Tag: brad cox

Into Mischief Colt Closes Out Derby Card With Rising Star-Worthy Performance

The Brad Cox barn was perhaps a bit quieter than usual for most of Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby card, but it unveiled one in the finale who could very well play a role in major races later this season with a 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy unveiling.

Backed down to 8-5 favoritism off of sharp-looking works, Godolphin homebred Strobe (Into Mischief) zoomed out of the gate from his high draw and quickly cleared. He zipped along through strong splits of :21.73 and :45.34, and never looked back to run up the score to about five lengths in a snappy 1:08.71. Frequent runner-up Bourbon Heist (Practical Joke) completed his sixth career exacta.

Strobe is the fourth winner from five to race out of his dam Flashing (A.P. Indy), victorious in the GI Test S. and GI Gazelle S. and third in the GI Mother Goose S. in 2009 while officially trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Flashing is a daughter of Morning Pride, winner of the 1999 G3 Prix du Bois as a juvenile for trainer Andre Fabre, while the deeper female family includes Canadian champion Key to the Moon, GI Kentucky Oaks winner Seaside Attraction and GISW Gorgeous.

Strobe, a half-brother to Floodlight (Medaglia d'Oro), SW & MGSP-Fr, $111,885, is the 31st 'Rising Star' for his all-conquering sire and, after not producing a foal in 2020 or 2021, was most recently covered by Street Boss.

14th-Churchill Downs, $121,904, Msw, 5-7, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:08.71, ft, 4 1/2 lengths.
STROBE, c, 3, by Into Mischief
1st Dam: Flashing (MGISW, $633,226), by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Morning Pride (Ire), by Machiavellian
3rd Dam: Wilayif, by Danzig
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $69,460. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.
O-Godolphin LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H Cox.

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Matareya Makes It Three in a Row in Eight Belles

Godolphin's progressive Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) parlayed a perfect inside trip into a facile success in Friday's $500,000 GII Eight Belles S. at Churchill Downs, the third winner of the event in the last six years for trainer Brad Cox.

The homebred filly was away without incident and raced worse than centerfield through the opening exchanges, as Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) set what appeared to be a strong early tempo in advance of Marissa's Lady (Violence). Racing well off the rail down the chute, Matareya was deftly maneuvered by Flavien Prat to her inside, across the heels of Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) and Ain't Easy (Into Mischief) and was guided down onto the fence linking up with the track proper. Asked for a bit more acceleration approaching the half-mile marker, Matareya was all the way into third and onto the back of the pacesetter while in hand for the run around the turn. Patiently handled while scraping the paint nearing the quarter pole, Matareya pushed away from the rail and into the two path to deliver her challenge in upper stretch. Pretty Birdie did everything in her power to match strides, but Matareya overtook her for good entering the final eighth of a mile and inched clear. Wicked Halo rallied for third.

“She broke well but I just got outrun in the first part,” said Prat. “Then I took a chance going to the inside where there were good horses to follow. Then we had a fair pace, was traveling well and when I tipped her out, she was there for me. I thought it was a really good run for her.”

Cox indicated the winner would stretch out to Belmont's one-turn mile for the June 11 GI Acorn S., where she could face her Grade I-winning stablemate Juju's Map (Liam's Map), an allowance winner earlier Friday beneath the Twin Spires.

“The Acorn's going to be interesting five weeks from now. Both are good fillies,” the conditioner said. “This filly is probably going to do her best going around one turn. Juju's Map definitely can handle two turns. At some point, they're going to sort themselves out, and if they meet up in the Acorn, I don't know.”

A distant runner-up to Secret Oath (Arrogate) in a one-mile Oaklawn allowance Dec. 31, Matareya aired by 5 1/4 lengths when cut back to six furlongs at the Fair Grounds Feb. 26 and most recently pummeled her rivals in the GIII Beaumont S. over an extended seven furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 10.

Pedigree Notes:

Matareya's Grade III-winning dam is a daughter of Golden Velvet, who was stakes-placed in France for Andre Fabre before adding a pair of graded victories and a runner-up effort in the GI Ogden Phipps H. once repatriated for Kiaran McLaughlin.

