BC Dirt Mile: Cox takes a shot with Carve

Brad Cox has known Breeders’ Cup elation before, but this would be different. The 34-year-old Louisville, Ky., native will be running his first BC starter as a trainer when Carve runs Oct. 31 in the BC Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.

Carve figures as one of the longer shots in the $1 million race when ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

“The horse is doing great, the race might set up for his style, and we’ve got Mike to ride,” Cox said Thursday from his Churchill Downs base. “I’m pretty pumped.”

Cox was at Belmont Park for the 2001 BC Distaff when working as a foreman for Dallas Stewart, who won that race with Unbridled Elaine. Cox went out on his own in 2004, and now, 10 years later, he is enjoying easily his best season, with career highs in wins (61) and stable earnings ($2.1 million).

He could cap it all off with an upset at his first solo Breeders’ Cup with Carve, a 4-year-old gelding with four wins from eight starts this year. Mike Langford, of Jonesboro, Ark., owns Carve.

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“I think they’re going to be rock-and-rolling up front, which hopefully will set up for our style,” said Cox. “His best races have come at a one-turn mile and at 1 1/16 miles around two turns, so the distance should be just right.”

There are 12 pre-entries in the BC Dirt Mile, but the actual field could be shorter, with Bourbon Courage having first preference in the BC Sprint and Big Bane Theory having first preference in the BC Mile. Among the likely favorites is the defending champion, Goldencents.