brad cox | Horse Racing Free Tips

Knicks Go Leads Them A Merry Chase in the Dirt Mile

Backed into 9-5 favoritism, the Korea Racing Authority’s KNICKS GO c, 4, Paynter-Kosmo’s Buddy, by Outflanker) continued his rich vein of form with a front-running tour-de-force. Sent hard from gate five, the $87,000 Keeneland September graduate made the early running in advance of Complexity (Maclean’s Music), covering the opening quarter-mile in :21.98 over a Keeneland main track producing wickedly fast sectionals all weekend long. Skipping along through a nearly unimaginable half-mile in :44.40, the 4-year-old always looked to have the measure of his pace pressure, found more off the final corner and stayed on to score in 1:33.85. Knicks Go is the fifth Maryland-bred winner of a Breeders’ Cup race and the second in two years, following Sharing (Speightstown)’s success in last year’s GI Juvenile Fillies Turf. Sales history: $40,000 Wlg ’16 KEENOV; $87,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP. O-Korea Racing Authority; B-Angie Moore (MD); T-Brad Cox.

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Friday Winners in Good Order

The winners of Friday’s juvenile races at the Breeders’ Cup were reported in good order Saturday morning. Trainer Brad Cox celebrated two winners on the championship card when Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) captured the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. and Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Aunt Pearl, purchased for 280,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls October sale, won the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. and is now unbeaten in three starts. Essential Quality, also three for three, added his Breeders’ Cup win to a victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders Futurity.

“These are both horses that have shown us a lot since we picked them up in the spring,” Cox said. “It’s a long process getting to a point like this and it’s just a testament to the help, the assistants, the foremen, the exercise riders, the hotwalkers, the grooms, everyone we have in place. I’m just really proud of our staff and really appreciative of the opportunities owners have given us with really nice horses. Aunt Pearl was an expensive purchase out of Tattersalls last year and fortunate to have been given her. Obviously, Godolphin has a very well-bred homebred. Sometimes that’s what it takes to get to a stage like this. It’s very rewarding and we’re very fortunate.”

Trainer Butch Reid was also pleased with GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist (Nyquist).

“When I saw her in the morning jogging and stuff, I thought she looked really good but then when she got over there into the paddock in the afternoon, I thought she looked spectacular,” said Reid. “In my mind, I thought she won the paddock show. She looked good, calm, relaxed. We felt pretty good.”

Reid added that Vequist, campaigned by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Swilcan Stable, will now head to Barry Eisaman’s farm in Florida for a freshening to prepare for a sophomore campaign he hopes will include the 2021 GI Kentucky Oaks.

“Four starts as a 2-year-old is plenty for me and we got her stretched around two turns, which is what I wanted,” Reid said. “She’ll soak up some sun and pick on some grass.”

Ranlo Investment’s Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) will also be getting a break following his win in Friday’s GII Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“He’s doing great this morning,” trainer Wesley Ward said. “He’s a champion. He’s going to hang out here at Keeneland and let down until about Christmas. Usually Keeneland has a turf sprint for 3-year-olds on opening day that we’ll point for and then point to the G1 King’s Stand at Royal Ascot with him.”

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Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Double Has Cox ‘Looking Forward To Coming Up With A Game Plan For Next Year’

As he was preparing for another busy Breeders' Cup day, trainer Brad Cox was also enjoying his two victories Friday with Essential Quality in the TVG Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and with Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Cox reported both juveniles came out of their races well and he's excited about next year with them, although no firm plans have been made yet.

“It was a fantastic day,” Cox said. “Both came out of their races really well. So far so good. Both are a little tired, but they have a right to be. They both appear to have bounced out of the races very well. We'll see how things go moving forward. We don't have anything picked out as far as races, but we're looking very forward to coming up with a game plan for next year. These are both horses that have shown us a lot since we picked them up in the spring. It's a long process getting to a point like this and it's just a testament to the help, the assistants, the foremen, the exercise riders, the hotwalkers, the grooms, everyone we have in place. I'm just really proud of our staff and really appreciative of the opportunities owners have given us with really nice horses. Aunt Pearl was an expensive purchase out of Tattersalls last year and fortunate to have been given her. Obviously, Godolphin has a very well-bred homebred. Sometimes that's what it takes to get to a stage like this. It's very rewarding and we're very fortunate.”

Aunt Pearl already had shown she was speedy in her two victories leading into the Juvenile Filles Turf and Cox said the plan all along with to use that weapon. As the 2-1 favorite she shot out of the gate and never looked back, winning by 2 ½ lengths.

“The closer we got to the race and once we had our post position, I just thought with where we were and where the other speed was, it didn't make sense to take back or try to make her rate. Our plan was to take it to them. (Jockey) Florent (Geroux) and I talked and we both agreed we needed to get her out of the gate and into position. She was fortunate enough to do that and clear off going into the turn, which was huge. She really relaxed and showed her class. She shut off for him that second quarter and I think that's probably where the race was won. She was able to settle that second quarter. Going into the second turn she was traveling beautifully. They were coming, but she obviously had gas left in the tank.”

Essential Quality, who now becomes one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby next year with his Juvenile win, has now shown how versatile he is with his third straight win and third different running style.

“Obviously, it was different style with Essential Quality, but not a different tactic,” Cox said. “We expected to break and be close, maybe third or fourth. We knew there was some speed in there. They kind of got away from him early. He took some dirt. (Jockey) Luis (Saez) did a good job getting him to the outside down the backside. He settled for him down the backside, but I was very concerned where we were. I think he may have been eighth. But, then I saw the 45 (for the half mile) and thought to myself these horses back up. Luis started knuckling down on him and I saw he was making a move. At the quarter pole was when I thought we had a shot. I was hoping that move he started making wasn't going to flatten out. He's a 2-year-old, still learning. It's only the third race of his life. Once they straightened up, I started to feel more confident. Luis gave him a strong ride down the lane and he was able to get there. This horse has had three races and he's been a different position every time. I think he showed his versatility and that he can overcome things. He's good colt. He's shown us from get go that he's special. Very happy to be associated with him.”

Cox will have five more chances to add to his Breeders' Cup tallies Saturday, including Monomoy Girl, the morning line favorite for the Longines Distaff.

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Breeders’ Cup Presents The News Minute: Future Stars Friday Seals Juvenile Championships

Vequist and Essential Quality locked up Eclipse Awards in their respective divisions with victories in the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile on the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday program at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick says in the latest Breeders' Cup News Minute.

Star of the day was trainer Brad Cox, who won his first Breeders' Cup race in 2018 and now has five championship victories after sending out Aunt Pearl to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf and Essential Quality to his Juvenile triumph.

The main track was very fast on Friday, but horses did win from off the lead if the pace scenario set things up for them. Horses won both on the lead and from off the pace on a turf course rated “good.”

Saturday's big day of nine championship races gets under way at 10:15 a.m. Eastern, with the first Breeders' Cup race scheduled for 12:02 p.m. Of note is the $260,779 Pick 6 carryover that spices up a wagering extravaganza for horseplayers.

Watch the Breeders' Cup News Minute below.

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