Golden Velvet was a daughter of Harbor View Farm's outstanding turf distaffer Caress, who was purchased by John Ferguson for $3.1 million at the 2000 Keeneland November Sale a handful of months after the mare foaled a Pulpit colt. That offspring, Sky Mesa, was raced by John Oxley to a victories in the GI Hopeful S. and GII Lane's End Breeders' Futurity, but lost any shot at a championship when scratched on the eve of the 2002 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Caress is also the dam of MGSP Monthir (Gulch), a sire of some note in South America; and of Velvety (Bernardini), whose son Maxfield (Street Sense) closed out his career victoriously in the GI Clark H. and now stands at Darley at Jonabell.

Innovative Idea is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Methodology (Uncle Mo), a yearling colt by the same stallion and visited him once again last season.

Friday, Churchill Downs
EIGHT BELLES S. PRESENTED BY TWINSPIRES-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.86, ft.
1–MATAREYA, 120, f, 3, by Pioneerof the Nile
                1st Dam: Innovative Idea (GSW, $229,343), by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Golden Velvet, by Seeking the Gold
                3rd Dam: Caress, by Storm Cat
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $297,600. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 7-4-2-0, $671,867. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pretty Birdie, 120, f, 3, Bird Song–Bird Sense, by Street Sense. O/B-Marylou Whitney Stables LLC (KY); T-Norm W. Casse. $96,000.
3–Wicked Halo, 120, f, 3, Gun Runner–Just Wicked, by Tapit. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $48,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 2, 4HF. Odds: 1.00, 7.70, 12.80.
Also Ran: Marissa's Lady, Sweet Dani Girl, Gerrymander, Awake At Midnyte, Lac Vieux Desert, Ain't Easy. Scratched: Sweet as Pie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Cancer Survivor Al Gold Stops and Smells the Roses with Cyberknife

LOUISVILLE, KY – Prostate Cancer Awareness Month isn't until September, but owner Al Gold will be getting a head start on the first Saturday in May.

Named after Accuray Inc's robotic radiation therapy used to successfully treat the 66-year-old's prostate cancer, Gold's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) continues to generate plenty of positive chatter leading up to the GI Kentucky Derby.

“At the end of the day, the Derby is exciting and very important, but it pales in comparison to helping people become aware of the power of CyberKnife in treating cancer,” Gold said. “That's why I've done a lot of interviews about it. I'd like to get it out there so people know.”

Gold, now in remission and “enjoying life as a retired person” while splitting time between Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and Del Ray Beach, Fl., received his first CyberKnife treatment on his 65th birthday last year. The non-invasive procedure–there's no incision involved despite the name–“is specifically designed to deliver radiation beams from potentially thousands of unique angles, targeting only the tumor while minimizing radiation dose to healthy tissue.”

“When someone tells you that you have cancer, it gives you fear and obviously makes you very nervous,” Gold said. “But this was such an easy procedure to get through–five, 18-minute treatments every other day and it was over. It's a wonderful thing. A lot of people have died from prostate cancer, but now it's easily diagnosed and treated.”

Trained by Brad Cox and always held in high regard, the four-legged Cyberknife has certainly done his part to help spread the word as well. Still learning the ropes while sixth in the GIII Lecomte S., the chestnut has put it all together in two subsequent starts. He punched his ticket to Louisville with a breakthrough win in the GI Arkansas Derby, the first ever at the top level for Gold.

Hailing from the first crop of sensational young sire Gun Runner, Cyberknife brought $400,000 from advisor Joe Hardoon on behalf of Gold at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase. Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Cyberknife is out of six-time stakes winner and multiple graded placed Awesome Flower (Flower Alley). He hails from the family of G1 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed (Tiznow).

“I had been in five or six Grade I races before and never hit the board, so I was cautiously optimistic going in [to the Arkansas Derby],” said Gold, who made his living in real estate management. “He ran beautifully and won the race. I had quality horses that I thought were going to be Derby potential, but it never materialized. Now, we're all excited about going to Kentucky.”

