Cox looks to add to Breeders' Cup lineup with Keeneland preps

Trainer Brad Cox unleashed a couple of coming attractions at Keeneland last fall for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships when Essential Quality and Aunt Pearl (IRE) used Keeneland stakes victories as a springboard to respective triumphs in the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Cox is hoping for a repeat performance in a trio of upcoming Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, which provide the winners with a fees-paid berth at Del Mar Nov. 5-6.

Friday’s 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades (G1) is first for Cox with a spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 5 on the line. Cox won the Alcibiades in 2019 with British Idiom, who came back four weeks later to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

This year, he has Matareya and Juju’s Map in the race.

“We have always thought highly of her,” Cox said of Matareya, who won her lone start by 4 1/2 lengths at Ellis Park on Aug. 20. “Juju’s Map, I like her a lot. She is a little more seasoned than Matareya, and she has won at a mile (at Ellis Park).”

Cox plans to run Vivar in Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G2), a win-and-you’re-in race for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, also on Nov. 5.

“He ran well at Kentucky Downs,” Cox said of Vivar, who won going a mile as the 1-2 favorite. “He finished well.”

Hoping to follow in Aunt Pearl’s footsteps for Cox is Dawn and Ike Thrash’s Turnerloose, who is being pointed to next Wednesday’s 1 1/16-mile Jessamine (G2), a win-and-you're-in race for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 5.

“I like her a lot too,” Cox said of Turnerloose, who has won twice going a mile with the latter score coming in the Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 6.

Cox, whose 1-2 punch of Essential Quality and Knicks Go is targeting the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, plans to run Juddmonte’s Bonny South in Sunday’s 1 1/8-mile Spinster (G1), a win-and-you're-in race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

“She’s doing very well, and her last two works at Churchill Downs have been very good,” Cox said of Bonny South, who won the Baird Doubledogdare (G3) here in April. “We will see if she can close the gap on Letruska a little more.”

Bonny South has chased Letruska twice in 2021, finishing second by 2 3/4 lengths in the Ogden Phipps (G1) and, in her most recent start, second by a half-length in the Personal Ensign (G1).

Cox also has Shedaresthedevil targeting the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and is considering Donegal Racing’s Ready to Purrform, winner of last Saturday’s Laurel Futurity, for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.