Aunt Pearl adds to Cox's Breeders' Cup roster with record-setting win

Trainer Brad Cox’s arsenal for the 37th Breeders’ Cup World Championships to be held at Keeneland Nov. 6-7 grew by one Wednesday with the emphatic victory by Aunt Pearl (IRE) in the Jessamine (G2).

Cox said the undefeated Aunt Pearl, who shattered a 21-year-old stakes record in her front-running 2½-length victory, was scheduled to rejoin his main string at Churchill Downs today.

Owned by the partnership of Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group, Aunt Pearl earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 6.

Also under consideration for the Juvenile Fillies Turf for Cox is Kueber Racing’s Emro. Undefeated in two starts, Emro won the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 15.

Aunt Pearl’s victory gave Cox his second Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race winner of the meet to go with Godolphin’s Essential Quality, who earned a spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

The ace in Cox’s Breeders’ Cup deck is 2018 Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl. Owned by the partnership of Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables, Monomoy Girl will be seeking her second victory in the $2 million Distaff (G1), a race she won at Churchill Downs in 2018.

Other probable Breeders’ Cup runners for the Louisville native are Donegal Racing and Newtown Anner Stud’s Abarta (Juvenile Turf-G1), who was second in Sunday’s Bourbon (G2) here; Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go (Dirt Mile-G1), who came off a 7½-month layoff to set a track record for a 1 1/16 miles here Oct. 4; and Donegal Racing, Joseph Bulger and Peter Coneway’s Arklow (Turf-G1).

Cox has indicated that Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing’s Beau Recall (IRE), runner-up in Saturday’s First Lady (G1), is under consideration to face males in the $2 million Mile (G1).