Cox can add to promising meet in upcoming Fair Grounds stakes

Trainer Brad Cox could add to what has been a highly rewarding meet for the current leading trainer when he sends out multiple solid stakes contenders Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Cox entered High North in the Gr. II $400,000 Risen Star Stakes, but will likely cross enter the 3-year-old son of Midnight Lute in the Gr. III $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

“It’s possible that we’ll cross enter,” Cox said. “We won’t make a decision until later in the week, but he’s been here at the Fair Grounds and doing really well. I’m still deciding on whether to breeze him (Sunday) or Monday, but he’s doing really well.”

Should High North opt for the Risen Star, he will break from the rail under Corey Lanerie, who guided the horse to his third out maiden win at Keeneland and a fourth-place finish in the Gr. II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Risen Star is the second of three local preps on Churchill Downs’ Road to The Kentucky Derby and awards the Top 4 finisher’s points according to a 50-20-10-5 scale.

Also on the card, Mr. Misunderstood, a 4-year-old son of Archarcharch who is a remarkable 7-for-7 when racing on grass, will put his undefeated turf record on the line when he breaks from the six hole under Florent Geroux in the Gr. III $150,000 Fair Grounds Handicap.

The outstanding turf titan will also take aim at a sixth consecutive victory on Saturday and scored his last five wins over three different grass courses. He won the Super Derby Prelude Stakes and the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs last year before scoring another pair of stakes victories over Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course in the Jefferson Cup on Sept. 30 and the Gr. III Commonwealth Turf Stakes on Nov. 11. In his last effort, he took the Woodchopper Stakes on Dec. 30 over the local going. 

Mr. Misunderstood worked a half-mile in :51.20 on Saturday morning and will be facing older horses for the first time in Saturday’s race.

“(Mr. Misunderstood) is training really well,” Cox said. “His last two works have been fantastic and he had a great work (Saturday) morning. He couldn’t be doing any better. He’s definitely stepping up a little bit; he hasn’t faced the talent or the depth that he’s going to face on Saturday. The first time against older horses tend to be deeper water and this will be the deepest water that he’s been in. He looks amazing, he’s happy and he’s doing great mentally and physically.”

Cox is also hoping to get a couple of his 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Oaks and Derby trail. In the Gr. II $200,000 Rachel Alexandra, Cox enters Monomoy Girl who will make her seasonal bow in the mile-and-a-sixteenth event, which awards fillies points on a 50-20-10-5 scale on Churchill Downs’ Road to The Kentucky Oaks. She has already earned 4 points from her runner-up effort in the Gr. II Golden Rod at Churchill Downs, the only loss of her four-race career and also her lone start around two turns. Her first two starts were victories on turf and in her third race she switched to the main track to take the Rags To Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs. She breaks from the eight hole under Florent Geroux. 

“I’m glad that we have a two turn race under our belt,” Cox said. “I think we got a good post where can sit off of the speed or we can be the speed. She was a little unfortunate not to win the Golden Rod. I don’t really know that we have any excuses other than we just got nailed right at the wire. She’s done extremely well and she’s ready to go.”