Warrant holds off Red Run in Isaac Murphy Stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Warrant got Kentucky Derby week off to a good start for trainer Brad Cox when holding off a sustained bid by Red Run in winning the co-featured Isaac Murphy on the Champions Day card Wednesday at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Warrant took over for the front-running favorite, Next, turning for home in the $175,000 Isaac Murphy before finishing a neck in front of Red Run. The winner paid $8.62 as third choice in a field of six after getting the 1 1/2-mile distance in 2:31.03 over a fast track.
Cox, the two-time Eclipse winner, has four starters in the 149th Derby on Saturday.
“I’ve always kind of thought he’d be a horse who’d improve with age and distance,” he said. “It was nice to see him get a good trip and put it all together today.”
Warrant, a 5-year-old horse by Curlin, is owned by his breeder, the Twin Creeks Racing of Randy Gullatt and Steve Davison. He is now a five-time winner from 16 starts, with earnings of $1,058,893.
Red Run, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, had another 4 1/4 lengths on Next, who in turn had 4 1/4 more lengths on Decision Maker. Red Run had been claimed two starts back by Mike Maker. Next, the 13-10 favorite, was making his first since a 6 1/4-length romp last November in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Breeders’ Cup weekend at Keeneland.
Calibrate was fifth, while Lone Rock, the $1.4 million earner who was the 2-1 second choice, finished far back in sixth. Scarlet Fusion was an early scratch.
The $2 exacta (6-5) paid $65.42, the $1 trifecta (6-5-7) returned $110.98, and the 10-cent superfecta (6-5-7-2) was worth $59.24.
This was the fifth running of the Isaac Murphy, named for the iconic African-American jockey who won the Kentucky Derby three times (1884, 1890, 1891).
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