brad cox | Horse Racing Free Tips

Just One Time Delivers Gamely In Inside Information

Warriors Reward LLC and Commonwealth New Era Racing's Just One Time made a successful jump from Pennsylvania racing to the Championship meet at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. this Saturday. The 4-year-old daughter of Not This Time, making her first start for new trainer Brad Cox, dug in gamely as the 3-2 favorite to win the Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes by a half-length over 3-1 second choice Four Graces. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Just One Time ran seven furlongs over the fast main track in 1:23.81.

“She was in a state-bred program, mostly in Pennsylvania,” said Cox. “Once you come out of that environment, the water is going to get deeper on our circuit. And bottom line she was able to swim on this circuit. It was a Grade 2 and she was able to pick it off. We schooled her. She loads with quarter pads. And she's been great in the mornings. She obviously wasn't great [in the gate] today. Horses sometimes know the difference between the mornings and the afternoon. There's a lot of talent there, no doubt about it. I don't watch a lot of racing here. I watch some. And where she was on the track kind of seems like a spot where horses kind of get out there and flounder and tire down the lane. For her to be able to stay on, shows her grit, determination and class.”

Very unsettled in the starting gate, Just One Time broke a half-step slow and was in the back half of the field down the backstretch. Rosario kept the filly out wide, allowing her to find her stride on her own time, and she began inching toward the leaders as she neared the far turn.

Jakarta was the quickest off the blocks, though Dance d'Oro took command for the first quarter mile in 22.45 seconds. Jakarta regained her lead to mark the half-mile in 45.77 seconds, chased by Starship Nala into the turn.

Steering his filly very wide heading into the lane, Rosario allowed Just One Time to catch sight of the frontrunner just as Four Graces found room to run along the inside. Just One Time put away Jakarta, then battled gamely to the wire fending off Four Graces to win by a half-length. Frontrunner Jakarta finished third, while Starship Nala was fourth. Last year's winner, Pacific Gale, checked in fifth.

“Turning for home she was reaching out and I could feel her confidence,” Rosario said. “I felt pretty good at that point that she was going to run big. With the slow break and [going wide], she was the best horse in the race.”

Bred in Pennsylvania by Warrior's Reward LLC, Just One Time is out of the Speightstown mare Ida Clark. Trained through her first five starts by Michael Salvaggio, Jr., Just One Time won a pair of state-bred races in Pennsylvania last year. She was purchased privately after winning four of five starts in her native Pennsylvania for Warrior's Reward breeder Donald Brown Jr.

The Inside Information win improves the filly's record to five wins from six starts for earnings of nearly $300,000.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By DRFBets: Heavyweights Take Flight At Gulfstream

The Breeders' Cup winners showdown between Knicks Go and Life is Good in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup is the highlight of this weekend's graded stakes action. The 1 1/8-mile showdown is the centerpiece of a seven-stakes card at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, which also features the G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf in which 2021 winner Colonel Liam will attempt to defend his title off a lengthy layoff.

Also on Saturday, Kentucky Derby points are on the line at Oaklawn Park as Smarty Jones winner Dash Attack takes on undefeated California shipper Newgrange in the G3 Southwest Stakes.

Sunday's action is highlighted by the Houston Ladies Classic card at Sam Houston Race Park, as well as the G2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Saturday

3:03 PM – G2 Inside Information Stakes at Gulfstream Park

Emotions ran high after last year's $200,000 Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream Park, when durable mare Pacific Gale ended a 17-race losing streak with her first graded triumph for the widow of one of trainer John Kimmel's longest clients, who passed away just a month before.

It could be a similarly emotional afternoon Saturday when the 7-year-old Pacific Gale returns to Gulfstream with a chance to defend her title in what will be the final start of a long and successful career.

Kimmel said Holly Hill Stables' Pacific Gale will be bred to champion Uncle Mo following the Inside Information, a race she won by 2 ¾ lengths at odds of 16-1 last winter after finishing sixth in 2019. Pacific Gale was booked to Not This Time for 2021, but was doing so well that Kimmel convinced the late Mike Morton's widow, Tobey, to give her another try.

Inside Information Entries

3:36 PM – G3 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park

Fully recovered from a career-threatening injury that cost her all of 2020, Shifty She, with her distinctive name and background, is ready for a stern test Saturday in the inaugural running of the TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Presented by PEPSI (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Peter Brant's Grade 1 winner Regal Glory, trained by Chad Brown, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/16 miles turf test that drew a field of 11 stakes runners. Regal Glory will start from Post No. 4 with jockey Jose Ortiz. The lineup includes Robert amd Lawana Low's Sweet Melania, who edged Shifty She in the Suwannee River (G3) on Dec. 18, and Team Valor's Irish-bred Wakanaka, who will make her U.S. debut.

