Believe in Bertie, Extra Credit target stakes at Indiana Grand

The stakes train that Brad Cox has been riding in 2016 made a significant stop at Evangeline Downs earlier this month when Believe in Bertie and Extra Credit swooped up a pair of races on Louisiana Legends Night. Now, the 3-year-olds could be headed to Indiana Grand.

Cox, who is based at Churchill Downs, has won 19 stakes, including six graded events, this year through Sunday.

Extra Credit has done his part to pad Cox’s stats, winning back-to-back stakes at this Evangeline meet. He won the $70,000 Lafayette in June, then returned to capture the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Cheval on July 2. Believe in Bertie, meanwhile, became a stakes winner in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Soiree.

Cox said both horses emerged from their races in good order and have shipped back to Kentucky. Their next stop could be Indiana.

“There’s a couple of 3-year-old stakes on the grass at Indiana Grand, one for the boys, one for the girls,” Cox said.

The $200,000 Centaur and the $200,000 Indiana Grand, which is for fillies, are one-mile turf races at the track Sept. 7. Extra Credit and Believe in Bertie both won at a mile on turf at Evangeline.

Cox said there’s also a chance that Believe in Bertie could turn up in a conditioned allowance at Saratoga. She was a maiden special weight winner there last August.

“She won up there first time out last year, beat some good fillies, too,” Cox said. “The filly that was second in the Belmont Oaks, Time and Motion, she beat her.”

Believe in Bertie and Extra Credit were bred in Louisiana by owners Richard and Bertram Klein.