Cox stable set for busy day on Churchill's 'Stars of Tomorrow' card
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Trainer Brad Cox’s Barn 22 on the Churchill Downs backstretch will be bustling with activity Saturday as 13 of his promising juveniles are scheduled to make a start on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” program including Ten Strike Racing and Kueber Racing’s Swill and Godolphin’s Inspector Frost in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) along with OXO Equine’s Travel Column and Kueber Racing’s Coach in the $200,000 Golden Rod (G2).
Many of Cox’s top stars have made appearances on the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs including champion Monomoy Girl, who finished second in the 2017 Golden Rod. In Saturday’s 77th running of the 1 1/16-mile event, Travel Column was made 5-1 on the morning line odds as she will attempt to turn the tables on her heavily favored rival Simply Ravishing following a 7 ½-length defeat in the $350,000 Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland.
“I don’t think the track necessarily played into her favor that day,” Cox said. “She broke a little slow and couldn’t really make up much ground with the pace. She’s a high-quality filly by Frosted and has trained forwardly out of the race.”
Travel Column’s stablemate, the undefeated Coach, won the local prep race for the Golden Rod, the $98,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes.
“Distance definitely doesn’t seem to be an issue with her,” Cox said. “She loved the extra ground in the Rags to Riches and this race made the most sense for her next start.”
Two races later in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Cox’s maiden-breaking duo Swill and Inspector Frost will attempt two turns for the first time. Swill, who was made 6-1 on the morning line odds, broke his maiden by three lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight contest on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs while his stablemate Inspector Frost, listed at 8-1 odds, won at the same distance on Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #2 Swill (Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart, 8-1); #4 Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro 6-5); #5 Inspector Frost (John Velazquez, Cox, 8-1); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1); #7 King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1); and #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans, 15-1).
The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 15-1); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); Coach (Joe Talamo, Cox, 6-1); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II, 15-1); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Cox, 5-1); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 6-1); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1); Simply Ravishing (Robby Albarado, Kenny McPeek, even-money); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); and Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm, 15-1).
Another promising 2-year-old Cox entered on Saturday’s card is Juddmonte Farm’s gutsy half-length debut winner Mandaloun, who was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in a seven-furlong first-level allowance. In his debut at Keeneland, Mandaloun was sent off as the even-money favorite and got up in the last jump over the Larry Jones-trained Bob’s Edge, who returned to break his maiden Sunday at Churchill Downs.
In last year’s version of this race on Stars of Tomorrow II, Bruce Lunsford’s eventual Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector finished in front by a convincing 7 ½ lengths but was subsequently disqualified.
Out of Cox’s 13 entrants on the Saturday program, no horse was made higher than 8-1 on the morning line odds.
Many of Cox’s top stars have made appearances on the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs including champion Monomoy Girl, who finished second in the 2017 Golden Rod. In Saturday’s 77th running of the 1 1/16-mile event, Travel Column was made 5-1 on the morning line odds as she will attempt to turn the tables on her heavily favored rival Simply Ravishing following a 7 ½-length defeat in the $350,000 Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland.
“I don’t think the track necessarily played into her favor that day,” Cox said. “She broke a little slow and couldn’t really make up much ground with the pace. She’s a high-quality filly by Frosted and has trained forwardly out of the race.”
Travel Column’s stablemate, the undefeated Coach, won the local prep race for the Golden Rod, the $98,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes.
“Distance definitely doesn’t seem to be an issue with her,” Cox said. “She loved the extra ground in the Rags to Riches and this race made the most sense for her next start.”
Two races later in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Cox’s maiden-breaking duo Swill and Inspector Frost will attempt two turns for the first time. Swill, who was made 6-1 on the morning line odds, broke his maiden by three lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight contest on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs while his stablemate Inspector Frost, listed at 8-1 odds, won at the same distance on Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #2 Swill (Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart, 8-1); #4 Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro 6-5); #5 Inspector Frost (John Velazquez, Cox, 8-1); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1); #7 King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1); and #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans, 15-1).
The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 15-1); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); Coach (Joe Talamo, Cox, 6-1); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II, 15-1); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Cox, 5-1); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 6-1); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1); Simply Ravishing (Robby Albarado, Kenny McPeek, even-money); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); and Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm, 15-1).
Another promising 2-year-old Cox entered on Saturday’s card is Juddmonte Farm’s gutsy half-length debut winner Mandaloun, who was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in a seven-furlong first-level allowance. In his debut at Keeneland, Mandaloun was sent off as the even-money favorite and got up in the last jump over the Larry Jones-trained Bob’s Edge, who returned to break his maiden Sunday at Churchill Downs.
In last year’s version of this race on Stars of Tomorrow II, Bruce Lunsford’s eventual Blue Grass Stakes (G2) winner Art Collector finished in front by a convincing 7 ½ lengths but was subsequently disqualified.
Out of Cox’s 13 entrants on the Saturday program, no horse was made higher than 8-1 on the morning line odds.
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