Brad Cox previews the G1 Jerkens & G1 Ballerina

And we'll talk horses. We'll do it with Brad Cox.

We do it next here on ESPN 681057.

This segment with Dan Issel and Louie Ribeau is presented by

kentuckytourism.com. Welcome back, everybody.

This is Isola Louie on ESPN Louisville.

When you're ready to explore the outdoors, there's no better

place than the Bluegrass State. Hike, bike, paddle, fish or even

venture deep underground. This is Kentucky.

Come see for yourself. Plan your getaway today at

kentuckytourism.com. And now we're pleased to welcome

in the leading thoroughbred trainer in North America as far

as purse money, one Mr. Brad Cox.

Brad, how are you this morning? Great guys.

Thanks for having me on. Glad to do it.

I I texted you a couple weeks ago I I need to get this

question out of the way 1st and and and Scott what I took down

the pick six the entire pool and and he singled you the race

after the Whitney in his pick six he wants to know.

Do you have any singles for them this weekend?

I don't know. These races are awful tough this

weekend to be singling anyone, but I think we'll have a good

weekend overall. I really do well.

Brad, you're good. Go ahead.

Then no, I just had a follow up. You you talk about some salty

races. Oh my goodness, are you in

against some some tough tough horses starting the after this

afternoon with idiomatic against nest and and clarier.

How's idiomatic doing? She's great.

She's had you know she had a big run last time there at Delaware.

She stumbled at the start and you know it was good enough to

overcome it. You know she she she likes

anything and mile and 8th beyond, I think that's really

what she wants to do. She's.

She's lightly raised, but she's, you know, she's she's had a heck

of a year and hopefully we can add to it this afternoon.

She's very talented, Philly for Jud Mont.

Hopefully she can you know, pick off a great one.

It would be huge for a pedigree. Brad Cox with us.

Obviously he's got idiomatic in today, he's got verifying in

tomorrow in the Jerkins and he's got Matarea in the ballerina,

both tough fields as you mentioned.

I really think the move back to seven furlongs for verifying A1

turn type horse. I think it makes sense based on

what we saw. Dan and I were there.

I would he picked off the Indiana Derby.

Do you think this is a longterm move for him?

I do. I think this is really what he's

meant to do, you know any, you know, he, I think a mile is like

really just cup of tea, one turn.

Obviously we're cutting back to 7/8.

I think it's a great time to try it.

It's an opportunity in a great well.

I think he's a great one. Talent, you know, obviously come

a very short. Or come up just short in the

bluegrass and you know, I was running the mat when was good,

come up a little short to disarm, going to mile and ace

and then and like you said last time at Indiana, he ran well,

got the job done, but it, you know, just maybe a little far.

Marcelina Pedrosa wrote him that day and he came back.

He said, I'm not certain this horse wants to go that far.

I said good. I said this was just a prep race

for the 7/8 at Saratoga and you know he's trained well since.

So we'll see how it goes. Brad, I'm sure you don't want to

say anything about it, but but I will in in the gym, in the gym.

Dandy, I I thought you got hosed.

Of course Forte gets up and and wins by a nose.

He slammed into Angel of Empire like three or four times down

the stretch. It is there any, is there any

recourse that you can have in this situation like that or do

you just have to say, well, you know, that's my bad luck today?

You know look, I, I, I, I guess you could appeal it.

You got a certain amount of time to appeal it.

But yeah, I can't can't say I've ever seen a a situation

overturned and obviously our 24 hours is up so there's no

appealing it now. So we just move on and you know

plan for the next race. But you know it was a little bit

of a rough run race down the lane.

Saudi crown ran a big race as well.

Angel of Empire and you know I think Angel's obviously going to

get a little time and you know we're resetting him and giving

him some time and he'll he'll come back next year in a Saudi

crown. You know he he could have run

tomorrow in the in the Travers. Just thought it was best for him

to give him a little time. He's a lightly raced horse.

He was running back in the Jim Dandy in four weeks and you know

we'll hopefully see him in the Pennsylvania Derby next month.

Brad Cox with us. All right.

You also have a horse in the ballerina tomorrow.

One of my favorite horses is a three-year old in Matarea coming

out of the Chicago at Ellis Park.

As part of that, Churchill moved to Ellis Park.

How was she looking? And look, man, a little chance

at a Flavia and Pratt. A double there.

Yeah, she's doing great. I think her last race, you know

that that track, you know, listen, if it if you had speed,

it was good. She she just kind of got out

running a little bit early. In that race and obviously the

winner broke on top and showed the way the entire 7/8.

I I think it was a little I know it was a race you could kind of

draw the line through. I I know you'll see a better

version of her tomorrow. She's trained really well here

at Saratoga all summer. Last couple works have been

unbelievable. That's kind of how she she has

been throughout her career when she's.

Really showing you in her training that she set up to run

big. She does.

She's going to need to run the race of her life.

It's an incredibly tough race and you know, I think if she

gets a trip, if she gets a good trip, she'll be tough.

She's really, really doing well and she likes it up here.

So we'll we'll see, but she's definitely going to need to turn

in the race of her race of her life to get there.

