Brad Cox Scores 2,000th Career Win on Saturday at Fair Grounds

February 20, 2023 louisianathoroughbred

Scores four wins on Louisiana Derby Preview Day,
including a 13-1 Risen Star Upset with Angel of Empire

New Orleans (Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023) – Trainer Brad Cox sent out his 2,000th career North American winner Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, saddling Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Winners Win, Michael Caruso, and WinStar Farm’s Bishops Bay (1-2 favorite) to a three-quarters of a length victory over stablemate First Mission in Race 5.

“I want to thank the team, the owners, and the horses,” Cox said. “It’s been a great run and it’s been a long road. I’m glad to have two colts who showed up here and ran well, I’m proud of both. I think they have bright futures.”

The 42-year-old native of Louisville, Ky. closed to within three victories of the milestone entering Saturday. Beginning with Comparative in Race 2, then Merlazza in Race 4, the Cox barn quickly won with their first two entries on the card. Having two entries in Race 5, there was no doubt in the homestretch that Cox was about to hit 2,000–the only question was which horse would be the one to do it for him as his other entry First Mission headed Bishops Bay with one-sixteenth to go. With Florent Geroux aboard, the Uncle Mo Colt Bishops Bay battled back against his workmate, beating him to the wire.

Steve Asmussen had two entries in Race 5 as well, and sitting at 9,999 career wins, he and Cox were in the paddock at Fair Grounds with the potential to saddle their milestone winner. After posting a win at both Sam Houston and Oaklawn earlier in the day, Asmussen was unable to score another.

“It’s an amazing number that Steve is about to hit,” Cox said. “I have no shot of catching him. He works as hard as anybody. To do what we do every day, trying to develop horses, it’s a tough game. To do it for as long as he has, as well as he has, it’s amazing.”

Cox started working in racing under trainers Burk Kessinger, and Jimmy Baker. Later he became the assistant trainer under Dallas Stewart. Brad started his first horse in 2004, and has since gone on to win each leg of the Triple Crown and the Longines Kentucky Oaks twice. He has racked up nine Breeders Cup victories, including the Classic with Knicks Go (2021) and the Distaff twice with Monomoy Girl (2018 and 2020).

“I knew we were getting close a couple of races back, and I’m glad to give it over with,” Cox. “Honestly, I just wanted to get it over with. We’ve got some live shots later in the day so we’re hopeful to keep it rolling.”

Later in the card, Cox would score a 13-1 upset in the Risen Star (G2) presented by Lamarque Ford-Lincoln, giving him four wins on the day.

Already with four training titles at Fair Grounds, Cox sits in second in the 2022-23 standings with 27 wins, two behind Bret Calhoun.

Asmussen is On the Brink of Yet Another Milestone

February 16, 2023 louisianathoroughbred

Hall of Famer is three wins away from 10,000

New Orleans, La (Feb 14, 2023) – Having surpassed Dale Baird on August 7, 2021, Steve Asmussen is already the leading trainer in the history of North American Thoroughbred racing, and he enters this racing week with 9,997 career wins.

“The record was on my mind, to be the winningest,” Asmussen admitted. “That’s never over. A milestone like 10,000 will feel like when Curlin became the first North American racehorse to go over $10 million (in earnings). You’ll always be the first to ever hit that digit.”

At the age of 57 and with his operation going as strong as ever, it’s tough to envision Asmussen’s record ever being broken.

“You would find it hard to believe, but there is the outside possibility that it could happen,” Asmussen said. “As hard as it is to win the next one, I am in awe of it (reaching 10,000). Getting races to “go” is hard enough, let alone actually winning one. A friend of mine told me that 10,000 wins calculates to a win a day for 27 straight years. A lot of credit goes to the consistency and quality of my help. Assistants like Scott Blasi and Darren Fleming.”

Asmussen was born in Gettysburg, South Dakota, but he’s called Laredo, Texas home since the age of two.

