Gold Square

War Front's Full Count Felicia Runs Them Ragged In the E.P. Taylor

Just one week removed from a victory in the GI Franklin-Simpson Stakes by Howard Wolowitz (Munnings), Al Gold's Gold Square LLC was again front and center in top-level competition when Full Count Felicia (War Front) kept up a relentless gallop beneath Kazushi Kimura and proved not for catching in Saturday's GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. Intent on securing the front, even given the presence of the fleet-footed defending champion Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}), the $85,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was already well clear rounding...

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Gold Square Hits Paydirt with Filoso

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - After Filoso (City of Light) won the sixth race Thursday, the celebration was a heady concoction of relief, joy and optimism. The relief followed what at times had been a harrowing trip in the one-mile $100,000 maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course. Twice, jockey Dylan Davis had to check the colt in traffic yet he managed to stay on course with their rail-hugging journey for a 3 ½-length victory. "It wasn't a pretty trip today," trainer Chad Summers said. "Dylan did a...

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Saturday Insights: Champion Covfefe's First To Race Unveiled At Churchill Downs

11th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2f, 5:58 p.m. ET. LNJ Foxwoods campaigned champion female sprinter Covfefe (Into Mischief), whose first registered foal ELLEN JAY (Constitution)--also trained by Brad Cox--will bear the gold and royal blue colors for her unveiling under the Twin Spires. A half-sister to Japanese multiple group stakes winner Albiano (Harlan's Holiday), Covfefe is also responsible for 2-year-old colt in-training Rothko (Tapit) and she has a new filly on the ground by Gun Runner. TJCIS PPS 3rd-BAQ, $75K, Msw, (S), 3yo/up, 1m, 1:34 p.m. ET. Gold Square...

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Amor Fati, Daughter Of Liam's Map, Speeds To 'TDN Rising Stardom' At Gulfstream

Sporting the distinctive gold square on the front and back of Luis Saez's silks, it was first time starter Amor Fati (Liam's Map) who loved the lead and never relinquished it en route to becoming a 'TDN Rising Star' at Gulfstream Park on Sunday afternoon. The $375,000 Keeneland September grad posted a number of sharp works for trainer Brittany Russell over the past two months at her Palm Meadows base. Debuting as the 2-1 favorite here, the gray rocketed to the lead up the backstretch. Setting a strong pace up...

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Hard Spun Colt 'Rolls' in Jerome

Gold Square's Drum Roll Please (c, 3, Hard Spun--Imply, by E Dubai), a very solid third going against the grain of the track in the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct Dec. 2, took care of business as the 3-5 favorite while turning back in distance for Saturday's Jerome S. at the Big A. He trailed the field of five in the early going after exiting from the fence. Given his cue by Javier Castellano on the far turn, he made a three-wide bid approaching the quarter pole and came rolling...

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Quality Road Colt 'Airs' at Second Asking to 'Rising Star' Honors

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...

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Thursday's Insights: Ashland Runner-Up Punchbowl Returns at Keeneland

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....

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Bolt d'Oro's Instant Coffee Grinds It Out in KY Jockey Club

After traveling the GI Kentucky Derby trail through the first half of this year with MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner), Al Gold's Gold Square and Brad Cox took the first step down the long road to the 2023 Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs, winning the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. with Instant Coffee (Bolt d'Oro). Rallying to victory on debut going seven panels at Saratoga Sept. 3, the $200,000 KEESEP buy came from way out of it to be fourth behind next-out GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and likely champion Forte (Violence)...

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Jackie's Warrior, Cyberknife Available For Inspection at Spendthrift

Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) and two-time Grade I winner Cyberknife (Gun Runner) are available for inspection at Spendthrift Farm Nov. 9-15 from 1:30-3 p.m. daily. Though Jackie's Warrior made his final career start when third in last weekend's GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, Gold Square's Cyberknife--the unlucky runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile--will return to the barn of trainer Brad Cox Nov. 15. "Jackie's Warrior has settled in nicely at the farm and is such an impressive specimen, especially for a horse coming off...

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Cyberknife Leads Home Gun Runner Exacta in Haskell

OCEANPORT, NJ - Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) led home a one-two finish for his sire when he charged up the rail in deep stretch to nip Taiba (Gun Runner) on the line while setting a new track record in the GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park Saturday. The victory gave trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux their second winner from as many starters in the Haskell following Mandaloun (Into Mischief)'s win via disqualification in the 2021 renewal of the race and put an end to a...

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Gun Runner's Cyberknife Posts Mild Arkansas Derby Upset

Saturday's $1.25-million GI Arkansas Derby was supposed to be all about Secret Oath (Arrogate), who had so dominated her peers that trainer D. Wayne Lukas and owner/breeder Briland Farm decided to roll the dice and bypass what would have been a far easier task in the GIII Fantasy S. The betting public largely endorsed the idea, sending the chestnut off as the 7-5 favorite, but in the end, it was not meant to be, as Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) was the recipient of a cerebral ride from Florent...

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Cyberknife To Represent Cox Barn in Arkansas Derby

Gold Square LLC's Cyberknife (Gun Runner) will make his next start in the $1.25-million GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park Apr. 2, trainer Brad Cox told the Oaklawn press office. A $400,000 acquisition by owner Al Gold out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearling Showcase, the chestnut is unbeaten in two starts going long outside of stakes competition, having graduated in his first route attempt at the Fair Grounds Dec. 26 before tacking on a three-length allowance victory at the New Orleans oval Feb. 19. In between those efforts, he...

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