Prospect Watch: Don’t miss these 4 Brad Cox juveniles
It’s no surprise that most racing fans are focusing their attention on the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. But we would be remiss for not taking notice of a pair of competitive maiden events for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs this week.
Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox has entered a quartet of promising youngsters across the two races, and all four have the potential to develop into stakes stars. Let’s take a moment to review their credentials:
Friday
Churchill Downs Race 10: Maiden special weight (6 1/2 furlongs, 7:23 p.m. EDT)
No. 2 Cyberknife
Pedigree: Gun Runner–Awsome Flower, by Flower Alley
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brad Cox
Normally we highlight unraced horses in Prospect Watch, but I’ll make an exception this week to focus on Cyberknife. I highlighted the son of Gun Runner prior to his Sept. 25 debut at Churchill Downs, where he tracked (and then set) a fast pace before crossing the wire in front by half a length.
Cyberknife was disqualified to second place for bumping a rival, but the 93 Brisnet Speed rating he received was excellent. Considering Cox wins at a 26 percent rate with second-time starters (well above his 14 percent strike rate with debuting runners this year), Cyberknife is eligible to perform even better in his second run under colors, stamping the chestnut colt as a highly promising prospect. Dam Awesome Flower won half a dozen stakes running one mile or farther, so Cyberknife has the pedigree to develop into a Kentucky Derby type.
No. 9 Words of Wisdom
Pedigree: Tapit–Wedding Toast, by Street Sense
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brad Cox
The latest beautifully bred juvenile to debut from the Brad Cox barn is Words of Wisdom. A son of three-time leading sire Tapit, Words of Wisdom was produced by Wedding Toast, a talented mare who won the Ogden Phipps (G1) and Beldame (G1) in 2015.
Wedding Toast has already proven productive as a broodmare, since her first foal to race – Ya Hayati – won a 1 1/4-mile stakes on turf in Dubai. With this pedigree in tow, it is safe to say that Words of Wisdom is bred to run long, so do not assume he will deliver a winning effort in his sprint debut. An encouraging effort is certainly possible – the Godolphin homebred has turned in quick works at Keeneland – but Words of Wisdom is bound to improve when stretching out in distance down the road.
Saturday
Churchill Downs Race 8: Maiden special weight (6 1/2 furlongs, 6:05 p.m.)
No. 4 Hidden Wonder
Pedigree: Curlin–Carella, by Tapit
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brad Cox
The first of two Brad Cox trainees in this competitive test for 2-year-old fillies, Hidden Wonder is bred to be anything but a sprinter. Sire Curlin is a Preakness winner and two-time Horse of the Year renowned for passing on stamina at stud, while dam sire Tapit has sired four winners of the Belmont Stakes. Even dam Carella was best running long, breaking her maiden in a one-mile maiden special weight at Presque Isle Downs.
With this in mind, we are unlikely to see Hidden Wonder’s best effort in this 6 1/2-furlong maiden dash. But on the other hand, the gray filly has been training forwardly at Keeneland, breezing five furlongs in 59.8 seconds on Oct. 5 and five furlongs in a bullet 59.6 from the starting gate in Oct. 12. In any case, look for Hidden Wonder to develop into a classy route runner down the road.
No. 9 Savo Island
Pedigree: Quality Road–Inventive, by Dixie Union
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brad Cox
From a pedigree perspective, Savo Island is cut out to be a star. Quality Road was a four-time Grade 1 winner who nabbed graded stakes over distances from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, while dam Inventive already has achieved fame for foaling Klimt, an early-maturing juvenile who won the Best Pal (G2) and Del Mar Futurity (G1) at age 2.
Savo Island has put together quick workouts on the Kentucky circuit, including five furlongs in one minute flat from the Keeneland starting gate. A competitive effort should be in the offing.