Brad Cox continued his impressive run last weekend at Churchill Downs as his trainee Further Ado (Gun Runner) captured the GII Kentucky Club Stakes. On the same card, Cox unveiled maiden winner Cannoneer (Into Mischief), who dominated by 7 1/4 lengths.
Cox, appearing on this week’s TDN Writers’ Room Podcast presented by Keeneland, looks to extend his winning streak Saturday at Aqueduct with Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap. The 5-year-old enters the race with an impressive 8-for-12 lifetime record.
The trainer currently manages a 160-horse operation with divisions at Oaklawn Park, Payson Park, Fair Grounds, Turfway Park, and Belmont Park. Cox served as this week’s Gainesway Guest of the Week on the podcast.
Further Ado stepped up from his explosive 20-length maiden victory at Keeneland to win the Kentucky Jockey Club by 1 3/4 lengths. His Beyer figure dropped from 98 in his maiden win to 82 in the Churchill stakes, but Cox remained pleased with the performance.
“There was a dog fight down the lane and he ended up winning by 1 3/4 lengths,” Cox said. “I thought it was a good effort from a horse that was facing winners for the first time. That means a lot. I’ve always said that’s one of the toughest things to do in racing, after you break your maiden immediately going after winners. He once again stepped up and I thought the performance was a big effort. Though I know he probably didn’t match the numbers from his maiden win.”
The Spendthrift Farm-owned Further Ado will winter at Payson Park in Florida. Despite his Florida location, Cox indicated the colt may not race there to avoid facing stablemate and probable Eclipse Award winner Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), also owned by Spendthrift and trained by Todd Pletcher.
Cannoneer, named a TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard, impressed podcast panelist Randy Moss even more than Further Ado. The $1.75 million Keeneland September Sale purchase finished third in his June debut at Churchill before returning five months later with a dramatically improved performance.
“He’s very talented,” Cox explained. “He made the races early in the spring. After his first race I wasn’t quite happy with the way he was moving, so we gave him the time. There could have been something maybe bothering him that day. We just didn’t get the performance we were looking for.”
Cox added that Cannoneer returned to Keeneland in early October, immediately showing his talent in workouts. “He came back into Keeneland on the first of October and immediately, as soon as we worked him, we saw that the talent was still there. It never went anywhere.”
Regarding Bishops Bay in Saturday’s Cigar Mile, Cox expressed confidence in both the horse and the post position.
“I love the draw,” Cox said. “I thought he drew really well. The outside post should give Flavien [Prat] an opportunity to break and either take control of the race or sit just off the pace.”
The 5-year-old’s biggest victories have come at the Grade III level, making the Cigar Mile — which came up with a weaker field this year — an opportunity to enhance his resume.
“I feel like we’ve kind of campaigned him well and managed him properly. There is a new ownership group [KAS Stables] and the goal is to get him to the Middle East at some point. I think a big performance on Saturday could definitely, moving forward, get his rating up high enough to maybe take a chance in a race in the Middle East.”
The podcast’s “Fastest Horse of the Week” — a segment sponsored by WinStar, which stands stallion Independence Hall — was Magnitude (Not This Time), who earned a 100 Beyer figure winning the GII Clark Stakes.
Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV and West Point Thoroughbreds, the team discussed major stakes from Churchill Downs and Del Mar. Chad Brown’s dominance in Del Mar’s late fall turf stakes was highlighted, with all three of his West Coast shippers winning graded stakes.
The panel also covered the ongoing Rudy Rodriguez situation, with Thornton providing updates on the New York-based trainer who faces potential serious charges from HISA involving animal cruelty issues. Saturday’s major Aqueduct stakes — the Cigar Mile, GII Remsen Stakes, and GII Demoiselle Stakes — were also previewed.
