Cox taking his best shots Saturday

Brad Cox could have the biggest day of his 10-year training career Saturday. Led by Allied Air Raid in the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs, he will send out horses in seven stakes among three tracks. It will be Cox’s busiest afternoon since he began training in December 2004.

“To say the least,” said Cox, 35. “Hopefully, it will be a profitable day.”

Allied Air Raid is due to arrive at Louisiana Downs on Thursday morning from Churchill Downs. He will be accompanied on his trip by Meeting Waters, a new member of the Cox stable and a leading contender in the $75,000 River Cities for fillies and mares on turf, and Uncle Brennie, who goes in the $75,000 Sunday Silence for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf.

Cox also will be in action at Churchill, where Call Pat will start as a chief contender in the $100,000 Locust Grove, Spelling Again makes her stakes debut in the $100,000 Open Mind, and Twirling Cinnamon moves to two turns for the Grade 3 Iroquois. Cox’s other starter on the day is Cash Control in the $300,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint.

The Super Derby, which will be run over 1 1/8 miles, anchors a card of seven stakes worth a cumulative $900,000 on Saturday at Louisiana Downs. Allied Air Raid comes into the race off a runner-up finish in the local prep, the $100,000 Prelude on Aug. 8.

“I was real happy he handled the track well,” Cox said. “And he came out of the race really well. You never know, obviously, when you’re shipping one that far with the heat. I was thinking about giving him time off after the race, but he didn’t act like he required it. He’s probably doing a little better now than going into the Prelude. I really expect him to move forward a little bit. He’s training super.”

Allied Air Raid’s ownership has ties to Memphis, Tenn. The group comprises Marshall Gramm, Clay Sanders, Mike Pietrangelo, and Gary Pitts. Cox said Chris Landeros, who was aboard Allied Air Raid when he won his maiden in March at Oaklawn, has the mount on the horse, as well as Uncle Brennie and Meeting Waters.

Meeting Waters has been transferred to Cox’s care after being based in Southern California. She is owned by Triton Racing and will enter the River Cites off a runner-up finish in the Luther Burbank Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Santa Rosa. Prior to that, she had been racing at Santa Anita.

Uncle Brennie won a maiden special weight at a mile on turf Aug. 22 at Ellis Park. He could have advanced to the $300,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile last Saturday, said Cox, but the trainer felt the turnaround was too quick. In addition, the horse would have had to shorten up to seven furlongs for the Kentucky Downs Juvenile.

“The longer the better with this colt,” Cox said.

Cox said the Sunday Silence also was appealing because Louisiana Downs is close to home for Uncle Brennie’s owner, Staton Flurry of Hot Springs, Ark.

The other stakes on the Saturday card at Louisiana Downs are the $75,000 Happy Ticket at a mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies and a pair of 2-year-old divisions of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes.