brad cox | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cody’s Wish Streaks Into Whitney

Cody's Wish (Curlin) will be heavily favored over five rivals to add another chapter to racing's feel-good story in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga.

The Godolphin homebred, winner of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the stallion-making GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park June 10, seeks his first career win beyond one mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

The 1-2 morning-line favorite, named after Cody Dorman, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and is unable to walk or communicate without utilizing a tablet, is currently riding a six-race winning streak. He will exit widest of all from post six with regular rider Junior Alvarado aboard.

“We have reason to believe he could do it,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said of Cody's Wish tackling the additional distance. “He's come a long way. He was terribly green when we ran him at three in his first few races. He just didn't know whether to go forward or that sort of thing.”

Mott continued, “This is a very good horse and hopefully for our sake, he can go on. There's a great story that goes with him with Cody Dorman, so the whole scenario turns out to be very special.”

The field for the Whitney also includes: last term's GI Blue Grass S. winner Zandon (Upstart), runner-up to Cody's Wish in the Met Mile; and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a last out winner of the GII Suburban S. July 8 and fourth-place finisher in the Met Mile.

Saturday's stacked 12-race program at the Spa also co-features a fantastic renewal of the GI Test S. Godolphin homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) cuts back to seven furlongs following top-shelf wins in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 5 and GI Acorn S. June 9. The rail-drawn, 9-5 morning-line favorite will face off versus unbeaten New York-bred Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), a sharp winner of the GIII Victory Ride S. downstate July 8.

A field of nine will line up for the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational over the Mellon Turf Course, led by LSU Stable's GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel). Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational S. winner Aspen Grove (Ire) (Justify), cross-entered in Friday's GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, will instead take on the boys in the Saratoga Derby.

Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint upsetter and GI Jaipur S. heroine Caravel (Mizzen Mast), meanwhile, will take on males once again in the GIII Troy S. on the Whitney undercard.

“She's been able to beat the boys three out of her last four and hopefully four out of her last five,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It would be exciting if she can do it again.”

Saturday's graded stakes action also includes Del Mar's GI Clement L. Hirsch, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will be represented by the imposing duo of Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) and Fun to Dream (Arrogate) in the five-horse field. Adare Manor captured her third straight win in the GII Santa Margarita S. June 10 while Fun to Dream just got tagged by a head in the GI Beholder Mile S. last time Mar. 11.

The weekend's graded stakes action rolls into Sunday with upset GIII Schuylerville S. debut winner Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) headlining a field of 10 in the GIII Adirondack S. at Saratoga; the GIII La Jolla H. at Del Mar; Mountaineer Park's GIII West Virginia Derby and GIII West Virginia Governor's S.; and Ellis Park's GIII Pucker Up S.

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West Will Power Retired

West Will Power (Bernardini–Wild Promises, by Wild Event), last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Tuesday. The news was first reported by Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form.

A homebred for Gary and Mary West, West Will Power hit the board in 15 of 17 starts, with seven wins and earnings of $1,745,390. In addition to his victory in the July 1 Stephen Foster, the 6-year-old also won this year's GII New Orleans Classic and last year's GII Fayette S. He was second in the 2022 GI Clark S. He was also runner-up in the 2023 GIII Razorback H. and 2021 GIII Philip H. Iselin S. and was third in the 2023 GII Alysheba S.

West Will Power, who had been pointing towards Saturday's GI Whitney S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) Saturday at Saratoga.

Stud plans for the son of graded stakes winner Wild Promises–a half-sister to multiple graded winner Icy Atlantic (Stormy Atlantic)–have not yet been made.

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Saturday’s Saratoga Notes: Cox and Pletcher Runners Headline Worktab

West Will Power (Bernardini), a last-out winner of the GI Stephen Foster S., worked five furlongs in 1:02.24 (1/4) in company with the stakes-placed Tapit Shoes (Tapit) for trainer Brad Cox over Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Saturday.

West Will Power, owned and bred by Gary and Mary West, is under consideration for either next Saturday's GI Whitney S. or the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 2 at the Spa.

“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” Cox said of the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.”

The Cox-trained Verifying (Justify), a narrow winner of the GIII Indiana Derby, worked a half mile in :48.75 (13/53) in company with the maiden Fighting Back (Lookin At Lucky) over the Oklahoma training track.

Cox said that Verifying will point to the seven-furlong GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

“He went a really good half. I wasn't looking to do a whole lot with him, but he was on it,” Cox said. “He was ready to do something.”

Charge It Breezes for Whitney…

'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a front-running winner of the GII Suburban S. last out downstate, worked a half mile in :48.77 (28/101) Saturday morning over the main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's Whitney.

“I thought it was excellent,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban.”

Pletcher continued, “He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race. His (GIII) Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”

Pletcher added that fellow 'Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), fifth in the GI Haskell, will target the GI Travers S. Aug. 26.

