2023 Preakness: Cox has a new shooter in Lexington winner First Mission
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Brad Cox won six stakes at Churchill Downs and one more at Belmont Park last week, but it was the big one that got away that left him feeling a tad empty Sunday morning.
Despite having four of the 18 runners in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, Cox went away empty-handed with Angel of Empire’s third-place finish behind Mage the best placing among his quartet. Hit Show ran a respectable fifth, while Verifying and Jace’s Road finished 16th and 17th, respectively.
“The Derby’s a hard race to win,” said Cox, who has run nine horses in the last three Derbies. “I find that out every year.”
History will show that Cox has won the Derby. In 2021, Mandaloun crossed the wire second, but has since been elevated to first after the disqualification of Medina Spirit for a medication violation. That’s a hollow victory as far as Cox is concerned.
Cox said the four horses he ran in the Derby came back tired. Depending how Angel of Empire and Hit Show bounce back, both could be considered for the Belmont Stakes on June 10. Verifying’s Derby looks worse than it was as he was used up on the front end in a wicked early pace but was taken care of by Tyler Gaffalione after he was out of contention. Jace’s Road will look for easier company, Cox said.
As the trainer with the most horses nominated to this year’s Triple Crown – 38 – Cox will have a fresh face for the Preakness in Baltimore on May 20 in First Mission.
A son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, First Mission will come into the Preakness having won 2 of 3 starts, including the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 15 at Keeneland. In 2019, Owendale won the Lexington and then finished third in the Preakness.
Both of First Mission’s wins have come when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles following a second-place finish to stablemate Bishop’s Bay sprinting. Bishop’s Bay is being pointed to Saturday’s Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.
Of First Mission’s performance in the Lexington, Cox said “He’s bred to go long and I think he showed that at Keeneland. In the short stretch, he was able to get up. He got squeezed a little bit down the lane but he was able to overcome it and get up for the win.”
Luis Saez will ride First Mission in the Preakness.
First Mission is one of several newcomers expected to take on Kentucky Derby winner Mage in the Preakness. Among the other non-Derby starters being mentioned is Forte, who was scratched the morning of the Kentucky Derby after veterinarians said the horse was off slightly in his right front foot.
Owner Mike Repole acknowledged Forte had been dealing with a bruise of his right front foot. It is unclear if that puts him on the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s vet list and if so, for how long.
Other non-Derby starters being considered for the Preakness are Blazing Sevens, winner of the Grade 1 Champagne at 2; National Treasure, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; Red Route One, winner of the Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park; and Chase the Chaos, who earned an automatic berth into the Preakness by virtue of his victory in the El Camino Real Derby.
On Monday, trainer Shug McGaughey said that the owners of Perform – Woodford Racing, Lane’s End, Phipps Stable, Ken Langone, and Edward Hudson – are considering paying the $150,000 supplemental fee to make Perform eligible for the Preakness.
Perform, who was not Triple Crown nominated by the March 31 deadline, won the Federico Tesio Stakes on April 15 at Laurel Park. The Federico Tesio winner gets his entry and starter fees paid, which totals $30,000.
The draw for the Preakness is Monday.
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