“I was hoping I could do it (reach the milestone) at Sam Houston, but it’s impossible to time that,” he said. “My mom (Marilyn) wants to be there for it and she follows my racing better than I do. How do you even know? There is also a chance that my son Keith could win it for us at Oaklawn. If that happened, it would be like divine intervention. If I had to predict, I think it will happen either Friday or Saturday of this week and I’ve got nice horses in, so it will be fun.”

Equine Sales of Louisiana Attempting to Disperse Papers for Several Horses

February 16, 2023 louisianathoroughbred

Equine Sales of Louisiana Attempting to Disperse Papers for Several Horses

Equine Sales of Louisiana has the papers for several horses that sold through their 2019 and 2020 sales.

The following horses sold through the 2019 Equine Sales of Louisiana Mixed Sale
2019 filly by Hard Aces out of Toni’s Day
2019 filly by Mo For The Money out of Safflower

The following horses sold through the 2020 Equine Sales of Louisiana Yearling Sale
2019 colt by Mo Tom out of Denali Cat Tale
2019 filly by Takeover Target out of W W Red Square

The following horses sold through the 2020 Equine Sales of Louisiana Mixed Sale
My Girl Honey, 2019 filly by El Deal out of My Girl Courtney
Boston Mike, 2020 colt by Power Jam out of Bar Babe

If you purchased one of the above horses and do not yet have your papers, please contact Equine Sales of Louisiana at 337-678-3024 or Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association at 504-947-4676.

Afternoon Deelites Dies at Old Friends

February 15, 2023 louisianathoroughbred

Just six days after the passing of his owner Burt Bacharach, Afternoon Deelites, a six-time graded-stakes winner, was euthanized Feb. 14 at Old Friends, the Kentucky-based thoroughbred retirement farm, due to complications from colic. He was 31. Old Friends President and Founder Michael Blowen announced his passing Wednesday morning.

Bred by Blue Seas Music Inc., the son of Private Terms–Intimate Girl, by Medaille d’Or, was foaled in West Virginia on Feb. 28, 1992. For his entire racing career he was owned by Bacharach, trained by Richard Mandella, and ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

Afternoon Deelites opened his racing career in spectacular fashion, winning his first five races between 1994 and 1995, four of them stakes races. After winning a Santa Anita maiden special weight as a 2-year old in 1994, he won the GIII Hollywood Prevue Breeders’ Cup Stakes to earn his first graded stakes win, and followed that up with a win in the GI Hollywood Futurity, defeating future Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch.

In 1995 as a 3-year old, Afternoon Deelites continued his winning streak with victories in the GIII San Vicente Breeders’ Cup S. and the GII San Felipe S. His final win in 1995 was in the GI Malibu S. He was second in the GI Santa Anita Derby, and eighth in the GI Kentucky Derby.

At four, Afternoon Deelites won one of his four races, the GII Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. at Keeneland. In his final career start, he finished second in the GI Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park on May 27. Afternoon Deelites retired with seven wins (including six of the 11 graded stakes in which he ran) three seconds, and $1,061,193 in earnings in 12 career starts.

Afternoon Deelites began his stud career in 1997 at Brereton Jones’s Airdrie Stud in Midway, KY, and stood there through 2003. He then moved to Clear Creek Stud, LLC, in Folsom, LA, where he stood the rest of his career. He was pensioned in 2011, and sent to Old Friends courtesy of Val Murrell of Clear Creek Stud. “We were honored to have Afternoon Deelites at Clear Creek Stud,” said Murrell. “We are blessed to see him live on through his many daughters.”

“Afternoon Deelites was a beautiful friend,” said Blowen. “I remember Kent Desormeaux standing in front of his stall a few years ago saying ‘Michael, I won the Kentucky Derby on Real Quiet, Fusaichi Pegasus, and Big Brown, and this is the fastest horse I ever rode.’ And he was one of the best retirees who ever called Old Friends home.

“Thanks to Burt, his ex-wife, Angie Dickinson, and his widow, Jane, for loving Afternoon Deelites as much as we did.”