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A Jim Dandy Of A Graded Stakes Weekend

Equine or human, history is always about the six degrees of someone in racing's world. For instance, at 100-1 Jim Dandy beat Triple Crown champion Gallant Fox in the 1930 edition of the Travers S., which only featured four entries total.

The horse who set up the longshot by engaging in a speed duel with the favorite over the mud was Whichone, a colt owned by Harry Payne Whitney (yes, that important family). And what other Thoroughbred did Whitney own? Well, that would be Upset, who did just that, when he handed the great Man o' War his only career loss. And that is a minor example of a nexus.

As part of the Saratoga weekend card, it seems fitting that Saturday's GII Jim Dandy S. is the main prep for next month's GI Travers S. Horse racing, like life, always reflects irony of some type.

In this year's edition, Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) isn't going to be 100-1. However, compared to the experience of GIII Matt Winn S. victor and 'TDN Rising Star' Disarm (Gun Runner), Eclipse champion 2-year-old and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence), who will be wearing first-time blinkers, Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the GIII Withers S. and second in the GII Wood Memorial S., and GI Arkansas Derby star and GI Kentucky Derby third Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), the 3-year-old colt has something to prove after running second last time out in the GIII Dwyer S. July 1 at Belmont Park. The Brad Cox trainee passed the eye test in his debut at Keeneland in April and against allowance company May 21 at Churchill Downs.

Not to be missed on the Saratoga Saturday card is another race with historical connections in spades. This year's GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. will feature a rematch from February's G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia in which the reigning Eclipse champion dirt sprinter and GISW Elite Power (Curlin) stepped away as GISW Gunite (Gun Runner) gave chase for second. The $900,000 Keeneland September buy built on that win with another impressive display in the GII True North S.

Elite Power | Sarah Andrew

Elite Power worked a half mile alone in :51.22 Sunday over the Oklahoma training track in a breeze that Mott indicated was similar to the chestnut's half-mile work in :51.11 on Oct. 28 over the same surface ahead of his Breeders' Cup victory. “That's him by himself,” Mott said. “He's run well off of those kind of works right before his races. He did that in Saudi. He was working :51 before he won the Breeders' Cup. He wouldn't wow anyone when he's working by himself.”

Looking elsewhere on Saturday in North America, Monmouth Park will card its own Oaks. The Grade III includes Promiseher America (American Pharoah) from Ray Handal's stable and Occult (Into Mischief), who was last seen running third to MGISW Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in the GI Acorn S. on the Belmont S. undercard.

In the wake of cancellations due to heat the past couple of days, Woodbine Racetrack will hope to run the GII Seagram Cup for 3-year-olds and up. Tyson (Tapit) will garner much attention since the 4-year-old gray colt won the GIII Dominion Day S. last time out for trainer Josie Carroll.

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will have plenty of action to contribute as their program includes the GII San Diego H. and the GI Bing Crosby S., which offers a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' voucher for the GI BC Qatar Racing Sprint.

Both Del Mar races sport field sizes of 10-plus. The San Diego includes MGISW Defunded (Dialed In), who won Santa Anita's GI Gold Cup May 29 and will carry the most weight here at 125. With 12 hopefuls entered for the Bing Crosby, Anarchist (Distorted Humor) returns to California after running second to Elite Power in the GII True North S. The 4-year-old colt will face some veteran runners in G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Sibelius (Not This Time) and MGISW and '21 winner Dr. Schivel (Violence).

Rebel's Romance works at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew

Shifting to Sunday, not to be missed on the stakes slate are a pair of Grade IIs for 3-year-olds and up over the turf. Saratoga's Bowling Green S. has enticed GI Breeders' Cup Turf conqueror Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for trainer Charlie Appleby. Last seen running a well-beaten seventh in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March, the 5-year-old gelding will look to get his second half of his season off on the right foot.

“He's a well-traveled horse; Germany, Keeneland, England and Dubai,” said Appleby's traveling assistant Chris Connett. “He's traveled this trip pretty well and he's settled in good shape. He's a typical Dubawi, he's got better with age. He's a big horse that's really grown into his frame. Hopefully, we'll get to see him at his best on Sunday.”

Count Again | Horsephotos

Meanwhile the Eddie Read S. at Del Mar includes four entries from Phil D'Amato's shedrow, including MGISW Count Again (Awesome Again), winner last time out of the GI Shoemaker Mile S. May 30 at Santa Anita Park, and MGSW Balnikov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}), who is looking to bounce back after finishing eighth in that same race. The competitive Leo Powell trainee and MGSW Dicey Mo Chara (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) goes out for a barn that won last weekend's GII San Clemente S. The 5-year-old gelding's last start yielded a finished third-place finish at Santa Anita May 13 in the GIII San Luis Rey S.

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