Cox sorting out next options for two possible Kentucky Derby candidates

Brad Cox is contemplating pulling the old stakes switcheroo with a couple 3-year-olds.

The Cox-trained Cyberknife took a sizeable step forward winning a first-level dirt-route allowance race Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds. Meanwhile, Zozos, who won his sprint debut in January at Fair Grounds, crushed first-level allowance rivals in a two-turn dirt race Feb. 11 at Oaklawn, winning off by 10 1/4 lengths.

Both colts currently are stabled at Fair Grounds, but Cox on Wednesday hinted Cyberknife was more likely to ship to Oaklawn for the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby on April 2 than remain in New Orleans for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26. And Zozos is more likely to remain at Fair Grounds for the Louisiana Derby than ship back to Oaklawn for the Arkansas Derby.

“It’s very, very possible Zozos will end up in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said.

Cox is very high on Zozos, who got an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for his two-turn win, where he pressed a moderate pace, took over in upper stretch, and drew away from overmatched rivals. Zozos, a homebred owned Barry and Joni Butzow, is by Munnings and is the second foal to race produced by Papa’s Forest, by Forestry. He has an exuberant action and long strides, and looked like a tiger winning last time after failing to switch leads in his debut sprint score.

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“Looks like he’s continued to move forward since his race at Oaklawn,” Cox said. “He’s put on weight. Breezed well last weekend.”

Zozos went a half-mile Feb. 26 at Fair Grounds in 49.40 seconds. If he goes to the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby, Zozos will run into Epicenter, who won the Gun Runner on Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds, was nipped by a nose in the Jan. 22 Lecomte, and romped Feb. 19 in the Risen Star, earning a 98 Beyer. Call Me Midnight, who upset the Lecomte, skipped the Risen Star but is aimed toward the Louisiana Derby.

Cyberknife finished sixth in the Lecomte but rebounded with a resounding three-length score in the route allowance on Feb. 19. The race’s fast raw time, 1:42.54 for 1 1/16 miles, produced an 87 Beyer. Just as important, Cyberknife, who has been a project, raced more professionally than in his first four starts. Cyberknife, who enjoys rearing on his hind legs for fun, has drifted in and out, jinked and jibed during his stretch runs, but other than a slight midstretch lean toward the rail last month, he was all right. Cyberknife raced in blinkers when he debuted, ran without them in two starts, had them again in the Lecomte, and raced without them Feb. 19.

Cox also unleashed a beast for the 3-year-old filly division, the Godolphin homebred Matareya, in a Feb. 26 first-level sprint allowance at Fair Grounds. Matareya’s pair of two-turn tries suggest she’s not a route horse, but she was a sharp debut sprint winner, finished second in the Fern Creek going 6 1/2 furlongs last fall at Churchill, and got a 91 Beyer for running six furlongs in 1:08.92 last weekend.

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“We were trying to get her onto the Kentucky Oaks trail. It worked out well when we cut her back,” said Cox, who’s pointing Matareya to the $400,000 Beaumont Stakes over the Beard Course at seven furlongs, 184 feet on April 10 at Keeneland.

Cox spent several days last week in Saudi Arabia, where he watched Mandaloun throw a clunker, finishing ninth in the Saudi Cup. Cox said Mandaloun seemed fine coming out of the race and was scheduled to ship back to the United States this weekend. After a seven-day USDA-mandated quarantine in Chicago, Mandaloun likely goes to Cox’s string at Keeneland. There are no plans for his next start.

There is a plan for Shedaresthedevil’s next start – the $350,000 Azeri Stakes on March 12 at Oaklawn. In the 2021 Azeri, Shedaresthedevil defeated subsequent older female dirt champion Letruska, who last weekend won her 2022 debut at Gulfstream Park. Cox described Shedaresthedevil’s six-furlong work on Feb. 27 at Fair Grounds, clocked in 1:12.20, as “fantastic.”

Bonny South, a 5-year-old mare like Shedaresthedevil, now has logged two Fair Grounds works training toward her 2022 debut.

◗ The race for leading trainer and jockey during the 2021-22 Fair Grounds season hardly could be closer. Midway through Thursday’s racing, James Graham and Colby Hernandez sat atop the jockey standings with 48 wins each. Mitchell Murrill had 46 wins, Brian Hernandez Jr., 43, and Reylu Gutierrez, 42. On the trainer’s side, Brad Cox and Ron Faucheux were knotted at 28 wins each, the leading meet total. Chris Hartman and Tom Amoss both had 25 winners, Jose Camejo, 22.

◗ A pair of Louisiana-bred allowance races is the highest-class fare on the Sunday racing menu in New Orleans.