BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 7, 2020

Brad Cox

Keeneland Race Course

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Brad, Monomoy Girl, we had the owners in here earlier. Two wins in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, incredible Breeders' Cup for you, but the question I know you've been asked a million times but I'm going to have to lead with it: What has she meant to your career and your stable?

BRAD COX: She's meant so much and I think, honestly, she's responsible for all these Breeders' Cup victories. She's played a role in them, us being able to acquire the horses or pick up the horses one way or another. So she's the one that I think showed the nation that we could play at the Grade 1 level. She was our first Grade 1 winner here this the Ashland in 2018 and she's just done so much for so many different people's careers, along with Liz Crow and several other people, Paul Sharp, myself, obviously, and just very fortunate and thankful that she's came along and she's a champion. She means a lot to us.

THE MODERATOR: Let's talk about the way the race set up because the way the track's been playing very speed-favoring and she was sort of further back than she's usually in a race. What were your thoughts during that point?

BRAD COX: Honestly, I thought that was her trip. Once again, going back to the Oaks, she was 14 of 14 in the Oaks in 2018, and then Breeders' Cup she was a 11 of 11 in the Distaff in 2018. So I was okay with the post, but I realize that we were going to give up some ground. But you know, I just, going back and when you look at a lot of her races, that's her trip, laying two, three wide at the three-eighths pole kind of galloping up to them. I didn't think she went up to the leaders quite as easy today as she had in the past, like, say, in the La Troienne or the Ruffian or some of her races as a three-year-old. So I was a touch concerned because I thought that Florent was maybe having to get into her a maybe a little bit earlier than normal but she really stayed on well. But, yeah, overall I thought it went as planned as far as the set up. And once again I did figure we were probably going to give up some ground and we did and she overcame it. That's what good horses do.

THE MODERATOR: And her career not necessarily as planned, missing 18 months, a whole season of or whole year long of racing, so I posed the question to the owners in here about she is scheduled to be sold tomorrow. Since she missed that time, how about maybe bringing her back for another season of racing?

BRAD COX: You know the way I look at it is this is her four-year-old season so sometimes we race mares at five and six and this ownership group is obviously racing throughout 2020. So I think those guys are going to take a strong look. Obviously we've got, they have to make a decision before tomorrow evening on what exactly will happen. She's going to leave our barn here at Keeneland tomorrow at 6 a.m. and head over to Fasig Tipton and we'll, it's up to those guys and I know they will make the right decision. They have the whole time with her. We're very fortunate, racing fans, myself, racing in general, throughout the world, they made the right decision on bringing her back and the racing fans got to enjoy her once again.

THE MODERATOR: You're making all the right decisions. Four Breeders' Cup wins over these two days. That ties Richard Mandella for one day, the four wins that he had, but just with those kind of names that your name mentioned in now.

BRAD COX: I look up to guys like that. I can remember watching on TV when he won those four races and a credit to him, there wasn't as many races then and it was all one day. So that was an amazing feat. But we'll take four within two days and very proud of our team that we have in place. So like I said I've said it several times and I'll continue to say it, everyone works extremely well together and it's one big team that's all competitive group of guys that work hard and it's long, grueling hours and long days and that's what you got to have. And obviously the owners have, give us a tremendous amount of horses and talent and horse flesh to work with and that's what you got to have. You got to surround yourself with good people from help and ownership as well.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on such an incredible Breeders' Cup success and another fantastic year. More to come I know and now you can take a deep breath and finally enjoy all these victories.

BRAD COX: Thanks, I appreciate it.