Cox seeks another Super Derby Day

Brad Cox won three stakes races on last year’s Super Derby program, and Oaklawn Park’s fourth-leading trainer in 2018 will have a chance to match that total Sunday at Louisiana Downs.

The trainer has three horses entered on the 13-race card, including High North in the $300,000 Super Derby for owner John Ed Anthony, of Hot Springs.

High North, the 5-2 second choice on the morning line, won the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes for

3-year-olds on April 14 at Oaklawn. Florent Geroux is scheduled to ride High North, who drew post 8 in the projected nine-horse field.

All starters in the 1 1/16-mile Super Derby will carry

124 pounds.

Anthony won the inaugural Super Derby in 1980 with Temperence Hill, who broke his maiden at Oaklawn before winning its Rebel Handicap and Arkansas Derby en route to champion 3-year-old male honors. Cox won last year’s Super Derby – it was run on grass – with Mr. Misunderstood, owned by Staton Flurry, of Hot Springs.

Returned to dirt in 2018, the Super Derby has also drawn Oaklawn-raced Bode’s Maker (30-1) and two entrants for nine-time Oaklawn training champion Steve Asmussen – Lionite (9-2) and Limation (12-1).

Lionite broke his maiden on the final day of the Oaklawn meeting and is to be ridden by David Cabrera, Oaklawn’s second-leading rider in 2018. Limation made his first three career starts at Oaklawn, finishing third in a maiden special weights event closing day, April 14.

Probable post time for the Super Derby, which goes as race 11, is 5:05 p.m. Lone Sailor is the 7-5 program favorite.

Cox has the even-money program favorite for the $60,000 Unbridled Stakes in Big Changes, who broke his maiden and was an allowance winner at the 2016

Oaklawn meeting. Owned by prominent Arkansas automobile dealer Steve Landers, Big Changes is seeking his third consecutive stakes victory and fourth consecutive victory overall. Landers is also a member of the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Probable post time for the 1

1/16-mile turf event, which race as race 10, is 4:32 p.m.

* Accelerate, runner-up in the Grade 2 $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap for older horses on April 14 at Oaklawn, will stand at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky upon his retirement from racing, the farm announced Wednesday.

Accelerate, ranked No. 1 again this week in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll, has an 8-5-5 record from 20 career starts and earnings of

$2,312,480. He is a three-time Grade 1 winner this year. Accelerate is a 5-year-old son of champion Lookin At Lucky, winner of Oaklawn’s Grade 2

$300,000 Rebel Stakes in 2010 for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.