Brad Cox

Gold Square's Air of Defiance (c, 2, Quality Road--Faypien, by Ghostzapper) ran to the money with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance for trainer Brad Cox at second asking at Keeneland Wednesday. Drawn wide in post 10, the 3-5 favorite was away in good order and forced the issue while three deep through an opening quarter in :22.62. Racing out in the five path, he hit front approaching the top of the stretch and took off impressively from there to score by six widening lengths over Nyquist Frequency (Nyquist). Air of...

5th-KEE, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 3:08 p.m. ET Gold Square's AIR OF DEFIANCE (Quality Road), a $400,000 Keeneland September purchase, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite after running a solid second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) over a muddy strip at Saratoga in his six-furlong debut Aug. 25. The Brad Cox trainee is the second foal out of graded stakes winner Faypien (Ghostzapper). St. Elias and Starlight Racing's It'smyluckytime (Not This Time), a $450,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, makes his first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher....

Tony Ann, a 7-1 shot, outkicked heavily favored Caravel to the wire to earn the first stakes victory of her career in the GII Franklin S. at Keeneland Sunday. Caravel, who began a five-race win streak in last year's Franklin, broke from the rail and found herself chasing dueling pacesetters Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) and B G Warrior (Run Away and Hide) through an opening quarter in :21.09. Tony Ann, who had raced just outside of the favorite early, fell back on the turn as Caravel attempted to...

10th-Keeneland, $120,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($80,000), 10-14, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:45.63, ft, neck. FIRST MISSION (c, 3, Street Sense--Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro), making his first start since winning this track's GIII Lexington S. during the April meeting, validated 2-5 favoritism--if only just--to give Godolphin a sweep of the late Daily Double. Off alertly from the inside stall, the homebred allowed himself to be taken back to sit in the second flight of horses behind a pace that was slow to materialize. Up into third and remaining glued to the...

GISW Arklow (Arch), one of the most accomplished horses competing at the 2023 Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park this week, is adding another achievement to his resume as he advanced in the Field Hunter preliminary round under amateur rider Gina Gans, the Retired Racehorse Project said in a release late Thursday night. The former Brad Cox trainee, who earned over $3 million during his racing career, turned in three relaxed rides over two days of competition and has made it to the weekend. The 9-year-old will have the...

Keeneland's lawn debuted during the 1985 Fall meet in an era when American turf courses were just coming into vogue. According to a back issue of the track's media guide, through 2016 they had two names for their grass course. The Keeneland Course referred to the one with rail up, while the normal configuration with it down was called the Haggin Course. Named for Louis Lee Haggin II, who was not only Keeneland's President from 1940-1956, but the decade before had purchased the 550-acre Sycamore Farm in Woodford County. Serving...

Out of the 404 entrants, the leading earner in this week's Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by the Thoroughbred Charities of America, at the Kentucky Horse Park is GISW Arklow (Arch). After being gelded once his racing career ended last year at this time, the former Brad Cox trainee with a $3,025,996 in earnings over a seven-year career for Donegal Racing will be ridden in the event by Gina Gans in the field hunting division. The 9-year-old will jump obstacles at the Horse Park's grass steeplechase course. Recently retired...

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin) continued her ascent to the top of the distaff division Sunday with a dominant and fitting front-running tally in the GI Juddmonte Spinster S., a "Win and You're In" qualifier for next month's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. This was the second Spinster title for Juddmonte, which began sponsoring the prestigious race in 2005. Emollient (Empire Maker) carried the famed green and pink to victory here in 2013. Backed at even-money to repeat rival Nest (Curlin)'s 4-5 odds, the Brad Cox trainee took clear command from the...

With a nod to Chicago motorsport legend Jan Gabriel's famous call of Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!, the blockbuster weekend of horse racing isn't in the books just yet with 11 graded stakes scheduled. Out of those, three guarantee a starting spot in next month's 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships --'Win and You're In'. In Toronto, Woodbine Racetrack cards the GI E.P. Taylor S. A renewal of the celebrated 1 1/4 grass event, this year's edition includes Godolphin homebred and Dubai multiple group stakes winner With The Moonlight (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). The...

Siena Farm and WinStar Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Timberlake (c, 2, Into Mischief--Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky), a bit of an unlucky second as the favorite in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 4, got back, ahem, in sync with a stylish score in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Champagne S. at the Big A. "He ran good," winning trainer Brad Cox said. "I was very proud of him. He got a good, clean trip today. [Jockey] Florent [Geroux] did a great job. He got away...

2nd-KEE, $100k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 1:32p.m. ET GALLANT MISCHIEF (Into Mischief), a $480,000 KEENOV purchase in 2021, will put his best foot forward in this first juvenile maiden on a packed Keeneland card for conditioner Mark Casse and owner Tracy Farmer. A half-brother to MGISW Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid), he comes into this contest with a string of very strong works at Ellis Park, including three successive bullets starting Aug. 17 (1/12), Aug. 30 (1/17) and Sept. 10 (1/22). Gallant Mischief is out of a half-sister to a host...

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to all its supporters that have contributed to the charity that assists young people starting off in the bloodstock business. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, the foundation commenced its activities just three years ago in memory of County Clare native Gerry Dilger whose Dromoland Farm specialized in successful sales pinhooks and an elite breeding operation with great partners that produced consecutive Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and Always Dreaming (Bodemeister). However, Gerry was equally renowned as...