This year no trainer has impacted the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail as much as Brad Cox. Cox, who won the 2021 Run for the Roses with Mandaloun after the eventual disqualification of Medina Spirit, has captured four of the 11 domestic preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in 2023.
Cox ran 1-2 with Victory Formation and Angel of Empire in the Jan. 1 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, added the Jan. 21 Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots with Instant Coffee, followed that with a score from Hit Show in the Feb. 11 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and took the Feb. 18 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds with Angel of Empire.
On Feb. 25, he aims for a fifth Derby prep victory this year when he runs Verifying and Giant Mischief at Oaklawn in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel Stakes (G2).
"The Kentucky Derby is why we do what we do every day," Cox said. "It's the biggest race for any of us (trainers) to win, and it's the goal I have every year."
The $1 million Rebel is the richest Derby prep yet contested this year, offering points on a 50-20-15-10-5 scale to its top five finishers. All 11 competitors can earn points, with Reincarnate starting for California-based trainer Tim Yakteen after previously racing for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Horses trained by Baffert are ineligible to earn points and race in the May 6 Derby due to a two-year ban of the trainer by track operator Churchill Downs Inc. that continues through early July.
The ban was imposed after medication positives from his horses, including Medina Spirit for the presence of betamethasone in his system after he crossed the wire first in the 2021 Derby. He has been disqualified, a ruling under appeal.
Owing to Churchill's sanctions of Baffert, Reincarnate enters the Rebel without any Derby points despite having won the one-mile Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park Jan. 8. He previously won a mile maiden race at Del Mar after three initial runner-up finishes.
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He has recorded numerous breezes for Baffert in Southern California leading up to the Rebel, finalized by a joint move with his grade 1-placed stablemate National Treasure in 1:00 4/5 Feb. 19. Reincarnate races for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who won the Jan. 28 Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn aboard the Baffert-trained Arabian Knight , is reunited aboard Reincarnate. Velazquez was up for the Good Magic colt's maiden victory before Juan Hernandez rode Reincarnate to take the Sham.
He is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line with Verifying at 2-1 odds and Giant Mischief at 5-2.
Verifying, a Justify colt and a half brother to 2019 champion older dirt female Midnight Bisou, rolled by 5 1/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race Jan. 14 at Oaklawn in his lone start of the season. The runner-up and third-place finisher returned to win their next starts.
Last year at 2, Verifying won a maiden race at Saratoga Race Course, finished second in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct behind Blazing Sevens , and was sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.
Florent Geroux travels from his base at Fair Grounds for the ride on the rail-drawn colt, who races for the Coolmore-affiliated partnership of Jonathan Poulin, Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor.
Geroux was aboard Giant Mischief in that colt's last two starts, one of which was a slow-start second in the Dec. 17 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes.
"I expected him to run big that night, and he did," Cox said. "I never expected him to break like that. Just rocked back a step right before they popped him. Just caught himself giving them too much early. The winner, obviously, got a great trip. He's a good horse as well. We're looking forward to giving him another run around two turns."
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount Saturday.
Before the Springboard Mile, Giant Mischief won his first two starts for an ownership partnership that included current owners Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Martin Schwartz, and Michael Dubb.
Giant Mischief was given a winter break leading up to his 3-year-old bow.
"I think it (Rebel) gives him the best shot of giving him another run around two turns," Cox said. "Gives him a solid two months between the Remington race and the Rebel."
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen—a four-time winner of the Rebel, most recently with Long Range Toddy in 2019—starts three horses in Saturday's race: Courtlandt Farm's Powerful (20-1), Winchell Thoroughbreds' Red Route One (10-1)—the Southwest runner-up—and Three Chimneys Farm's Gun Pilot (8-1), who prevailed by two lengths in an allowance optional claiming race Feb. 4 at Oaklawn after a second-place finish to Verifying Jan. 14.
Verifying, Gun Pilot, and Reincarnate carry co-highweight of 122 pounds, spotting the opposition between three to five pounds apiece.
Post time for the Rebel is 5:23 p.m. CT.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, February 25, 2023, Race 11Entries: Rebel S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Verifying (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 2/1 2 2Powerful (KY) Isaac Castillo 117 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1 3 3Red Route One (KY) Cristian A. Torres 117 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1 4 4Gun Pilot (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 5 5Giant Mischief (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 117 Brad H. Cox 5/2 6 6Reincarnate (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Tim Yakteen 7/2 7 7Confidence Game (KY) James Graham 119 J. Keith Desormeaux 15/1 8 8Talladega (KY) Flavien Prat 117 Rodolphe Brisset 30/1 9 9Event Detail (KY) Gerardo Corrales 117 Paulo H. Lobo 30/1 10 10Bourbon Bash (KY) Mickaelle Michel 117 D. Wayne Lukas 20/1 11 11Frosted Departure (KY) Francisco Arrieta 117 Kenneth G. McPeek 20/1
