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Brad Cox Talks Breeders’ Cup Grand Slam, Monomoy Girl 6YO Campaign On Writers’ Room

Already considered one of the hottest barns in America heading into Breeders’ Cup weekend, Brad Cox’s stable provided an exclamation point to a monster 2020 season with a whopping four World Championship victories at Keeneland. Now leading all conditioners with 28 graded stakes wins this year and a legitimate threat to unseat four-time defending champion trainer Chad Brown at the Eclipse Awards, Cox joined the TDN Writers’ Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Cox explained his barn’s breakout success the past few years, talked about what’s next for his Breeders’ Cup winners and hinted at some potential new tests for soon-to-be dual champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar)’s expected return as a 6-year-old.

“It’s the quality of horse. We always left like we’ve been able to win races,” Cox said of his outfit’s rapid rise to the top. “The bulk of the stable was made up of claiming horses for several years. We had a run with Midwest Thoroughbreds that was, for me and my crew, very educational. We had the opportunity to see a lot of different types of horses. But over the last five years, the biggest change is the clientele and the horses for sure.”

Already with an enormously satsifying weekend under its belt, Cox’s operation got even more good news Sunday night, when Spendthrift Farm announced that Monomoy Girl would return to the races in 2021 after buying the mare for $9.5 million at Fasig-Tipton November.

“They asked me if I’d be interested in taking her back to campaign her in 2021, which was a no-brainer, but that was basically the extent of our conversation,” Cox said when asked about a potential schedule for the wildly popular chestnut. “She’s back here with us at Churchill, she came out of the race in fantastic shape. I think we’ll find out more, they’re still buying horses and they seem to be busy, but I think that facing the boys or racing internationally could be something that’s on their mind. And it’s something that we would be up for, to say the least.”

After Monomoy Girl, the headliner of the weekend for Cox was Essential Quality (Tapit), who dominated the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to run his record to three-for-three and likely salt away a divisional championship. The gray is the latest best hope for Godolphin to win its elusive first GI Kentucky Derby, and Cox talked about his impressions and immediate plans for the colt.

“He came out of the race really, really well,” he said. “We took him back to the track this morning, just jogged him. He’s full of himself at times. He’s a Tapit, so he has a lot of energy. But he seems to know when to turn it on or shut it off, which I think is a great trait of quality in a classy horse. I think the sky’s the limit and I don’t think there’s any kind of distance limitations with him. There really doesn’t seem to be a bottom with him so I’m very optimistic he could be a horse that gets a mile and a quarter. We’ll start training him again at some point in early December at Fair Grounds. It’d be nice to get a couple of races into him in February, March, April and hopefully he does enough to earn himself a spot in the Derby.”

Cox also indicated that he would consider a maiden European journey for his barn with GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), saying, “It would be nice to get a start into her this spring and then maybe look at Royal Ascot with her. Maybe a similar campaign that Sharing (Speightstown, second in Ascot’s G1 Coronation S.) had. I thought about that after she won the Jessamine because of one, her pedigree, and two, [winning with] no Lasix. I think that’s a benefit that’s going to help our horses internationally.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers broke down all the action from Breeders’ Cup weekend and, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, laid out their biggest takeaways from Fasig-Tipton’s ‘Night of the Stars’ and the early days of Keeneland November. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Timing Snafu Explained (Sort Of), With Time Adjusted

Equibase and Keeneland on Wednesday issued a statement concerning the failure of the timing system to correctly time the fractional and final clockings for Saturday's $6-million, Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic won in what officials say was a track record time by Authentic. The North American Thoroughbred industry's official data base and the host track for the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup, respectively, also issued a new final time and fractional times for the mile and a quarter race.

The statement follows: “Prior to the running of the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (Gr. 1) on November 7, 2020, at Keeneland, a photo eye at the start of the race was inadvertently tripped, which resulted in an error when attempting to operate the timing system manually causing inaccurate timing for all fractions and the final time of the race. A final time of 1:59.19 was initially provided by Equibase using the available video replay.

“After subsequent and more detailed review and timing of the race from multiple sources and camera angles, Keeneland and Equibase have determined the fractional times for the Classic (:23.20, :46.84, 1:10.32, 1:34.64) and confirmed a final time of 1:59.60. The Classic chart has been updated and the running of Authentic in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic is now the official track record for the 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland.”

With traditional timing beam systems, a track's clocker initiates the timing system when the gates open. The timing of the race begins when the leading horse trips the electronic beam at the appropriate pole on the racetrack – in this instance three-sixteenths of a mile from the finish line on the 1 1/16-mile oval. Subsequent fractional times are recorded when the leading horse trips the beams at poles around the track.

The statement from Keeneland and Equibase does not explain why an initial fraction of :17.19 for the opening quarter mile was initially posted on the track television feed. If the teletimer beam after the start of the race was tripped early, as suggested, the initial quarter-mile fraction would have been slower than normal, not faster. In addition, Keeneland and Equibase failed to explain why there was no hand-timing of such an important race in the event of a timing failure, something that is standard operating procedure at some tracks.

The previous record for the seldom-run 1 1/4-mile distance at Keeneland was 2:00.07, established by American Pharoah in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic. The fastest Breeders' Cup Classic ever run was by Ghostzapper when he covered the distance at Lone Star Park in Texas in 1:59.02 in 2004.

