Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Bishops Bay, First Mission the latest Cox standouts
Trainer Brad Cox already has five horses ranked among the 20 3-year-olds included in the latest edition of Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch. And the hits keep on coming.
Sunday at Fair Grounds, Bishops Bay followed up on a debut sprint win Feb. 18 with a first-level route allowance victory. And the horse Bishops Bay beat in the maiden race was Cox-trained First Mission, who returned this past Saturday to graduate by 6 3/4 lengths in a maiden route win. First Mission received an 89 Beyer Speed Figure after getting a 96 in his career debut. Bishops Bay’s Beyer wasn’t available early Monday, but it’s very unlikely that running one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.77 is going to come back a fast figure.
Circumstances precluded Bishops Bay clocking a good time. Before the first turn, First Defender crossed in front of Bishops Bay, which led to the colt clipping heels and coming precariously close to falling. The race was utterly paceless, the half-mile split a dawdling 50.52 seconds with Bishops Bay hard held in second. The tempo quickened the second half, and at the furlong grounds it looked like the Cox-trained Demolition Duke would run right over Bishops Bay, but the odds-on Bishops Bay somehow repelled him to win by a neck.
“The gallop-out was really good,” said Cox, who reported Bishops Bay escaped the early trouble without injury. “We’ll ship to Kentucky next week and see what lies ahead. He’s still green definitely. He shows signs of immaturity from a mental standpoint.”
Cox said there were no plans to make a last-ditch effort to get Bishops Bay into the Kentucky Derby.
First Mission, Cox said, will be nominated to the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland, though there are no set plans for his next race.
“He came out of it in good order,” Cox said. “I don’t think he’s a true two-turn horse. I loved the way he cruised around there.”
Cox entered three horses in Saturday’s Louisiana Derby. Jace’s Road runs with Florent Geroux to ride, and Instant Coffee, the likely favorite under Luis Saez, has been pointed to this spot for months. Cox’s third entrant is Tapit’s Conquest, and he is no sure thing to start, Cox said.
Extra Anejo back to work
Extra Anejo had his first workout since Nov. 15 when he went the easiest of half-miles on Sunday at Fair Grounds. Extra Anejo looked like an elite talent winning his career debut Oct. 13 at Keeneland by 9 1/2 lengths, an impressive race visually that also produced a robust 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Extra Anejo worked three times following his first start but was diagnosed with a bone chip that required surgical removal late last year. His recovery from the injury and surgery went well, and Extra Anejo joined trainer Steve Asmussen’s barn in January, logging plenty of miles jogging and galloping before getting back on the work tab Sunday.
Owned by Winchell Thoroughreds, Extra Anejo, a son of Into Mischief, was purchased at auction for $1.35 million.
◗ It’s a quiet Thursday of racing at Fair Grounds, with the feature, race 9, a mere first-level allowance with a $17,500 claiming option. Love of My Life is a rare Fair Grounds runner for trainer Ignacio Correas, who won with his lone starter at the meet. Correas’s go-to rider, Vincent Cheminaud, travels to New Orleans to take the mount on Love of My Life, who hit a career peak winning a conditioned starter-allowance race Feb. 5 at Oaklawn.