COX STARS POISED FOR SUCCESS ON SATURDAY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

By Darren Rogers —-

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, Nov. 27, 2020) – Trainer Brad Cox’s Barn 22 on the Churchill Downs backstretch will be bustling with activity Saturday as 13 of his promising juveniles are scheduled to make a start on the “Stars of Tomorrow II” program including Ten Strike Racing and Kueber Racing’s Swill and Godolphin’s Inspector Frost in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) along with OXO Equine’s Travel Column and Kueber Racing’s Coach in the $200,000 Golden Rod (GII).

Many of Cox’s top stars have made appearances on the Stars of Tomorrow programs at Churchill Downs including champion Monomoy Girl, who finished second in the 2017 Golden Rod. In Saturday’s 77th running of the 1 1/16-mile event, Travel Column was made 5-1 on the morning line odds as she will attempt to turn the tables on her heavily favored rival Simply Ravishing following a 7 ½-length defeat in the $350,000 Alcibiades (GI) at Keeneland.

“I don’t think the track necessarily played into her favor that day,” Cox said. “She broke a little slow and couldn’t really make up much ground with the pace. She’s a high-quality filly by Frosted and has trained forwardly out of the race.”

Travel Column’s stable mate, the undefeated Coach, won the local prep race for the Golden Rod, the $98,000 Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes.

“Distance definitely doesn’t seem to be an issue with her,” Cox said. “She loved the extra ground in the Rags to Riches and this race made the most sense for her next start.”

Two races later in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Cox’s maiden-breaking duo Swill and Inspector Frost will attempt two turns for the first time. Swill, who was made 6-1 on the morning line odds, broke his maiden by three lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight contest on Sept. 24 at Churchill Downs while his stable mate Inspector Frost, listed at 8-1 odds, won at the same distance on Oct. 18 at Keeneland.

The complete field for the Kentucky Jockey Club (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): #1 Sittin On Go (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #1a Smiley Sobotka (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 5-1); #2 Swill (Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1); #3 Arabian Prince (Tyler Gaffalione, Dallas Stewart, 8-1); #4 Keepmeinmind (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro 6-5); #5 Inspector Frost (John Velazquez, Cox, 8-1); #6 Oncoming Train (Rafael Bejarano, Jimmy DiVito, 10-1); #7 King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 6-1); and #8 Ultimate Badger (Joe Talamo, Romans, 15-1).

The field for the Golden Rod, from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): Lady Lilly (Tyler Gaffalione, Steve Asmussen, 15-1); No Mo Spending (Chris Landeros, Ian Wilkes, 15-1); Coach (Joe Talamo, Cox, 6-1); Farsighted (Julien Leparoux, Rusty Arnold II, 15-1); Travel Column (Florent Geroux, Cox, 5-1); Clairiere (Ricardo Santana Jr., Asmussen, 6-1); Lady Traveler (Corey Lanerie, Dale Romans, 20-1); Simply Ravishing (Robby Albarado, Kenny McPeek, even-money); Princess Theorem (John Velazquez, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); and Alexandria (Gerardo Corrales, Tim Hamm, 15-1).

Another promising 2-year-old Cox entered on Saturday’s card is Juddmonte Farm’s gutsy half-length debut winner Mandaloun, who was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in a seven-furlong first-level allowance. In his debut at Keeneland, Mandaloun was sent off as the even-money favorite and got up in the last jump over the Larry Jones-trained Bob’s Edge, who returned to break his maiden Sunday at Churchill Downs.

In last year’s version of this race on Stars of Tomorrow II, Bruce Lunsford’s eventual Blue Grass Stakes (GII) winner Art Collector finished in front by a convincing 7 ½ lengths but was subsequently disqualified.

Out of Cox’s 13 entrants on the Saturday program, no horse was made higher than 8-1 on the morning line odds.

LIFE IS GOOD EARLY 4-1 INDIVIDUAL FAVORITE IN POOL 1 OF KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURE WAGER – CHC Inc and WinStar Farm’s recent 9 ½-length debut winner Life Is Good has garnered much of the early wagering attention in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager and was the early 4-1 individual favorite through one day of wagering.

The ever popular “All Other 3-Year-Old Colts and Geldings” was the overall favorite at 7-5. The pool will close Sunday at 6 p.m. (all times Eastern).

In the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager, offspring sired by Into Mischief were the early 9-2 favorite.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that Churchill Downs has hosted Future Wager pools in November on closing weekend of its Fall Meet. In last year’s wager, eventual Kentucky Derby winner Authentic closed at 50-1 odds and returned $103.60 for a $2 wager. His sire, Into Mischief, closed at 17-1 and returned $36.20.

More information, Brisnet.com past performances and real-time odds on the Kentucky Derby Future Wager are available at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/wager/future-wager

TWINSPIRES PLAYER TURNS 20 CENTS INTO $328,146 – Christmas arrived early for one lucky TwinSpires customer who turned 20 cents into a whopping $328,146 playing the races at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving.

The player’s good fortune came from hitting the Pick 6, a bet type that requires the horseplayer to correctly pick the winner of six successive races.

The TwinSpires horseplayer spent a total of $2 on Pick 6 tickets, and as luck would have it, one of his 20 cent straight wagers hit the jackpot.

“It’s incredible that this player was able to hit this massive win with a straight 20 cent ticket,” said TwinSpires handicapper, Ed DeRosa. “People often play thousands of different combinations in a Pick 6 wager, so this player can thank his lucky stars he’s been able to turn two dimes into a life-changing windfall.”

Thursday’s Thanksgiving Pick 6 at Churchill Downs was staged on Races 6-11, and the winning numbers were 6-5-9-3-1-4.

Churchill Downs offers the Pick 6 on the final six races of each day’s card. Horseplayers can watch and wager on the Pick 6 with TwinSpires.

DOWN THE STRETCH – Racing continued Friday with a first post of 1 p.m. There was a $4,469 carryover in the $1 Super Hi 5 in Race 11. … Trainer Bernie Flint is one win away from 500 Churchill Downs victories. He had no entries on Friday. … Happy Birthday wishes are extended to jockey Jon Court who turned 60-years-old on Thursday. The journeyman jockey was able to celebrate his milestone birthday with a victory in Race 1 aboard Gianna’s Gift for trainer Frank Miller. … For more information about the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, visit www.churchilldowns.com.

Cover Photo: Brad Cox; Coady Photography