Brad Cox

Unraced since filling the trifecta in the Bourbonette Oaks in March, Alpine Princess (Classic Empire) made a triumphant return to the track Sunday night with a romp in the Remington Park Oaks. The daughter of Classic Empire seemed on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks late last year with back to back wins including a two-length score in the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds to end her juvenile campaign. Fourth on a sloppy track to start 2024 in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Alpine Princess switched to the Tapeta for...

10th-Churchill Downs, $123,375, Msw, 9-29, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.35, ft, 3/4 length. SOUK PLAZA (f, 2, Street Boss--Glittering Jewel, by Bernardini) debuted as the even-money favorite here but was slow from the gate and had to settle back off the pace as Nancy Lynn (Justify) put up a quick :21.85 opening quarter. Still mid pack but making steady progress through the field into the far turn, the homebred fanned out to the grandstand side with a quarter to run and wore down 10-1 longshot Banking Silver (Liam's Map) to get...

Hit Show got up late to cap a huge day for Wathnan Racing with a win in the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs Saturday night. The 3-1 shot angled to the rail under the wire the first time and into the first turn while many of his foes opted to angle outside over the sloppy going. Settled in fourth off the pace down the backstretch as Cooke Creek set a moderate pace, the gray began making forward progress approaching the far turn. He rolled up five wide approaching the...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. There was a fair bit of steam behind Admiral Dennis (c, 2, Constitution--Gulf Coast, by Union Rags) as he entered the starting gate first time out for trainer Brad Cox in a deep maiden special weight at Churchill Downs Sept. 19. There will be even more next time. Off as the 5-2 favorite, the Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer broke in at the start and was outsprinted in...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-26, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.15, ft, 6 1/4 lengths. STUNNER (f, 2, Girvin--Spun Beauty, by Hard Spun) was made the 4-5 favorite for her Aug. 23 debut at Saratoga, but could do no better than a distant second behind a 'TDN Rising Star' performance from Senza Parole (Gun Runner) while finishing two lengths clear of third-placed Hay Evabody (Mitole). Sent away at 30 cents on the dollar to go one better this time around, the $190,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling purchase won the break...

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-21, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:18.42, ft, 1/2 length. COMES A TIME (c, 2, Not This Time--Bachelors Walk, by Street Cry {Ire}) broke at odds of 7-1 and was prominent from the outside throughout, staying in touch from a close third and shifting up outside pacesetter Rookie Card (Adios Charlie) into the stretch. The pair dueled down the stretch with Comes a Time just collaring his rival in the final yards to win by a half-length. Insighted runner Fun to Tap (Tapit) never factored after...

A $700,000 daughter of Munnings, Muhimma ran to the billing Friday, streaking home the easiest of winners at Churchill Downs as the 4-5 favorite for Shadwell Stables and trainer Brad Cox. Outrun only by one of the only runners in the field with prior experience in My Lil Punky (Outwork), Muhimma was content to let that rival handle the tempo up the backstretch, sitting second through fractions of :22.36 and :45.11. Moving under her own devices under a motionless Florent Geroux, the favorite cruised up along the outside of the...

With better than three months left on the racing calendar for 2024, 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has already locked up the 3-year-old filly championship, having dominated her peers in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, GI Acorn Stakes and GI Coaching Club American Oaks. She lost little in defeat when running fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) to a head in the GI Travers Stakes, but she returns to her own sex for Saturday's $1-million GI Cotillion Stakes, the first half of a Grade I double in...

For many lifelong racetrackers, it's a natural ascent to start out as a hot walker, move up to becoming a groom and perhaps eventually, work your way towards exercise riding. That wasn't the case for Edgar Revolorio, groom of GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Highland Falls (Curlin). Revolorio grew up around horses in his native Guatemala and when he moved to Texas to work with Quarter Horses, he started out there as an exercise rider. As he gained experience on the racetrack and learned more about the art of grooming,...

In a deal that came about unexpectedly for Rodney Eckenrode's Equistar--the training and breeding operation east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that stands Smarty Jones and Brody's Cause--GSW Zozos (by Munnings) will join the farm's stallion roster for 2025 with a stud fee of $2,500 in the offing. The dark bay who was bred and campaigned by Minnesotans Barry and Joni Butzow recently retired from trainer Brad Cox's shedrow after a career which began at three. Zozos's career highlights include a runner-up finish in the GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds...

Godolphin's Highland Falls (Curlin) outdueled favored Arthur's Ride (Tapit) and strode home an easy winner of the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sunday at Saratoga. The 4-year-old earned his first top-level victory, as well as an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, and gave jockey Flavien Prat his record-setting 13 graded win of the meeting. Arthur's Ride, coming off a win in the GI Whitney Stakes, rushed up and over from his outside post and had a clear advantage heading into the first turn through an opening quarter...

Brightwork (Outwork), who returned from a 10-month layoff to win the GIII Prioress Stakes at Saratoga Saturday, could make her next start in the GII Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland Oct. 19, if all goes well, according to trainer John Ortiz. "We'll let her tell us where to go next," Ortiz said. "This is the biggest effort I've seen her lay out in the afternoon--she was running against 3-year-olds that have been running and I want to make sure she comes out of it in good shape and has enough...