Road to Derby Filled With Much Success for Cox

It's not every year a single trainer wins three of the eight 100-point Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races, but Brad Cox did just that this year. Since the Derby points system's inception in 2013, only Todd Pletcher (2013, 2018, and 2023) has won three or more 100-point races in a single season. Fulleffort scored in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), Commandment then took the Florida Derby (G1), and Further Ado wrapped it up with an 11-length victory in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1). Commandment and Further Ado spent the winter months down south at Payson Park Training Center in Indiantown, Fla., some 90 miles from Gulfstream Park. Commandment, owned by Wathnan Racing, has not lost since his fourth-place finish on debut, taking the Mucho Macho Man Stakes and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) before winning the Florida Derby. Spendthrift Farm's Further Ado was second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) to The Puma before shipping back to Lexington. Unlike his stablemates, Fulleffort, owned by St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing, is set to make his first dirt start in the Kentucky Derby after training in Kentucky this winter at Turfway Park. The Liam's Map colt was second in the Leonatus and John Battaglia Memorial stakes before winning the Jeff Ruby. While Cox acknowledged the Derby field is "very competitive," he does feel Commandment and Further Ado had the upper hand training in Florida. "I do feel like the horses in Florida were definitely (in) the strongest region this year," Cox said. "You could kind of put Further Ado in that group. He trained there, made his only start prior to the Blue Grass at Tampa and, obviously, Commandment had three races in South Florida this winter." Every successful barn has a strong team behind it, and Cox has just that. His son and assistant, Blake, runs the show at Payson Park, where Commandment and Further Ado trained under his care. Fulleffort was posted at Turfway Park with Cox's son and assistant, Bryson, and assistant trainer Trace Messina. Cox believes his success began at the yearling and 2-year-old sales; getting stock for races such as the Kentucky Derby is half the battle. "I think in order to be competitive in this 3-year-old division, you have to have a lot of colts," Cox said. "That's very important to have a lot of stock, a lot of talent. It's nice getting a lot of 2-year-old colts that you feel like you might have a chance to get to the Derby with." When the Kentucky Derby leaderboard was all said and done, Cox's three entrants were on the board first, second, and fifth. "It's huge," Cox said. "It means a lot for these colts, especially the ones with the grade 1 attached to them. It's huge for these colts, and them becoming stallions after their racing career. So it means a lot, we put a lot of stock in these races."