warrior's charge | Horse Racing Free Tips

Cox Suspended 10 Days for Bute Overage in ’21 Foster S.

Trainer Brad Cox has been suspended 10 days and fined $500 by the Churchill Downs stewards for a phenylbutazone overage detected in the runner-up of the 2021 GII Stephen Foster S.

According to a ruling dated May 15 and posted to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) website Tuesday, the Class C positive was present in the post-race testing of MGSW Warrior's Charge (Munnings) at a level of 2.51 micrograms per milliliter of blood when he ran second at 7-1 in last year's edition of the Foster.

Cox's suspension is to run May 23-June 1. Warrior's Charge has been disqualified and the purse money is to be redistributed.

TDN phoned Cox to get his side of the story and to ask whether he'd be appealing. He responded via text message.

“We were completely shocked with these lab results,” Cox wrote. “Due to the fact that this medication was administered within the strict guidelines that are set in place. Having said that, while we disagree with the results, I have to own it and accept responsibility. Moving forward, I am committed to industry leading protocols which hopefully prevent this from happening again.”

Asked what arrangements, if any, are in the works for transferring his horses during his suspension, Cox wrote, “No transfers at this time.”

Phenylbutazone, also called Bute, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Kentucky's racing rules permit it on race day in concentrations at or less than three-tenths (0.3) micrograms per milliliter.
According to the ruling, Cox waived his right to a formal stewards' hearing, as did the horse's owners, Marshall Gramm and Sol Kumin.

The KHRC classifies drugs on an A (most severe) to D (least severe) scale.

Both the owner and trainer penalties are in line with Kentucky's recommended sanctioning guidelines for a Class C first offense, which call for up to a 10-day suspension (absent mitigating circumstances) for trainers and the disqualification and purse forfeiture for the owners.

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Allowance Win Sets Up Warrior’s Charge For Return To Stakes Action

Millionaire Warrior's Charge is back in the conversation for Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older horses following a runaway allowance victory Jan. 28. The horse's stablemate and younger half-sister, Warrior's Battle, could eventually be in the stakes conversation, too, after three blowout victories earlier in the meeting.

Turning back the clock under regular rider Florent Geroux, Warrior's Charge ($5.60) recorded a 9 3/4-length victory after tracking isolated leader Fact Finding for much of the 1 1/16-mile race and seizing command on the outside turning for home. The final time of 1:45.50 over a fast track generated a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 101, which equaled a career high. It was the first time Warrior's Charge, a 6-year-old son of Munnings, crossed the finish line first since the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses in February 2020 at Oaklawn.

Warrior's Charge, who has evolved into a stalker after being a confirmed front-runner earlier in his career, will target the $500,000 Essex Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 19, trainer Brad Cox said Tuesday afternoon.

“He's always been a good horse,” Cox said. “He's obviously a multiple Grade 3 winner. It was big. He got a big figure at Keeneland in the fall. He didn't win, but he was right there at the wire with a couple of other horses. On his day, he can show that he can run a triple-digit Beyer and be a factor in stake races as he's been in the past.”

After winning the Razorback, Warrior's Charge finished second in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in May 2020 at Oaklawn and fourth in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap (G1) in July 2020 at Belmont Park. Warrior's Charge – via a disqualification for interference near the wire – was elevated to first in the $200,000 Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) the following month at Monmouth Park.

Warrior's Charge wouldn't win again until Jan. 28, a span of 10 starts. The stretch included a nose loss to Thomas Shelby at 1 1/16 miles in an Oct. 24 allowance race at Keeneland – each horse received a 101 Beyer – and a fourth-place finish behind millionaire multiple Grade 2 winner Lone Rock, Thomas Shelby and Beau Luminarie in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles Dec. 18 at Oaklawn.

Warrior's Charge is co-owned by Ten Strike Racing (founding partners Marshall Gramm and Arkansas native Clay Sanders) and Madaket Stables (Sol Kumin). Ten Strike, which considers Oaklawn its home track, offers fractional ownership in horses to investors. Warrior's Charge recorded his first two career victories (both at 1 1/16 miles) by a combined 12 ½ front-running lengths at the 2019 Oaklawn meeting before finishing fourth in the Preakness in his next start.

“He's a very sound horse,” Cox said. “He's obviously a Ten Strike horse, which comes with a lot of fanfare there. There's a lot of partners in on him in the region, so it's always good for him to perform well there at Oaklawn.”

Cox said the “next logical spot” for Warrior's Charge is the Essex, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 23. Warrior's Charge was fifth in last year's Oaklawn Handicap. The horse has never started in the Essex.

