Chocolate Ride eyes repeat in Fair Grounds Handicap

Trainer Brad Cox said Monday that Chocolate Ride had come out of his game win in the Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap on Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds in good shape, and that the high-class turf horse probably will next start Feb. 20 in the Fair Grounds Handicap, a race Chocolate Ride won last year.

“He came out of the race really, really well, and I think right now we’re going to point for the Fair Grounds Handicap,” Cox said. “It gives us a solid month between races.”

Chocolate Ride finished second on Dec. 21, 2014, but has since won five straight races on the Fair Grounds turf, including the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap last March. Whether Chocolate Ride is pointed for the Muniz again or held out of that race for the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile at Keeneland won’t be decided until after the Fair Grounds Handicap.

Meanwhile, Cox is in the hunt for leading trainer at Fair Grounds despite his horses having made only 47 starts at the meet. Those starts have produced 17 wins, one fewer than leading trainer Mike Stidham. Cox has been especially effective in Fair Grounds turf races, where 24 starts have yielded a 11-4-1 mark.

“The meet’s been good to us so far,” said Cox. “We won 14 last year at Fair Grounds, and the goal was to win more this meet, but I didn’t expect this.”