The $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf is the newest addition to Gulfstream Park's program of seven graded stakes topped by the sixth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) present by 1/ST Bet.

Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Entries

4:49 PM – G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam, thrilling winner of last year's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in his graded-stakes debut, will end a 239-day gap between starts as he launches his comeback while attempting to defend his title in the richest turf race of the winter Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Colonel Liam will become one of only five horses to run in the Pegasus Turf more than once, a group led by California-based Next Shares, who took part in each of the first three editions. Cross Border, third behind Colonel Liam and Pletcher-trained stablemate Largent last year, as well as Sacred Life and Channel Cat, respectively fourth and 10th in 2020, also return this year.

During Tuesday's post-position draw inside Gulfstream's Sport of Kings Theater, Colonel Liam was made the narrow 3-1 favorite among 11 stakes winners, nine of them graded, including fellow Grade 1 winners Channel Cat and Hit the Road. Second choice on the morning line at 7-2 is stablemate Never Surprised, with Sacred Life (6-1) and Hit the Road (8-1) the others listed at single-digit odds.

Pegasus Turf Entries

5:22 PM – G3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park

Trainer Bob Baffert has the 2-1 program favorite in unbeaten Newgrange (2 for 2) for Oaklawn Park's second Kentucky Derby points race, this Saturday's $250,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds. Baffert bids for a record-tying fifth victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Southwest, now worth $750,000 as well as 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

he 1 1/16-mile Southwest will mark the first start outside California for Newgrange, who exits a front-running victory in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) at one mile Jan. 1 at Santa Anita. (Baffert trainees are not eligible for Kentucky Derby points, due to a ban by Churchill Downs.)

Oaklawn conducted its first Kentucky Derby points race New Year's Day, with the Kenny McPeek-trained Dash Attack splashing home to a two-length victory in the $250,000 Smarty Jones at 1 mile.

Six other Smarty Jones starters are entered in the Southwest, which goes as the ninth of 11 races. Racing begins Saturday at 12:02 p.m. (Central), with probable post for the Southwest 4:22 p.m.

Southwest Entries

5:34 PM – Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park

Knicks Go has returned to Gulfstream Park for a highly anticipated title defense in Saturday's $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), which promises to provide Korea Racing Authority's Thoroughbred star with an opportunity to close out a remarkable racing career in style.

Knicks Go, who was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine older horses after drawing the No. 1 post position, produced a dazzling 2 ¾-length victory in last year's Pegasus World Cup that would set the tone for a dominating campaign that is widely expected to earn him the 2021 Horse of the Year title next month. The 6-year-old son of Paynter, who is coming off an impressive 2 ¾-length triumph in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, is riding a spectacular four-race winning streak in which he has beaten his opponents by a total off 21 ½ lengths while flashing his brilliant natural speed from start to finish. Knicks Go was named the 2021 Longines World' Best Racehorse during a virtual ceremony Tuesday at the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, England.

It remains to be seen if the Brad Cox trainee will be able to defend his title in his usual front-running fashion before starting his stallion career. This year's Pegasus World Cup has also attracted CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm LLC's Life Is Good, who has won six of seven career starts from gate to wire, including a scintillating 5 ¾-length victory in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar.

Life Is Good, who was rated second at 7-5 in the morning line after drawing the No. 4 post position, was top rated on last year's Road to the Kentucky Derby when he won his first three starts on the front end impressively but was sent to the sidelines with an injury. After being transferred to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the son of Into Mischief was upset by Jackie's Warrior by a head in the seven-furlong Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga in late August. He came back to capture the one-mile Kelso (G2) at Belmont by 5 ½ lengths and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in front-running style.

Pegasus Entries

Sunday

5:53 PM – G3 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston

Now in its tenth running, the Houston Ladies Classic, at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, has been a springboard for top older fillies and mares The purse was boosted to $400,000 this year (from $300,000) in its previous editions and Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen will go for his third victory with Stonestreet Stable LLC's homebred Pauline's Pearl. The filly by Tapit out of the Dixie Union mare Hot Dixie Chick, drew post position three with Joel Rosario riding the 6-5 morning line favorite. He and Asmussen have teamed successfully of late; Rosario guided La Crete to victory in Saturday's Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds.

