Cox has a trio of talented older horses poised to make an impact in the handicap division this season, with Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show already back in training and two others set for Saturday action.
Godolphin homebred and TDN Rising Star First Mission is the 2-1 program favorite for the $1.25-million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) with Flavien Prat aboard. The Street Sense 5-year-old enters off a strong third-place finish in the Razorback Handicap (G3) on Feb. 23 in his seasonal debut.
First Mission appeared on the cusp of stardom last spring after powerful victories in the Essex Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn and the Alysheba Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs — the latter earning him a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Look, we’ve always thought he was a Grade I talent,” Cox said. “He was able to win a graded stake off a maiden win at three. We felt very good about him leading up to the Preakness, but we had a small setback that just required time.”
The talented runner was scratched from the 2023 Preakness Stakes (G1) after winning the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. He later finished a narrow second in the Clark Stakes (G2) before his promising early 2023 campaign.
First Mission’s progress stalled with disappointing efforts as the 4-5 favorite in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) and a seventh-place finish in the Whitney Stakes (G1) over a muddy Saratoga track. Cox gave him significant time to regroup before his 2024 return.
“I thought he ran against the bias a bit that day — I don’t like too many excuses — but I thought he ran a winning race,” Cox said of the Razorback effort, where First Mission rallied to finish just a neck behind Alexander Helios and Banishing. “Good run off the layoff. Good figures. We zeroed in on this race ever since. I think we got him primed and ready.”
Meanwhile, Just a Touch will seek his second consecutive allowance victory at Keeneland on Saturday. The Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing and Marc Detampel-owned Justify colt is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field that includes graded stakes winner Skinner.
Just a Touch earned his Kentucky Derby (G1) berth last year with impressive runner-up finishes in the Gotham Stakes (G3) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) despite still being eligible for a first-level allowance race.
“I would definitely say that we were trying to fast track him,” Cox admitted. “And listen, he responded. He broke his maiden and went right into graded stake company.”
After finishing last of 20 in the Kentucky Derby following an eventful trip, Just a Touch made just one more start in 2023, narrowly missing as the heavy favorite in the Iowa Derby.
“It wasn’t the greatest training job after the Derby or job of managing him and I’m to blame for that,” Cox said.
The extended break has paid dividends. Just a Touch returned with a dominant 10½-length front-running victory at Fair Grounds on March 1, earning a career-high 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He rebounded well with the freshening,” Cox noted. “I thought he ran the way he was training in his one run this year. I wanted to give him plenty of time and space his races and hopefully get a full season out of him.”
As for Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Hit Show, the $12-million upset victor is already back galloping, with the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) on June 28 — a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic — potentially on the horizon.
“As soon as we got him out of quarantine, he looked phenomenal,” Cox said. “I’ll talk it over with the Wathnan group and Case Clay, but right now, I don’t see a reason to pull him out of training. He bounced out of it really well.”
Cox’s handicap division arsenal also includes Highland Falls, last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner, who has returned to the work tab.
“They’re exciting horses,” Cox concluded. “We have a nice group of older horses. We gotta have things go right, but we’re in a good spot.”