The Jan. 28 victory was the sixth in 21 starts overall for Warrior's Charge and boosted his earnings to $1,116,890. Before his sparkling allowance victory last month, Warrior's Charge had been upstaged by his rapidly improving younger half-sister, Warrior's Battle, during the 2021-2022 meeting that began Dec. 3.

Warrior's Battle became the meet's first three-time winner in a Jan. 22 starter/optional claimer, coasting to a 9 ¾-length victory in her two-turn debut for Cox and co-owners Ten Strike Racing and Titletown Racing Stables (Paul Farr). She paid $3.80 as the heavy 4-5 favorite.

Warrior's Battle, racing for a $40,000 claiming tag, broke her maiden by 7 ¼ lengths Dec. 5 and was a four-length starter/optional claiming winner Jan. 7.

“Probably won't run her back quite as quick as we did last time,” Cox said. “She gave us enough confidence with her last start to give her another run around two turns. There's obviously more money around two turns than there is one turn in Thoroughbred racing most of time.”

Warrior's Battle, a 3-year-old daughter of Khozan, was withdrawn from Keeneland's January Horses of All Ages Sale approximately a week before her two-turn victory because “we didn't believe that that was the best way to optimize value,” Farr said.

Now, her value seems to be increasing.

“We'll give her time,” Cox said. “I think like a first-level allowance is a logical spot. If she performs well there, I think we'll turn our attention toward some stakes.”

Purchased for $50,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Warrior's Battle has a 3-0-1 record from five lifetime starts and earnings of $79,500.

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Lone Rock Shortens Up Successfully, Takes Tinsel Stakes At Oaklawn

Lone Rock has made his reputation as a long distance specialist, winning at a mile and a half and beyond more than once in 2021, but he showed in the inaugural Tinsel Stakes at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort that he can win at nine furlongs as well. Over a muddy track in Hot Springs, Ark., the gelded son of Majestic Warrior dug in gamely to outlast stablemate Thomas Shelby and take the stakes by a length.

At the break, jockey Reylu Gutierrez hustled Huge Bigly out to the lead, with Thomas Shelby, Warrior's Charge, and Lone Rock following. Into the first turn, Huge Bigly was a length and a half in front, as Thomas Shelby and jockey David Cohen bided their time in second, with Warrior's Charge and Lone Rock stalking down the backstretch. As they approached the far turn, Cohen sent Thomas Shelby on Huge Bigly's outside, taking the lead with Warrior's Charge looking for room to make his play for the lead.

Lone Rock was caught in traffic on the turn, cutting to the inside of Thomas Shelby as the field enterted the stretch. The two stablemates dueled down the Oaklawn straight, with Beau Luminarie rallying on the far outside. Lone Rock was able to dig in and pass Thomas Shelby, hitting the wire three-quarters of a length in front. Thomas Shelby held on for second as Beau Luminarie's late challenge was not enough to catch the two front runners.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:49.77. Find this race's chart here.

Lone Rock paid $5.60, $3.60, and $2.80. Thomas Shelby paid $4.60 and $3.80. Beau Luminarie paid $4.00.

Bred in Kentucky by Town and Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, Lone Rock is out of the Hard Spun mare Ruby Lips. He is owned by R. A. Hill Stable and Flying P Stable and trained by Robertino Diodoro. Lone Rock was consigned by Taylor Made Sales and sold to Shortleaf Stable for $55,000 at the July 2016 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale. The 6-year-old gelding has seven wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 14 wins in 37 starts and career earnings of $1,144,921.

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Lone Rock Will Try To End 2021 Season On Top In Oaklawn’s Inaugural Tinsel Stakes

Lone Rock tries to punctuate a sensational 2021 campaign in the inaugural $200,000 Tinsel Stakes Saturday at Oaklawn.

Probable post time for the 1 1/8-mile Tinsel, which goes as the ninth of 10 races, is 4:13 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.

The Tinsel, for 3-year-olds and up, is among four new races added to Oaklawn's stakes schedule to accommodate an expanded season in 2021-2022 (66 days) and December opening, the earliest in track history. It has drawn a field of seven, including three millionaire multiple graded stakes winners.

Lone Rock opened 2021 with an allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles last February at Oaklawn, his first start since trainer Robertino Diodoro re-claimed the gelding for $40,000 in November 2020 at Churchill Downs. A two-time allowance winner at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, Lone Rock flourished after targeting races beyond the American classic distance (1 ¼ miles) and surpassed $1 million in career earnings with a 1 ½-length victory in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) Nov. 6 at Del Mar in his last start. Lone Rock set a 1 5/8-mile track record (2:42.61) under Oaklawn regular Ramon Vazquez.

