Cox sets sights on Springboard Mile with Marquee Prince

Trainer Brad Cox has been on a stakes tear all year long and on Sunday he will invade Remington Park with starters for three of the six stakes making up the final card of the meet, including the $400,000 Springboard Mile.

The Springboard Mile and the Oklahoma Derby, run in September, are the co-richest races at the Remington meet. The Springboard Mile will award its first four finishers Kentucky Derby eligibility points on a scale of 10-4-2-1.

Cox, who through Tuesday had won 37 stakes in 2018, will send out Marquee Prince in the Springboard Mile. Marquee Prince drew post 3 in the field of 11 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Marquee Prince has registered both of his wins at a mile, in a maiden special weight Aug. 21 at Indiana and a turf allowance by 12 lengths Sept. 30 at Churchill Downs. He enters Sunday’s race off a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Street Sense on Nov. 2 at Churchill. Improbable won the race and returned in his next start to capture the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity at Los Alamitos.

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Marquee Prince worked a half-mile in 47.40 seconds on Dec. 2 at Churchill in preparation for the Springboard Mile.

“He’s doing really well,” Cox said. “He worked well into his last race, and he’s worked extremely well after the Street Sense. He had a nice, easy breeze at Oaklawn on Monday, and I think he’s set up for a big race.

“He should appreciate the distance.”

Marquee Prince is a son of Cairo Prince who races for Rick Awtrey, Donna Awtrey and Jeff Awtrey.

The complete Springboard Mile field from the rail with riders is: Epic Dreamer, Javier Castellano; Kaziranga, Iram Diego; Marquee Prince, Geroux; Six Shooter, Alex Canchari; Long Range Toddy, Richard Eramia; Tone Broke, David Cabrera; Dobbins G, Luis Quinonez; Bankit, Ricardo Santana, Jr.; Tobacco Road, Ramon Vazquez; Dunph, Reylu Gutierrez; and D Toz, Lane Luzzi.

Cox on Sunday will also have starters in the $100,000 She’s All In and the $75,000 Jeffrey A. Hawk Memorial Stakes.

Shenandoah Queen, a multiple stakes winner, will be making her first start for Cox and owner Gainesway Farm in the She’s All In after spending much of her career based in Southern California for Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler.

“She’s a beautiful filly, carries good weight, good flesh, and travels well,” said Cox, who received the mare at Churchill and now has her at Fair Grounds. “We’ve breezed her maybe four times and she’s been a solid work horse.”

Geroux has the mount on Shenandoah Queen in the She’s All In.

Cox has Dazzling Gem and recent private purchase Harlan Punch in the Hawk Memorial. Dazzling Gem was second in the race a year ago, beaten a head. Harlan Punch is a Grade 3 winner who will be making his first start for Ten Strike Racing and Cox.

“We haven’t had him long,” Cox said. “I’m very impressed with how he’s worked. I’m looking forward to running him.”

Castellano will ride Harlan Punch, while Geroux will be aboard Dazzling Gem.

Remington will have a special post of 3 p.m. Central on Sunday. The She’s All In is the first leg of a 50-cent all-stakes pick four that will have a minimum guaranteed pool of $100,000. The sequence (races 9-12) also includes the Trapeze, the Springboard Mile, and the Hawk Memorial.

The forecast is for Sunday is for partly cloudy skies and a high of 58 degrees.

Cox’s stakes tear this year has included 20 graded victories, with seven of them coming at a Grade 1 level courtesy of Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Monomoy Girl, Leofric, and Long On Value.