Kentucky Derby works: Cox is busy with 4 breezing Saturday
Louisville, Ky.
For all the demands on his time and pressure on his two-time Eclipse Award winning barn, Brad Cox’s accommodating nature still gets the best of him on occasion. Case in point, his polite apology to the media setting up shop outside on his barn Saturday morning for making them wait as he finished sending out his final sets.
Not only was the acknowledgement, gracious as it was, completely unnecessary, Cox had more than adequate reasons for having his attention pulled in multiple directions Saturday morning. Loaded down with four contenders for Kentucky Derby 2023 next Saturday, Cox sent his entire classic crew out for their final works over the Churchill Downs main track on a busy morning of activity a week out from the first leg of the Triple Crown.
Cox is set to have his largest contingent yet as he seeks to celebrate a Kentucky Derby win with a horse who crosses the wire first. The Louisville native famously had his charge Mandaloun elevated to victory via disqualification when 2021 first-place finisher Medina Spirit was disqualified for a medication positive. This season, however, he has ample reason to think he can notch a Derby win on the square as Withers Stakes (G3) winner Hit Show, Blue Grass Stakes (G1) runner-up Verifying and Louisiana Derby (G2) third Jace’s Road are set to join Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire in collectively shouldering their trainer’s aspirations.
Both Hit Show and Verifying came out earlier in the morning hours prior with the former going five furlongs in 59.6 seconds in company with Tapit’s Conquest and the latter clocking five furlongs at 59.4 breezing alongside Ever So Mischievous.
During the training period that started at 7:30 a.m. EDT, Angel of Empire and Jace’s Road were paired with the Grade 1 winner going five furlongs in 1:01.4, getting the best of his stablemate during the gallop-out at 1:14.2. Jace’s Road was clocked at 1:01.2.
“The set after the break, the 7:30 set, they broke off just a little bit slower, and they didn’t go as quick early, but we’re letting them just kind of cruise around there on their own terms,” Cox said. “We just wanted them to stretch their legs and get a little blowout out of it. Overall, I thought it was a very productive morning, and first and foremost is that they come out of the works in good order and that we can march forward to next Saturday.”
Owned by Albaugh Family Stables, Angel of Empire has been one of the most visually impressive winners in the run up to the Kentucky Derby. The son of Classic Empire followed his one-length victory in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) on Feb. 18 by launching a powerful move on the far turn in the Arkansas Derby and drawing off as he pleased for a 4 1/4-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile race at Oaklawn.
Although Angel of Empire boasts the biggest credentials among his stablemates, Hit Show was just a nose away from taking the Wood Memorial (G2) over long shot Lord Miles. Verifying gave Tapit Trice all he could handle down the lane of the Blue Grass Stakes before falling a neck short.
“With Angel of Empire, he’s just a horse that is supposed to get better with distance and age based off his pedigree, and he has,” Cox said. “He’s 2-for-2 at 1 1/8 miles, and there aren’t too many horses that are 2-for-2 at that distance coming into the Derby. And you know Hit Show was beaten by a very narrow margin, and Verifying galloped out on even terms with Tapit Trice, so I’m excited about both of them.
“Verifying really started taking off over the winter,” Cox continued. “After he won a first-level allowance at Oaklawn, I left for the Pegasus (World Cup Invitational, G1), and when I came back, I was like, wow, this horse is really growing and getting big and blowing up. He’s really developed. His works leading up to the Blue Grass were really good, and I feel like we’re seeing more of the same now. He’s become more much consistent in his works the last few months.”
A total of nine Kentucky Derby contenders and two horses on the outside of the top 20 looking in all put in workouts at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Keith Desormeaux-trained Confidence Game, winner of the Rebel Stakes (G2), registered a five-furlong breeze in 59.0 seconds, and Florida Derby (G1) runner-up Mage drilled six furlongs in 1:16.8 for trainer Gustavo Delgado.
Cyclone Mischief, currently 21st on the points list to make him the first standby, also worked Saturday, going five furlongs in 1:00.8 for trainer Dale Romans.