brad cox | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby and Oaks Day, Oklahoma Style

Sunday's GIII Oklahoma Derby and GIII Remington Park Oaks give the sophomore set a late-season option at age-restricted competition, with some marquee names making the trek across to Oklahoma City.

Brad Cox has sent out the winners of the last three runnings of the centerpiece of the local racing calendar–Owendale (Into Mischief, 2019); Shared Sense (Street Sense, 2020); and Warrant (Constitution, 2021) and can break the tie with Donnie K. Von Hemel should Gary and Mary West's Best Actor (Flatter) validate his morning-line favoritism. The $330,000 Keeneland September purchase has tasted defeat just once in his four-race career when narrowly runner-up in the GIII Indiana Derby July 9, but he bounced back in no uncertain terms with a 5 3/4-length romp in the GIII Smarty Jones S. at Parx Aug. 23. He swerves that track's million-dollar race and its heavy hitters for the clearly softer competition here. Florent Geroux, in the irons for Owendale's tough win four years ago, takes the call on Best Actor.

Rattle N Roll (Connect) won last year's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and looks for a third Derby this year to go along with the July 2 American Derby at Churchill and the St. Louis Derby at FanDuel Racing Aug. 20. Sandwiched between those is a seventh in the Indiana Derby, a race that is best forgiven after he was hampered badly and clipped heels at the start, then trailed most of the way.

Barring something unforeseen, Juju's Map (Liam's Map) should be able to add her name to the list of Remington Park Oaks winners. Last year's GI Darley Alcibiades S. victress returned with a smashing Oaks day allowance tally May 6, but has since disappointed at odds-on when third in the GII Mother Goose S. and GIII Monmouth Oaks.

Sunday's other graded action includes the GII Gallant Bloom S., featuring 'TDN Rising Star' Kimari (Munnings), at Aqueduct and the GIII Vigil S. at Woodbine.

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Haskell Rematch Highlights Saturday’s Graded Stakes Slate

After putting on a show on the Jersey Shore earlier this summer, the Gun Runner-sired GI TVG.com Haskell S. exacta of Cyberknife and 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba co-headline a loaded renewal of the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Saturday.

Was it a tale of two trips or did the best horse just win that day at Monmouth Park? You be the judge.

While subsequent GI Runhappy Travers S. runner-up Cyberknife awaited racing room leaving the quarter pole, the hard-ridden Taiba began to wind up beneath Mike Smith with a four-wide blitz. Florent Geroux, meanwhile, found a seam aboard the GI Arkansas Derby winner along the rail as favored 'Rising Star' Jack Christopher (Munnings) began to back out of it at the furlong marker. Cyberknife ran to daylight from there and outbattled the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner by a game head in a race that didn't deserve a loser.

“He's a Grade I horse and it's a Grade I race,” trainer Brad Cox said of Cyberknife and Saturday's $1-million affair. “And look, I'm excited about matching up with Taiba. He's a very good horse, a Grade I winner in his own right. There are some other very good horses in the race. It looks like a really good group of horses.”

That “really good group of horses” also includes the rail-drawn GISW Zandon (Upstart), who should appreciate the turnback to nine furlongs following a third-place finish in the Travers; the Cox-trained GIII Ohio Derby winner and GII Jim Dandy S. third Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile); the top three finishers of the GIII West Virginia Derby–Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), 'Rising Star' We the People (Constitution) and Simplification (Not This Time); and GI Curlin Florida Derby winner and Ohio Derby runner-up White Abarrio (Race Day), who finished a puzzling seventh last out in the Haskell.

Saturday in the Parx…

The loaded 13-race program at Parx also features four other graded events, led by the GI Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies.

In addition to seeking a record fourth Pennsylvania Derby victory with 5-2 morning-line favorite Taiba, Hall of Famer Bob Baffert will also ship in Cotillion second-choice Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) from his Santa Anita base. The runaway GIII Las Virgenes S. heroine has been training lights out since finishing second as the favorite in the GII Black-Eyed Susan S. May 20.

“She is training really well,” Baffert said. “I could have run her in a softer spot. This will be a class check for her.”

After chasing home runaway division leader Nest (Curlin) in Saratoga's GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S., the classy Secret Oath (Arrogate) seeks her first win since capturing the GI Kentucky Oaks. She is the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

“She is only getting stronger,” Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “She sure is filling out and getting better and holding a lot of weight. She is probably maturing into the filly that we wanted her to be.”