The Mary Rose, bred and owned in Arkansas, by Shortleaf Stable, Inc, will ship to Houston from Oaklawn Park on Thursday, according to her trainer John Alexander Ortiz. He has conditioned the 5-year-old Macho Uno mare since last summer, with four on the board placings in five starts. She finished her 2021 season with an impressive seven-length score in a $50,000 allowance at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 31.

Houston Ladies Classic Entries

6:23 PM – G3 John B. Connally Turf Cup at Sam Houston

Trainer Mike Maker has won seven of the past ten editions of the mile and one-half stakes which is run on the Connally Turf Course, named for the late Texas Governor John B. Connally. The esteemed conditioner will saddle three entrants, with a fourth possibility if Shady McGee draws in from the also-eligible list.

Maker's runners this year will include 2021 Connally runner-up, Ajourneytofreedom, who drew post position 11 at odds of 7-2. Owned by Paradise Farm Corp. and David Staudacher, the 5-year-old son of Hard Spun, will be making his 23rd career start. The bay gelding exits the H. Allen Jerkens, a 2-mile feature at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 24. Nationally prominent rider Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the G2 Jockey Gold Cup last June at Belmont Park, has the call.

Connally Entries

TBA – G2 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita

At the top of his game at age seven, trainer Phil D'Amato's venerable gelding Say the Word, fresh off a big come from behind victory in his most recent start, heads a compact field of six older horses going a mile and one quarter on turf in Sunday's Grade 2, $225,000 San Marcos Stakes at Santa Anita.

Third to Say the Word in the G2 Hollywood Turf Cup Nov. 26, Friar's Road came up a nose short as the 3-5 favorite in the G3 San Gabriel Stakes here on Dec. 26 and will hope for better luck going an extra furlong.

Irish-bred Lincoln Hawk, although trying graded stakes competition for the first time since running a close fifth at 28-1 five starts back in the G2 Del Mar Derby, could certainly qualify as a “now” horse as he comes off an impressive allowance tally over the course at a mile and one eighth.

With a short field and what appears to be a dearth of front-running speed, eight-year-old Acclimate, a highly accomplished California-bred gelding, could be long gone on the San Marcos lead.

Throw in San Gabriel winner Bob and Jackie, who will be tasked with keeping Acclimate busy early, and the San Marcos looks to be very competitive affair.

San Marcos Entries

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Titans Square off in Pegasus World Cup

When a racetrack musters a $3-million purse for a featured event, the hope is that racing's stars will attend the big dance. And this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. certainly succeeded in attracting two of the biggest names–Knicks Go (Paynter) and Life Is Good (Into Mischief)–in the American handicap division.

Knicks Go, a 2 3/4-length winner in last year's Pegasus World Cup, finished fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup and GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. before reeling off four-straight wins, including the GI Whitney S. and in his latest race, the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6. Knicks Go was named the 2021 Longines World' Best Racehorse during a virtual ceremony at the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, England Tuesday.

“The Breeders' Cup Classic was his biggest race he's had to date,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He's going to go to Taylor Made after the Pegasus to become a stallion. After the Classic, we had decided if he came out of the race in good order, which he did, we would pursue the Pegasus. He has trained as well as he did going into the Classic.”

He continued, “After the [Saudi Cup] last year, he was fresh and came back and didn't run as well as we had hoped in the Met Mile. Personally, I think that had a lot to do with that race being around one turn. He has not had a lot of time off, and that's very similar to what we did with the [2020 GI Breeders' Cup] Dirt Mile and last year's Pegasus. So, we have pretty much kept him on the same routine. He went over to Taylor Made for three to four days to be shown to potential breeders and was shown on a shank. Aside from that, he's been training the whole time. He's been doing well, his weight is great and his attitude is good. And he's been training great and his works have been phenomenal.”

The striking grey was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of nine older horses after drawing the one hole Tuesday. Joel Rosario has the call.

“We're not really going to deviate from what we've done in the past,” affirmed Cox. “[Life Is Good] is a very fast, brilliant horse. We're not going to let him have his own way, and I think he's probably not going to let us have our own way. We're going to break running, hopefully, get to the lead. We're going to be very aggressive to get him there.”

He added, “It's the same approach we took in the Breeders' Cup. We'll see how it goes. He's proven at a mile and an eighth and he does like the surface there. He likes the configuration of the racetrack there at Gulfstream–he proved that last year. We're just going to come out of there running and see what happens.”

