Cox begins quest for another 1,000 wins

One thousand. It’s a satisfyingly round numeral in our decimal number system. But don’t expect Brad Cox to linger on it. Cox got his thousandth win as a trainer on Sunday at Fair Grounds. Now it’s on to the next thousand.

“It felt good,” Cox said, reached Tuesday by phone. “I’ve been at it awhile, but it happened fast recently.”

Cox’s first starters came in 2004. After winning 98 races in 2015 he had 425 career winners. But things have exploded since then – 575 winners now in three calendar years with six weeks still left in 2018.

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Cox has done plenty of winning the last two seasons at Fair Grounds, where he’s been leading trainer the last two meets, and he can knock out another on the way to 2,000 in the featured eighth race Friday in New Orleans. The feature (post time, 4:05 Central) is for second-level allowance horses or $40,000 claimers and carded at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Cox entered two – Compass Zone and Son of a Saint – and both have a decent chance.

Compass Zone hit a peak early this past summer at Belmont Park, where he nearly overcame a terrible start and lost by a neck at this allowance condition. He since has finished seventh in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap, failed to take to the European style Kentucky Downs course, and faded trying 1 ½ miles last out at Keeneland.

“The distance last time wasn’t quite what he wants to do,” Cox said. “He had a good work down at Fair Grounds and he’s doing well.”

Son of a Saint raced in conditioned claimers when Compass Zone nearly was clearing his second allowance condition over the summer, but the gap between the two appears to have since narrowed. Son of a Saint last saw action Oct. 2 at Indiana Grand, where he won a first-level allowance with a $25,000 claiming option, beating 11 rivals, none of whom came within four lengths of him.

Dontblamerocket has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite. His draw in post 10 could pose problems, but in five Fair Grounds turf starts, all for trainer Al Stall, Dontblamerocket has three wins and two seconds.