Brad Cox

A couple of hours after Aspen Grove (Ire) conjured up a 15-1 surprise in the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks, Verifying (Justify) validated a quote of 3-5 favoritism--if only just--to best Raise Cain (Violence) in the GIII Indiana Derby. Away alertly for Marcelino Pedroza, Jr, the $775,000 Keeneland September yearling--a half-brother to the magnificent Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute)--was content to lie second and allow the rail-drawn Transect (Gun Runner) to carve out the early fractions. Georgie W (Tapiture) tracked three wide from his high draw, while Cagliostro (Upstart) enjoyed the run...

2nd-LRC, $45K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 4:33 p.m. Facing a field of entirely first-time starters, PRINCE OF MONACO (Speightstown) drew the enviable outside gate for his afternoon debut for trainer Bob Baffert and the prolific ownership group known as the 'Avengers'. Purchased for a coll $950,000 as a yearling out of last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale, the dark bay colt is out of Medaglia d'Oro mare Rainier, herself a half to MSW/MGSP Laurie's Rocket (Bluegrass Cat) and to the dam of MSW/GSP Necker Island (Hard Spun). This is also the...

A pair of Grade I events for 3-year-olds on grass will co-anchor a loaded 12-race program at Belmont Park Saturday. European invader The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a narrow winner of the G2 Dante S. May 18 and fifth-place finisher after stumbling at the start in the G1 English Derby June 3, will make the trip across the pond for trainer Andrew Balding for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The 7-2 morning-line favorite, drawn widest of all in post 11, will square off against 10 rivals, including GII Pennine Ridge...

There were 13 graded stakes races run in North America Saturday and the combination of Bob Baffert, Chad Brown, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox and Mark Casse won eight of them. That's three Hall of Famers and two future Hall of Famers. Not that any of this should come as a surprise. The so-called super trainer stables seem to only be getting bigger and more powerful by the day, leaving everyone else to fight over the leftover scraps. So what chance did Jason Cook have in the GII John A. Nerud...

Gary and Mary West homebred West Will Power (h, 6, Bernardini--Wild Promises, by Wild Event) punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Classic with a half-length victory over the streaking Rattle N Roll (Connect) in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Stephen Foster S. at Ellis Park. The 2-1 favorite sat a perfect, stalking trip beneath Flavien Prat in second through fractions of :23.74 and :46.97. He hit the front right outside of the quarter pole, set sail for home and stayed on to hold the fast-finishing Rattle N...

Ellis Park will host its first Grade I race in its 100-year history Saturday, but there are plenty of other graded stakes scheduled before the Fourth of July at Belmont Park, Delaware Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Gulfstream Park. Here's a rundown of what's on tap. Showdown in Belmont's Dwyer One of two graded stakes on Saturday in Elmont is the GIII Dwyer S. Going a mile, the race pits Fort Bragg (Tapit), who was forced to scratch from the GI Woody Stephens S. by trainer Bob Baffert when the 3-year-old...

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m. Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat...

Not seen in the winner's circle since the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs last fall, Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) won impressively as the 6-5 second choice in the Monomoy Girl S. at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. A perfect three-for-three to start her juvenile career, the Tom Amoss trainee went into the break over the winter as one of the leading candidates to win the GI Kentucky Oaks. Finishing third in New Orleans in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. and a well-beaten fourth in the GII Fair Grounds...

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training continued its measured pace Wednesday with figures falling off the auction's record-setting 2022 renewal, while a colt by Blame brought the day's highest bid of $485,000 when selling to bloodstock agent Clay Scherer. The session-topping colt, who was consigned by Wavertree Stables, was one of four to sell for $200,000 or more during the day, bringing the total to reach that mark so far at the sale to seven. Eleven had reached that mark at the...

GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity runner up and 'TDN Rising Star' Loggins (Ghostzapper) will stand alongside his sire at Hill 'n' Dale it was announced Monday. "Loggins was a brilliant two year old, breaking his maiden in hugely impressive fashion at Churchill and narrowly beaten by Champion Forte in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in only his second start. It is too bad he got hurt as I am certain he was a Grade I talent. I love the influences in his pedigree and he is a stunner to look at....

Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) can make some noise at what has to be a terrific price in Saturday's GI Belmont S. He continues to improve with each of his six career starts for trainer Brad Cox, and was a bit unlucky in his last two tries. The handsome gray came up just a nose short with a wide trip after bouncing off rivals down the stretch in the GII Wood Memorial S., then was a respectable fifth after racing too close to a scorching pace in the GI Kentucky...

ELMONT, NY - With the rising sun attempting to make its way through hazy skies as air quality health advisories remain in effect throughout the New York City area due to the Canadian wildfires, eight of the nine GI Belmont Stakes runners were in action during the first hour of training on a cool Wednesday morning. Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and Tapit Shoes (Tapit), both equipped with white bridles and NYRA's commemorative 50th Anniversary Secretariat Belmont S. saddle towels, made a favorable impression in their first day of training...