King's review: Cox barn red-hot

Sunday, June 1 review

Trainer Brad Cox continues banner meet

Few trainers have been as successful at the current Churchill meet as Brad Cox, who won a pair of races Sunday – the second race with Overton Square and the ninth race with Morning Star. The victories gave him eight wins on the meet and moved him into a third-place tie with Bret Calhoun in the trainers’ standings, trailing only Steve Amussen with 13 winners and Mike Maker with 11.

Cox has a lofty percentage to go with those eight wins, having won with 31 percent of his 26 starters. He has won with a variety of runners and with some rising first time off the claim.

The two Sunday both raced in maiden races. Overton Square won on the drop from maiden $50,000 to maiden $30,000 company, and Morning Star took a straight maiden race on the grass.

The wins Sunday came when teaming up with jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, one of his go-to riders.

Morning Star had to survive a claim of foul to win the last, with Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard Ventoux alleging interference after his mount was placed in tight quarters, but stewards disallowed the claim.

Serendip wins eighth race, a first-level allowance

Serendip bounced in the eighth race – not in the speed-figure sense, but off the rail – but still won going away by three lengths. Rallying up the fence under Corey Lanerie, the horse ducked in under right-handed urging and struck the rail but recovered without missing a beat. He raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.73 and earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Saa Mi also performed well to be a clear second, although no match for the winner. Off a step slowly, he made a steady run but simply couldn’t quicken with Serendip.

Oklahoma-bred power

Z Rockstar entered the fifth race off two consecutive stakes victories, but having scored those victories against Oklahoma-breds at Will Rogers Downs, Churchill Downs horseplayers were somewhat skeptical of his chances. He went off as the third choice in a field of five in a third-level allowance.

He proved legitimate, turning back a stretch bid from the favored Strike One and pulling clear under Bridgmohan to complete seven furlongs in 1:22.77 and running an 86 Beyer. He is now a winner of 10 of 29 races on dirt.

Horse to watch

Woodfield Springs
Trainer: Rusty Arnold
Last race: June 1, 8th
Finish: 3rd by 5 1/2
Beyer: 78
He did not appear to like racing on dirt nearly as much as turf but managed to finish third in a first-level allowance purely on guts alone. He fell back on the second turn and looked headed for an off-the-board finish but kept finishing to the end. Expect improvement if he is returned to his best surface on grass.