Cox, Geroux Partner to Win Two Stakes at Indiana Grand

Brad Cox and Florent Geroux had a busy afternoon July 14, scoring two of four consecutive $100,000 stakes run over the dirt and turf at Indiana Grand. 

In the first stakes race on the Indiana Derby (G3) undercard, Klein Racing's Pinch Hit, under jockey Julien Leparoux, overcame a poor break from the gate and outdueled Awestruck to win the 1 1/16-mile Mari Hulman George Stakes by three-quarters of a length. 

"We went slow the first part of the race, and we came head-to-head at the quarter pole—knowing that we just keep going together," Leparoux said. "Gosh, she fought back on me. About the sixteenth pole, my filly started to go ahead, and she won the race. So that's good. But it was a good battle in the stretch."

Pinch Hit took home her first win for Cox since she landed the Dogwood Stakes in September at Churchill Downs. Owner Richard Klein said the filly's next start will likely be a trip to Ellis Park for the Aug. 12 Groupie Doll Stakes (G3). 

Thirty minutes later, another Cox trainee, Pioneer Spirit, with Geroux in the irons, ran gamely to beat grade 1 winner Seeking the Soul by a head in the Michael G. Schaefer Memorial Stakes. 

"Gutsy little thing," said Ricky Giannini, assistant trainer to Cox. "Obviously, with Seeking the Soul coming off the layoff, we maybe had the fitter horse. Down the lane, when he got headed, he dug in.

"Florent and I talked and said there wasn't much speed, let him gallop out there and get comfortable. And it worked. He got confident on the lead, and when that horse came to him, he fought on. It was a great ride and a great effort."

Millionaire Seeking the Soul was making his first start after a nearly six-month layoff following a fifth-place finish in the Jan. 17 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1). 

"I thought he had the horse measured," trainer Dallas Stewart said of Seeking the Soul. "The horse just outfought him the last 20 yards. Maybe he got a little tired. We just have to evaluate it. … I thought he was ready for this, but actually that horse just outran us."

Seven-year-old Lovely Loyree outran early leader Hachi to win by a neck in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff Stakes. Dueling on the outside from the three path, the graded stakes-placed mare made her bid at the quarter pole under jockey Fernando De La Cruz to take the 1 1/16-mile turf test in 1:42.54. 

The daughter of Cactus Ridge won the race for the second time in three years. Lovely Bernadette, the 6-5 favorite, raced evenly but was unable to make up ground, finishing sixth. 

Rallying hard in early stretch, Ten Strike Racing's Dot Matrix rounded out the afternoon for Cox and Geroux, crossing the wire a length ahead of Siem Riep to win the Warrior Veterans Stakes. 

"This race set up well for him, and Florent gave him a great ride—tucked there on the fence, parted the seas, and came on through," Giannini said. "He's one of those horses who gives you a lot of confidence, too. I thought he'd be a little more forwardly placed. But when they kind of got away from him, Florent did the right thing and took him back, saved ground, and it all worked out well."

The 1 1/16-mile turf run was the third win of the year for the Freud  gelding who ran fourth last out in the Kingston Stakes at Belmont Park.