe Stars, who took the Grade I Gamely in May.

Beau Recall may carry the colors of Slam Dunk – a name Cosato chose because of the many friends/clients he has with NBA or college basketball backgrounds – but a victory Saturday is nowhere near such a high percentage opportunity.

“It's a tough race,” Cosato conceded. “We're trying to get her a Grade I win, but for that at a mile, you'd almost have to run against the boys. Timing-wise, the Yellow Ribbon is right and we're hoping it works out for her again.”

The field from the rail: Summering (Drayden Van Dyke, 12-1); Bodhicitta (Flavien Prat, 6-1); Tonahutu (Victor Espinoza, 15-1); Lady Prancelot (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Harmless (Ricardo Gonzalez, 15-1); Keeper Ofthe Stars (Abel Cedillo, 7-2); Beau Recall (Umberto Rispoli, 3-1), and Jolie Olimpica (Mike Smith, 5-2).

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Undefeated in three starts in her native land, capping her Brazilian career with a dominant win over males in the G1 Jockey Club Brasileiro at Gavea last June, the chestnut got off to an auspicious start Stateside when annexing the GIII Las Cienegas S. going 5 1/2 furlongs Jan. 11 at Santa Anita. Getting a clear lead in the GII Buena Vista S. when stretching out to a mile Feb. 22, however, she couldn’t quite stay and settled for second. Rebounding with a score in the GII Monrovia S. back sprinting May 25, she again attempted to stretch her speed in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. July 11 at Keeneland and again just gave it up late, finishing a narrow second in Rushing Fall’s course-record-setting performance. Drawing outside in a field without other clear speed, she figures to get a dream trip here.

The veteran Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) also comes in off a runner-up finish to a division leader as she tries for a Yellow Ribbon repeat. Upset winner of last spring’s GII Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S., she captured this event two starts later before closing her 5-year-old account with a second in the GI Rodeo Drive S. Ninth, while only beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the GIII Old Forester Mint Julep S. in her seasonal debut May 30 in Louisville, she most recently closed from last to complete the exacta behind wire-to-wire victress Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in the GI Just A Game S. June 27 at Belmont.

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds’ Keeper Ofthe Stars (Midnight Lute) will attempt to rebound after quickly developing into a division player earlier this year. Last year’s GIII Autumn Miss S. heroine was the one who chased down Jolie Olimpica in the Buena Vista to score a 36-1 upset, then showed that effort was no fluke when taking the GI Gamely S. May 25 in Arcadia. Last time out, however, she finished a dull fifth in the June 20 GIII Wilshire S.

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