Cox has major players in each of Presidents Day stakes

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The strong quality of horse trainer Brad Cox has in place at the young Oaklawn Park meet has lifted the stable to five quick wins heading into the card Friday.

Next week, the barn is taking it up notch.

Cox has three runners targeting the trio of Grade 3 routes to be run on the Presidents Day card of Monday, Feb. 17. Answer In is on deck for the $750,000 Southwest, a points race for the Kentucky Derby. Warrior’s Charge returns to stakes competition in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap. And the $1.2 million auction purchase Gold Standard goes in the $200,000 Bayakoa.

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Answer In was the favorite for the $400,000 Springboard Mile in his last start Dec. 15 at Remington Park and he finished second by a head. He will be making his 3-year-old debut in the Southwest, with the decision made to pass the first local stakes for his division, the Smarty Jones in January.

“He’s a horse you can get things done with in the morning,” Cox said Thursday. “He’s a good work horse. We didn’t feel we needed to run him in the Smarty Jones.

“This will be his second race at two turns and he had a fantastic breeze last Sunday. He’ll have one more breeze this weekend.”

Cox was able to secure Javier Castellano to ride Answer In for the first time in the Springboard Mile and the rider has decided to stick with the horse for the Southwest.

“He liked him,” said Cox.

Answer In is a son of Dialed In who has made three starts. He was second by a nose in his debut last September at Churchill Downs. The maiden special weight over six furlongs was won by South Bend, who returned to win an allowance at Keeneland in his next start, then the Street Sense at Churchill.

Answer In came back to win a maiden special weight at seven furlongs in October at Churchill and from there advanced to the Springboard, earning a career-high Beyer Figure of 85.

Answer In races for Bob LaPenta and Madaket Stables.

Madaket is a co-owner of Warrior’s Charge with Ten Strike Racing. The horse will enter the Razorback off an allowance win Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds. Warrior’s Charge was a two-time winner last year at Oaklawn before running fourth in the Preakness Stakes.

“He’s a very nice horse,” Cox said. “I think a lot of him. He’d trained very well leading up to his allowance victory in December, done nothing but great things since. He had a great work, three-quarters in 1:13, and seems to be primed and ready. He’ll have his final work at the Fair Grounds this weekend and ship up next week.”

Cox said Florent Geroux has the mount in the Razorback.

Gold Standard last raced in the Grade 3 Comely on Nov. 29 at Aqueduct, finishing a close third to Bellera, next-out winner of the $100,000 Ladies Handicap at Aqueduct. Gold Standard has been working at Oaklawn for her first start at 4.

Cox scratched Gold Standard from the one-mile Pippin here because he did not like the pace scenario and thinks the 1 1/16 miles of the Bayakoa suits her better.

Gold Standard races for Stonestreet Stables and L N J Foxwoods.