Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Concert Tour nears first race since Preakness for new barn
Early in 2021, Brad Cox was scouting Concert Tour, watching him train and race and wondering how his own promising 3-year-olds stacked up against the Bob Bafferttrained colt. In the Arkansas Derby, Cox-trained Caddo River finished second, a head in front of Concert Tour.
Fast forward to fall and Cox’s perspective has radically changed: He now trains Concert Tour, and after the colt had his first work at Fair Grounds, going a half-mile in 49.80 seconds Sunday morning, Cox is scouting condition books, looking for a race.
“He’s getting very close,” Cox said.
Concert Tour was one of three prominent Cox-trained horses to work Sunday in New Orleans. Leading the trio was Knicks Go, who will be named 2021 Horse of the Year when Eclipse Award winners are revealed early next year. Knicks Go’s 2021 campaign began in January, when he won the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, and included a trip to Saudi Arabia, where he was a disappointing fourth in the Saudi Cup. He finished fourth in the Met Mile on June 5, then won four in a row racing at Prairie Meadows, Saratoga, Churchill Downs, and Del Mar, where he romped in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
That sounds like a schedule to sap a racehorse’s energy, but Knicks Go – who is scheduled for one final race, a repeat bid next month in the Pegasus, before going to stud – evidently is training with verve. He worked an easy half on Sunday, also clocking 49.80 while breezing by himself and giving Cox good vibes.
“He definitely doesn’t seem like he’s regressed one bit from the Breeders’ Cup and racing all year. He’s just had the two easy works post-Breeders’ Cup, but both went as well as you could’ve asked,” Cox said.
Mandaloun also had his first work Sunday since shipping to New Orleans from Kentucky, going a half-mile in 50.80. Mandaloun won the Risen Star Stakes last February at Fair Grounds and as the secondplace Kentucky Derby finisher he stands to be elevated to first if Medina Spirit is disqualified because he tested positive for an illegal race-day medication.
Mandaloun remains on track for a mid-January comeback, which would mark his first start since being placed first via Hot Rod Charlie’s disqualification in the Haskell Stakes on July 17. The Louisiana Stakes on Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds is one obvious option for Mandaloun, whose connections have designs on the $20 million Saudi Cup in February.
Concert Tour could make his Cox debut as soon as Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds in the $100,000 Tenacious Stakes, though Cox did not commit to that spot. Concert Tour won the Rebel Stakes before his third in the Arkansas Derby. After passing the Kentucky Derby, he essentially was eased in the Preakness and hasn’t raced since.
“He’s doing really well, had two good five-eighths before shipping down,” Cox said.
Concert Tour, a homebred, races for prominent owners Gary and Mary West, who began sending Cox horses this past spring.
Mystic Guide has timed work
Unraced since July 3, when he was narrowly beaten in the Suburban Stakes, 2021 Dubai World Cup-winner Mystic Guide hit another milestone toward his return to racing when he had his first post-layoff timed workout Sunday at Fair Grounds.
This was merely a three-furlong drill clocked in 37.80 seconds, but the work left a positive impression on Michael Stidham, who trains the Godolphin homebred.
“Beautiful. He floated over the track. He looked great, did it the right way, and we’re happy to get him back going,” Stidham said.
Mystic Guide came out of the Suburban, his first start since his 3 3/4-length victory in Dubai, with a chipped knee that required surgical repair. Connections obviously would love Mystic Guide to have a chance at a repeat victory in the World Cup, and if all went well, the colt, by Ghostzapper, could have one prep in February, either at Fair Grounds or Oaklawn Park, before heading overseas. But these are still relatively early days in Mystic Guide’s return to full fitness.
“We’re going to let him tell us. We won’t rush anything,” Stidham said.
Stidham last week also welcomed another Godolphin homebred back into his Fair Grounds barn, Proxy, who sniffed the Triple Crown trail last winter and spring while finishing second in the Lecomte and Risen Star and fourth in the Louisiana Derby. Proxy ran fourth April 10 in the Lexington Stakes and worked several times thereafter before being taken out of training.
By Tapit out of Panty Raid, a Grade 1 winner on turf and dirt, Proxy was legged up at Keeneland before being sent to New Orleans, Stidham said, though the colt has yet to post a timed workout.
No Parole retired
Tom Amoss on Sunday confirmed the retirement of Grade 1-winning Louisiana bred sprinter No Parole.
No Parole on Saturday finished last of 10 in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds, that following a start Oct. 30 at Delta Downs in which he was eased.
The Delta race was No Parole’s first since he finished last on April 17 in the Count Fleet at Oaklawn Park, and No Parole, a 4-year-old Violence colt owned by Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin, clearly had lost the ability that won him the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in June 2020.
◗ Friday’s featured seventh race, a second-level dirt-sprint allowance with a $40,000 claiming option, drew eight entrants, among them Shackleford Strong, 12-1 on the morning line, a sleeper who can lead all the way with an alert break under Mitchell Murrill.