Trainer Cox Reflects on Monomoy Girl's Oaks Victory

It was business as usual at Brad Cox's Barn 22 at Churchill Downs the morning of May 5, one day after the stable's Monomoy Girl posted a scintillating half-length victory in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

As a steady rain fell in Louisville, Ky., Cox took a break from supervising his work sets to reflect on the events of the previous day.

'It was tremendous race and I'm glad we came out on the right end," said Cox, a Louisville native who was raised near Churchill Downs and scored his second grade 1 as a conditioner. "She looks good this morning. She's a great filly. She overcame the post (outside 14), she overcame getting passed in the lane and battled back. I would have like to win by five but she had to work to do it and I'm very proud of her. I'm very happy for the connections and our whole team."

Cox was hoping his luck would continue Saturday when he saddles Arklow in the Old Forester Turf Classic (G1T). At 12-1 morning-line odds, the 4-year-old son of Arch will be ridden by Florent Geroux, who also was aboard Monomoy Girl in the Oaks. "He's training well on the turf here and I hope he gets a good trip."

With the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) to be run later in the day, the barn area Saturday was much calmer than it had been earlier in the week when it was packed with hordes of fans, owners, breeders, bloodstock agents, and media.

While a handful of Derby hopefuls went to the track during the 15-minute Derby-only training period beginning at 5:45 a.m., most stayed in their barns since it was the day of a major race. Included among those horses who went to the track were Derby aspirants Hofburg (Bill Mott), My Boy Jack (Keith Desormeaux), and Bravazo (D. Wayne Lukas), as well as Sporting Chance, a Lukas-trained 3-year-old who is not entered in the Derby and most recently crossed the wire third in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference.

Following Friday's training regimen, trainer Todd Pletcher, with a four-ply Derby entry, explained his rationale for not sending horses to the track on the day of a race.

"I don't put my horses on the track on race day, so we're done," the trainer said. "The last few days coming up to a race like you get a bit anxious. You want everything to be finished and the horses back in the barn and ready to go. We're there now and I'm happy with our situation."

Meanwhile, the AcuWeather.com forecast for Derby Day was for an 80% chance of precipitation, with rain continuing until approximately 2 p.m. ET, followed by several hours of clouds with no rain. The precipitation is expected to resume and continue off and on throughout the evening. The day's high temperature is projected to be 70 degrees.

With rain in the forecast, Derby-goers are reminded that umbrellas are on the Churchill Downs Derby Day prohibited items list.

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