Racing under the nom-de-course of Gold Square LLC since 2004, Gold and his wife Hilary have also campaigned graded winners Chace City (Carson City) and Little Miss Holly (Maria's Mon). The native of New Jersey has approximately 15-20 horses in training, including a pair of recent OBS Spring acquisitions–a $220,000 Awesome Slew filly and a $140,000 Kantharos colt. In addition to Cox, Gold also employs trainers Jorge Abreu, Steve Asmussen, Tony Dutrow and Chad Summers.

“You want to keep pursuing your passion and what you love in life,” Gold concluded. “I've had some good horses and some bad horses, but you have to just keep on trying to get to the point where I am now. Hopefully, I'm building a quality stable and I'm going to the Kentucky Derby. What else can I ask for? This is the height of the game.”

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Busy Saturday Morning for Kentucky Derby and Oaks Workers

It was an action-packed Saturday morning at Churchill Downs for GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks workers.

At 5:15 a.m., the Brad Cox-trained duo of GI Arkansas Derby winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) and GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Zozos (Munnings) worked six furlongs together in 1:11.20 (1/4) and 1:11.40 (2/4), respectively. At 7:30 a.m., GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile), with newly named jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr., worked five furlongs for Cox in 1:01.60 (30/57). “There's a lot of excitement leading into these final Derby works,” Cox said. “You start to get a little anxious as the days near closer to the Derby. Things went very smooth this morning.”

 

The Kenny McPeek tandem of GI Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Smile Happy (Runhappy) and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S. winner Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) worked a half-mile together in :48 (28/130).

“I like that this is a home game for us,” McPeek said. “Both Brian [Hernandez, Jr.] and Corey [Lanerie] have been around this oval all their lives, and both are solid journeyman riders. I don't have much concern about them finding their way around there. Both Corey and Brian are due a signature horse, so maybe one of them's got it this week.”

 

Todd Pletcher breezed the trio of GII Wood Memorial S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) (four furlongs in :48.60) (55/130); and GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) and Louisiana Derby third Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile), who worked a half-mile together in :47.40 (9/130).

“From here, we'll do the usual stuff–like visiting the gate and galloping. We'll be galloping up to the Derby,” Pletcher said.

 

Other Derby horses on the worktab Saturday include: Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road (Race Day) (four furlongs in :48.80) (67/130); GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) (six furlongs in 1:13.20) (3/4); and GII Rebel S. winner Un Ojo (Laoban) (four furlongs in :47.60) (14/130). Happy Jack (Oxbow), a distant third in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, covered a mile in 1:39.60 (1/1) at Keeneland. Florida Derby winner White Abarrio (Race Day) breezed a half-mile in :48.28 between races during an impromptu workout on Saturday afternoon's program at Gulfstream Park. “Wow. That's all I can say is 'wow,'” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. “He worked super.”

 

Four Kentucky Oaks candidates had their final works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs: Bourbonette Oaks heroine Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}) (four furlongs in :48.80) (67/130); GI Central Bank Ashland S. runner-up and 'TDN Rising Star' Cocktail Moments (Uncle Mo) (five furlongs in 1:00.80) (15/57); unbeaten GII Gulfstream Park Oaks winner Kathleen O. (Upstart) (four furlongs in :47.80) (20/130) and GIII Gazelle S. heroine Nostalgic (Medaglia d'Oro) (four furlongs in :48.60) (55/130).

“She's not necessarily a strong morning worker,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said of Kathleen O. “So, we're very pleased with what we saw today. I'm excited. We're excited. We got through today and we know she always shows up on race day. This morning was right up there with some of her best. We're glad to be back in Kentucky with her and we're thinking with her running style she'll appreciate the longer stretch here [at Churchill Downs].”

Desert Dawn (Cupid), upset winner of the GII Santa Anita Oaks, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 (19/53) at Santa Anita Saturday.

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