China Horse Club and WinStar Farm are represented by Life Is Good, who has done very little wrong in his career, winning four of five graded attempts, including a tour-de-force victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar last November. Under the guidance of Bob Baffert, the powerful bay became a 'TDN Rising Star' with a 9 1/2-length score at Del Mar in the fall of 2020 before returning the following spring to annex the GIII Sham S. and GII San Felipe S.–defeating subsequent GI Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit (Protanico) on both of those occasions.

“He came to us with high expectations, and he had a great resume,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of Life Is Good's arrival. “Initially, we were just getting to know him and see how he trains. He trained exceptionally well, so we had high hopes for him.”

After joining the Pletcher string, the $525,000 KEESEP yearling graduate came up a neck short to Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga. With Irad Ortiz Jr. taking over riding duties for the Sept. 25 GII Kelso H. at Belmont, the sophomore drubbed older rivals for the first time to win by 5 1/2 lengths and came back with an even more sparkling performance when winning for fun on Breeders' Cup Day.

“We were unlucky in the Allen Jerkens to be beaten that day, but we mapped out a course at that point and we felt like the Dirt Mile was the correct race for him,” explained Pletcher. “The Kelso seemed like a good race to bridge the gap between the Jerkens and the Dirt Mile and I worked out well for him. Since that, we've been focused on this race. And we're going great.

“Knicks Go is a very fast horse. We know that. But we're not going to alter our style of running. And we're not going to take away his strength, which is his high-cruising speed. I honestly don't know for sure what's going to happen, at least in the first quarter or half, because you are going to have two horses that are looking for the same kind of trip.”

Hoping to pick up the pieces should a speed duel develop up front, 2019 GI Belmont S. victor Sir Winston (Awesome Again) enters the fray off a win in Woodbine's 12-furlong GIII Valedictory S. Dec. 5. Edwin Gonzalez gets the mount for trainer Mark Casse. Also likely to settle just off the pace and hope for a meltdown up front, Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) has hit the board in five of seven stakes races in 2021, including a win in the Iowa Derby and a second in the GI Awesome Again S. He was last seen finishing third in the seven-furlong GI Malibu S. Dec. 26.

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Cox: Knicks Go ‘As Good As He’s Ever Been’

Trainer Brad Cox didn't need many words to describe how Knicks Go looked to him after galloping at Gulfstream Park.

“He's as good as he's ever been. He's awesome,” Cox said.

Knicks Go is the 6-5 favorite on the morning line as he seeks to repeat in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in the final start of his distinguished career.

Cox said he didn't mind then Knicks Go drew the rail for the sixth running of the $3 million Pegasus World Cup.

“I've always said I don't really care where they draw,” he said. “I'm more interested in how they come out of there, not where they're actually coming from. As long as he breaks the way he has in the past we'll be okay.”

Since Knicks Go is very fast, Cox said he does not worry about the horse having traffic issues from the rail.

“It's zero, zero handicap. If anything, it may be even a bonus,” Cox said. “I'm good with it. In route racing post is probably overrated.”

Knicks Go has won eight of 10 starts since being transferred to Cox – all achieved in gate-to-wire style. However, it has taken more than speed for Knicks Go to become Longines 2021 World's Best Racehorse.

When a horse with superior speed runs at longer distances, his chances of success may hinge more on how he handles the turns than how fast he is.

“He runs the turns well. He can kind of clear off on the first turn. He's a horse that when he hits his left lead he doesn't slow down much. He bounces on that left lead going into the turn and creates some separation on the first turn,” Cox said. “And on the far turn, he just puts them away. I think from the half-mile pole to the three-eighths pole, he gets a little distance. The jocks on the other horses have to go into chase mode and by the time they get to the quarter pole, he's still kind of cruising along. They can't catch him.”

Jockey Joel Rosario will be riding Knicks Go for the 10th consecutive time. Since he picked up the mount in October 2020, they have combined to win seven of nine races.

“He's always able to get him in position and he runs with confidence,” Cox said. “Joel's a good rider. Good hands. A world-class rider. We're in a good spot. He fits him awful well.”

Cox acknowledged that he and his staff are feeling the mixed emotions of preparing their star for his final career race.

“My big thing is that he's accomplished so much. He doesn't owe us anything,” Cox said. “I'm hoping he can go out on a high note with a win. We've got to get through Saturday, but I would be extremely happy for the horse if he can retire sound, healthy and happy. It's always tough when one goes out, but if he's going out in good order, healthy, I think that's big. He's not being forced out due to poor performance or health issues. I'm good with it. It's time for him to start his next career as a stallion and, hopefully, we'll get one more out of him.”

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