Brad, as you just mentioned, you don't have an entry in the

Travers tomorrow. You could have had one or two,

but you chose not to and you see these horses train every day.

Do you like Forte tomorrow in the Travers or is there another

horse in there that you think has a real shot handicapper?

Brad Cox, let's go. Yeah, you know, I I think Forte

when you say. You know, watch the train every

day. Honestly Forte brings it in the

afternoon. I mean he's very good.

He's never, he's never let his camp down.

I mean his I thought he's running to Belmont was

incredibly good based off not having a run in 10 weeks.

His gym dandy, you know was a little bit of a rough run race.

But you know he won in hand I felt and and and I read look

like he won with something left. I think he's going to be very,

very tough tomorrow. But it's a good group overall

obviously, just call. Colt Archangello that won the

Belmont, you know he he looks like he's only going to get

better as the year goes on. He he's somewhat lightly raced.

They've give him plenty of time and and that they've trained

him. It looks like you know put a

good good amount of foundation in him with with his works since

the Belmont. So I would expect him to run

really, really well. It's it's an exciting race.

It really is. I mean.

All three winners of of the Triple Crown events and then you

obviously have champion tier out in Forte, which has done nothing

wrong this year. So it's a really, really good

race tomorrow. I'm looking forward to just

watching it as a racing fan. Brad Cox with us, trader Brad

Cox, He's got verifying in a Race 9 the Jerkins tomorrow at

Saratoga and then in the Race 10 in the Ballerina Monterrea are

running. You've had both of them up there

for about a month. I've interviewed a lot of

jockeys right before the Derby and their preference is to get

to Churchill as close to the race as possible.

How much of moving, say a verifying in a Matterrea to

Saratoga is about you having barn space?

And how much of it is just, hey, let's get used to the track

because you got a big Grade 1 coming.

Up and honestly just depends on the individual and.

You know where we are with them. We'll start a lot of two year

olds up here that some of them will just come up a couple days

beforehand and they handle it well.

Or sometimes we just ship. Nick's Go shipped in right

before the Whitney a couple years ago and was able to win

and do it the right way. Kofafi won the test here a few

years ago. She she came in right before the

race. So it just kind of depends on

the horse, where they are, the situation, if there's another

race at another track prior. To running at Saratoga with

these two in particular Matare and verifying we knew right out

of their last race this is where we were going to run.

So we obviously shipped them up and give them plenty of time to

settle in here. So that that's that's kind of

where we are. But yeah, just kind of depends

on the individual and what what else you have mapped out

throughout the summer. Brad, you mentioned 2 year olds.

I I know you've got an audible in the first race today.

You've won a lot of two year old races at Ellis.

Is there any one or two particular 2 year olds that

you're really excited about and and we can see, we could see on

the Triple Crown trail next year?

It's probably too early to say if.

If I can, I can see that far out.

We have some really nice horses, 2 year olds.

Today we have. Colt in the first race by

audible like you said it did come off the turf.

I was kind of looking forward to running him on the turf but and

there is an MPO in there that that looks like he could be

tough to beat but I think we're still going to get him started

here in the 1st and then we we have a quality Rd. coat error.

Defiance and I believe the sixth race he drew the one hole.

It sounds like it's, you know, meant to be a really.

Good maiden race. A lot of buzz about some other

horses in there but he you know he acts like he's quick enough

from the gate so he should be be able to get a good early

position and he's a horse that ultimately will should stretch.

I don't know about mile and quarter but you know he he

should stretch out the two turns at some .1 that's already won is

a a cult named Timberlake. He wanted Alice in second run.

He's going to run the hopeful. Is our plan next Monday closing

day? He acts like a really nice

talented cult that I think could, you know, be a real

player in the two year old division this year.

Trainer Brad Cox with us. I did want to ask and this could

be the last one for me. I know you're busy.

You know they're they're moving the the Pocahontas and the

Iroquois back to A1 turn mile at Churchill Downs.

I see that as a as a logical good move.

Offer two year old horses at that stage of their development

to to run the one turn, to run a mile rather than having to go

two turns a mile and a 16 something like that.

Does that change much for you or or is that you know and and do

you think it's a good move or not?

I think it's a good move. I think it's, you know, just,

you know, obviously that race is a mile.

If you need to go, if you feel like you need to go a mile on

the 16th, you get that opportunity at Keeneland.

You get that opportunity at Keeneland with the Breeders

security in the Darleigh House of IDs.

You know a few weeks, 3 weeks later and then obviously on to

the Breeders Cup if you're good enough.

But I I do like that progression of the of the one mile.

And another thing is and I'm not knocking the Poconos or the air

quake. It seems as though these by on

the 16th races that early in the season.

I don't know if it just takes too much out of them or what,

but we we've we've honestly. I feel like those horse that

race, those two races have not produced a tremendous amount

over the last few years and I think the cutback to the mile

should help it. Brad, good luck today with the

two year olds and with idiomatic and tomorrow with verifying and

that matarea. We you're always so generous

with your time and we really do appreciate it.

Have a great weekend. Thanks.

Brad, thanks, Dan.