Cox may run Just One Time and Lady Rocket in Derby City Distaff
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Just One Time, who won the Grade 1 Madison here Saturday, and Lady Rocket, who finished fourth after dueling on a taxing pace, both could run back in the Grade 1, $750,000 Derby City Distaff on May 7 at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Brad Cox said both horses had come out of the Madison in good physical condition. Just One Time, who had won the Grade 2 Inside Information on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park, now is 2 for 2 since joining Cox’s stable late last year. Saturday, she rallied from last and was home by three-quarters of a length over Bell’s the One. She earned a 95 Beyer speed Figure.
“She’s impressive and I think she’s versatile. I think she can be closer to the pace,” Cox said Sunday. “She’s had some gate issues and was kind of dancing around yesterday. We put her in a gate blanket this race. Based off what she did before I got her, she can be up close and finish. She’s a Grade 1 winner, she’s a real horse.”
Lady Rocket, racing for the first time since December, dueled with third-place Kimari through a testing 44.50-second half mile.
“I never thought she’d be that close to that hot a pace. I saw 44 and 2 I thought, ‘Well, I trained on her good, but not that good,’ ” said Cox.
Three-year-old filly Matareya nearly equaled Just One Time’s speed figure winning the Grade 3 Beaumont on Sunday by 8 1/2 lengths, a performance that produced a career-best 94 Beyer. Cox said he planned to keep Matareya in races around one turn for the time being.
Sunday morning, Cox sent the filly Caravel out for a 50.40 half-mile turf work around the dogs preparing for a start Saturday in the $200,000 Giant’s Causeway, a turf sprint. Caravel appeared to be developing into one of the better female turf sprinters in North America last year before going off form late in the season. She’s made one start since joining Cox’s barn, winning a minor Turfway race last month Cox was using as a prep for the Giant’s Causeway.
In her Sunday breeze, Caravel started slowly and finished strong, galloping out around the clubhouse turn and onto the backstretch with excellent energy, perhaps the best turf worker of the morning.