The Keeneland dirt track played exceedingly fast during the two-day Breeders' Cup meet, with new records established for six furlongs (1:07.89) by Nashville in the Perryville Stakes; 6 1/2 furlongs (1:14.99) by Highly Motivated in the Nyquist Stakes; seven furlongs (1:20.20) by Gamine in the G1 Filly & Mare Sprint; one mile (1:33.85) by Knicks Go in the G1 Dirt Mile; and 1 1/4 miles (1:59.60) by Authentic in the Classic. One turf course record was broken for 1 3/16 miles (1:52.72) by Aurdarya in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Trakus, a system used by Keeneland and a number of other racetracks in North American to track the location of horses throughout each race, published the following times on the 2020 Classic: :23.20, :47.06, 1:10.84, 1:35.00 and 1:59.82.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic Final Time, Fractions Updated

Prior to the running of the Nov. 7 GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, a photo eye at the start of the race was inadvertently tripped, which resulted in an error when attempting to operate the timing system manually causing inaccurate timing for all fractions and the final time of the race. A final time of 1:59.19 was initially provided by Equibase using the available video replay. After subsequent and more detailed review and timing of the race from multiple sources and camera angles, Keeneland and Equibase have determined the fractional times for the Classic as follows–:23.20, :46.84, 1:10.32, 1:34.6–and confirmed a final time of 1:59.60. Classic winner Authentic is now credited with Keeneland’s official track record for the 1 1/4-mile distance.

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Group 3 Winner Pollara, In Foal To War Front, Tops Second Day Of Keeneland November Sale At $975,000

Pollara, a Group 3 winner in France who is carrying her first foal by War Front, sold to Arthur Hoyeau, agent, for $975,000 during Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which was marked by international and domestic participation.

A total of 197 horses sold today for $27,690,000, for an average of $140,558 and a median of $100,000.

Through two sessions, 325 horses have grossed $77,465,000, for an average of $238,354 and a median of $135,000.

“Overall the market is strong,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “Five mares sold today for more than $500,000, which is pretty comparable to last year's session. Consignors have commented to us that they have been a little surprised at the strength of the market. So trade is strong.”

Keeneland Director of Sales Operations Geoffrey Russell agreed.

“Phil Schoenthal from Maryland brought Matt Dorman, who's developing a breeding operation, so they are here to fill up a farm,” he said. “Our international clients who came last year are back buying to lay down the foundations for their breeding operations. Keeneland is where the world comes to buy. If you look at the leading buyers at the end of the day. you have European, American and Japanese interests. There was a great mix of people today, and we hope that continues.”

Pollara, a 5-year-old daughter of Camelot, is out of the winning Storm Cat mare Brooklyn's Storm, a half-sister to French highweight and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Solemia. She is also from the family of French highweight and multiple Group 1 winner Silasol and group winners Prospect Wells and Prospect Park.

“She is going back to France,” said Henri Bozo, manager of Ecurie des Monceaux, about Pollara. “She is a very exciting mare. She is in foal to a very proven stallion. We try to breed classic winners. She stood out in Book 2.”

Pollara was consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent.

“She's such a nice mare, a group winner in France and in foal to the right horse,” Claiborne President Walker Hancock said. “Every single mare in the family is in foal to a world-leading sire. It's a very active family and they've all been bred to the best sires in the world. There are tons of upside to the family. When you have a page like that, a race record like that and in foal to the right sire the sky's the limit.”

Schoenthal, agent for Dorman's Determined Stud, paid $800,000 for Style and Grace, a winning, 4-year-old daughter of Curlin who is carrying her first foal by City of Light, and $600,000 for Vevina, a 5-year-old, stakes-placed daughter of More Than Ready who is carrying her first foal by Uncle Mo.

Style and Grace, a half-sister to Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Furthest Land, was consigned by Lane's End, agent. Out of the Rahy mare Flagrant, she is from the family of Grade 2 winner Ready for Rye and Grade 3 winner Dynever.

Vevina, who was consigned by Kingswood Farm, is out of My Sugar Bear, by Giant's Causeway. She is from the family of Grade 2 winners Possible Mate and Guided Tour.

Determined Stud is a new breeding and racing operation that acquired several horses at Keeneland's 2020 September Yearling Sale.

“We're just buying quality,” Dorman said about Determined's broodmare purchases on Tuesday. “We have some stallion shares so we have some stallions in mind. The farm is in Boyds, Maryland. We are really looking for quality, so I think the band will be around the 15-horse mark and then we will go from there.”

Lane's End was the session's leading consignor, selling 31 horses for $4,716,000.

Woodford Thoroughbreds paid $575,000 for Grade 3-placed mare Hot Cash, a full-sister to Grade 1 winner Stately Victor carrying her first foal by Curlin. Consigned by Hidden Brook, agent, the 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper is out of Grade 1 winner Collect the Cash, by Dynaformer.

“She will be a good addition to the broodmare band,” said Lincoln Collins, who signed the ticket for Hot Cash. “No breeding plans yet; we will sit down and think about it. We knew she was going to be expensive but you never quite know what that means. It is a better market than I think any of us thought it would be. The horse business is alive and well.”

“She sold well. We are happy,” Hidden Brook's Dan Hall said. “She's a young mare who could run and she's in foal to the right horse. (Her sale is part of) a major reduction (for Adena Springs), getting the numbers way down. It makes sense right now. We have close to 90, between mares and weanlings, all in this sale. There has been a lot of interest at the barn at all levels.”

For the second day, a colt from the first crop of undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify was the session's top-priced weaning. On Tuesday, M.V. Magnier paid $475,000 for the first foal of Grade 3-placed winner Inchargeofme. Nursery Place, agent, consigned the colt, who is from the family of Group 1-placed Johann Straus.

“He's a beautiful-looking horse, and Justify is making very good foals,” Coolmore's David Wachman said. “We're just excited to be able to buy a very nice horse by him. Across the board, they're very good, and he's a very smart horse, that horse. We're happy to have him.”

Yeguada Centurion of Spain led buyers by spending $3,127,000 for 17 horses.

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