Cash Control will try to continue momentum for Cox

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – These are heady times for Brad Cox. Not only is Cox enjoying the best of his 11 years as a trainer, but he and his wife, Livia, just welcomed a baby boy, Brodie, into the family on Sept. 7.

Stable earnings in 2015 for Cox totaled nearly $2.5 million after Sunday’s racing at his Churchill Downs base, and the 35-year-old trainer is intent on widening well past the personal record he set last year with $2.4 million in earnings. He was the leading trainer at the recently ended Ellis Park meet with 11 wins while also going 4 for 13 at Saratoga with some of his better stock.

Fresh off weekend stakes wins with Spelling Again (Open Mind at Churchill) and Uncle Brennie (Sunday Silence at Louisiana Downs), Cox will send out Cash Control as a viable contender for Bert and Richard Klein in the nominal Twilight Thursday feature at Churchill, a $44,200 turf mile governed by a third-level allowance condition and an $80,000 claiming option.

Cash Control is one of nine 3- and 4-year-old fillies in the seventh of eight Thursday races, the first of two allowances that conclude the abbreviated card. The finale is a $40,200, first-level race for 3-year-olds and up at seven furlongs.

This is Churchill’s first Thursday card since it assumed the September dates from Turfway Park in 2013. Post time is normally 5 p.m. Eastern for twilight programs, but Churchill moved up the first race of this card to 3:30 to accommodate fans who will be attending the nearby Clemson-Louisville football game. The last race is set for 7:09 and kickoff for 7:30.

KEY CONTENDERS

Cash Control (Last 3 Beyers: 86-52-85)

◗ This homebred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile showed marked improvement in her second start off a lengthy layoff when making her turf debut Aug. 5 at Saratoga, setting the pace before finishing just two lengths behind the winner.

Ketel Twist (Last 3 Beyers: 46-77-87)

◗ This graded stakes-placed filly didn’t seem to care for the deep going when likely needing her last start at Indiana Grand. She is liable to fare better here when favorably drawn on the hedge for the high-percentage team of Julien Leparoux and Mike Maker.

In My Time (Last 3 Beyers: 80-82-73)

◗ She might be the better of the Maggi Moss stable coupling (with Counterfactual), although she’ll probably need to avoid getting into a ruinous early duel in a race with speed aplenty.