Todd Pletcher will be represented by a formidable trio in Alabama third Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft), streaking local Cathryn Sophia S. winner and 'Rising Star' Green Up (Upstart) and GIII Monmouth Oaks heroine and 'Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings).

The card also features wide-open renewals of the GII Gallant Bob S. and GIII Turf Monster S., while a field of nine marathoners will line up for the GIII Greenwood Cup.

The day's graded stakes action is rounded out by Saturday evening's GIII Dogwood S. at Churchill Downs, featuring the return of champion and 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who was a vet scratch at the gate prior to Belmont's GI Acorn S. June 11; and Belmont at the Big A's GIII Athenia S.

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Friday Insights: Godolphin Unveils Uncle Mo Half To Matareya

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

7th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:50 p.m.

Debuting in the royal blue Friday, METHODOLOGY (Uncle Mo) is the third foal out of GSW Innovative Idea (Bernardini), making her a half-sister to GI Acorn S. winner Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile). Further back in her family is GISW & sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit) and MGISW & Darley stallion Maxfield (Street Sense). In training with Brad Cox, Methodology has made her two most recent works over the Churchill main track and gets Florent Geroux in the irons. TJCIS PPS

6th-BAQ, $77k, Msw, (S), 2yo, 6fT, 4:40 p.m.

Picked up for $650,000 as a yearling by M.V. Magnier out of last year's Keeneland September Sale, WITNESS (City of Light) is already a half-brother to a pair of stakes horses in More Mischief (Into Mischief) and Myawaya (Wicked Strong) while his dam is a half-sister to GSW and GI Florida Derby runner-up Sharp Humor (Distorted Humor). Entered off a quartet of strong works at Keeneland for trainer Wesley Ward, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 (1/8) Sept. 7, Witness picks up jockey Joel Rosario for his debut. TJCIS PPs

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Taiba, Cyberknife Renew Rivalry in Pennsylvania Derby

Last seen fighting out a tight finish in the GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. in neighboring New Jersey in mid-July, 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Cyberknife (Gun Runner) are the top two choices on the morning line for what appears a contentious renewal of the $1-million GI betPARX Pennsylvania Derby Saturday afternoon in suburban Philadelphia.

A veteran of just four starts, Taiba–a $1.7-million purchase by Zedan Racing Stables out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale–took the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby at second asking, but the GI Kentucky Derby was perhaps too much, too soon, as the chestnut could do no better than 12th. Freshened for the Haskell, he made what appeared to be a winning move down the center of the track, but the rail-rallying Cyberknife spoiled the party. Trainer Bob Baffert, who won this race three times between 2014 and 2018, says it's all systems go this weekend.

“He likes to be in the clear, so that is good. He doesn't like being on the inside,” Baffert said of Taiba, who drew the eight hole and is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line. “I would rather be the five or the six, but this will be OK. Cyberknife is a tough horse; they are all good horses in here. Million-dollar races are not easy; they are not supposed to be easy. As always, you have to break. We had a little bit of a rough trip in the last one [Haskell]. I know he is doing well and we are all set.”

Cyberknife pressed on to the GI Runhappy Travers S., finishing better than five lengths behind divisional leader Epicenter (Not This Time) and narrowly ahead of Zandon (Upstart). He is one of two in the race for Brad Cox, who will also tighten the girth around GIII Ohio Derby hero and GII Jim Dandy S. third Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile). The 3-1 morning-line second pick, Cyberknife has post five, while Tawny Port drew gate seven.

“We've pointed Tawny Port for this race since the Jim Dandy,” Cox said. “Everything is going great with him. Once again, he's got to step up to prove that he belongs at this level. With Cyberknife, it wasn't a whole lot of, coming out of the Travers and 'we're going to go to Parx' way of thinking. I thought we might go straight to the Breeders' Cup. He had a really good breeze last weekend. Time-wise it wasn't anything crazy fast, but it's how he's doing, how he looks, how he's acting. This is one last swing at a Grade I around two turns for straight 3-year-olds.”

The filly counterpart, the GI Cotillion S., drew a field of nine headed by GI Longines Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate). The competition includes the progressive 'TDN Rising Star' stablemates Shahama (Munnings) and Green Up (Upstart) and the Baffert-trained GIII Las Virgenes S. romper Adare Manor (Uncle Mo).

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