Diodoro said he doesn't believe cutting back to 1 1/8 miles will be a problem for Lone Rock, whose shortest race this year was the February allowance.

“I don't think so, just because the horse is doing so good right now and there's enough speed in there, on paper, anyway,” Diodoro said. “Again, we'll see what happens Saturday.”

Lone Rock has bankrolled $722,884 in winning 6 of 8 starts (all in 2021) since Diodoro took back the now-6-year-old Majestic Warrior gelding on behalf of New York owner Jason Provenzano (Flying P Stable). Prior to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Lone Rock had captured an April 11 allowance race at Oaklawn, $130,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon Overnight Stakes April 27 at Churchill Downs, $400,000 Brooklyn Stakes (G2) June 5 at Belmont Park and the $120,000 Birdstone Stakes Aug. 5 at Saratoga.

The April 11 race, Isaac Murphy and Brooklyn were all 1 ½ miles. The Birdstone was 1 ¾ miles. Lone Rock also finished second in another 1 ½-mile race, the $150,000 Temperence Hill Stakes for older horses, March 13 at Oaklawn.

Overall, Lone Rock has a 13-4-2 record from 36 lifetime starts and earnings of $1,024,921. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance was his fifth career stakes victory.

Diodoro said the Tinsel could serve as the gelding's bridge to another shot against Grade-1 company in 2022. Lone Rock ran in the $500,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) for 2-year-olds in 2017 at Keeneland, but spent most of his career in the allowance ranks before blossoming in niche events this year.

“At the same time, it's one day at a time, definitely,” Diodoro said. “We're just focused on Saturday night now and see what happens.”

Also entered in the Tinsel are Warrior's Charge and Tenfold, two other millionaire multiple graded stakes winners.

Warrior's Charge won the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses in 2020 at Oaklawn for trainer Brad Cox. Warrior's Charge exits a runner-up finish, beaten a nose by Tinsel entrant Thomas Shelby, in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race Oct. 24 at Keeneland. Warrior's Charge still received a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure, four points higher than for his Razorback victory.

“He likes Oaklawn,” Cox said. “I think it's a good spot. He drew well. Looks like a shorter field. I think it's good timing since his last race. He received some big figures out of his last run and he's had plenty of time to recover from it. If he gets some similar figures again, I think we'll be in good shape.”

Tenfold, a Grade 2 winner, captured his first two career starts at the 2018 Oaklawn meeting for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen before finishing third in the Preakness. Diodoro also entered the speedy Thomas Shelby, who has won three consecutive starts, including a narrow decision over Warrior's Charge in October, and seven overall in 2021.

“There's lots of speed in the race, but we definitely aren't changing our tactics, that's for sure,” said Diodoro, who trains Thomas Shelby for four-time defending Oaklawn champion owner M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk). “We're going to go as hard as we need to go on the front end and hopefully have enough to last.”

The projected seven-horse Tinsel field from the rail out: Huge Bigly, Reylu Gutierrez to ride, 117 pounds, 6-1 on the morning line; Lone Rock, Ramon Vazquez, 124, 8-5; Beau Luminarie, Ricardo Santana Jr., 124, 6-1; Title Ready, Brian Hernandez Jr., 124, 9-2; Tenfold, Luis Contreras, 117, 6-1; Thomas Shelby, David Cohen, 121, 8-1; and Warrior's Charge, Florent Geroux, 124, 5-2.

Diodoro also entered Thomas Shelby in Sunday's seventh race, a starter/optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles.

Beau Luminarie is the first scheduled starter at the meeting for trainer Rodolphe Brisset, who won the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses in 2019 at Oaklawn with Quip. Beau Luminarie is seeking his first stakes victory after near-misses in the $150,000 Ben Ali (G3) April 10 at Keeneland and the $60,000 Tri-State Overnight Aug. 7 at Ellis Park. Although Beau Luminarie has nine runner-up finishes in his 18-race career, he's won his last two starts, both in allowance company this fall in Kentucky.

“I think with the year he's had, it's no pressure,” Brisset said. “He's just turned the corner and found the wire. He's been finding the wire. Before, he had a tendency to want to hang, he had a tendency to want to run second. All of a sudden, he just learned how to win. I think we are in the right spot. I'm not saying he's going to win by 5, but he's improving and we'll see what happens. Likely, he'll get a break after the race and set him up for next year.”

Grade 3 winner Title Ready will be making his second start after finishing 11th behind 2021 Razorback winner Mystic Guide in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) March 27 in the United Arab Emirates for trainer Dallas Stewart.

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