Trainer Brad Cox receives national honor

Trainer Brad Cox looks over his horses at Churchill Downs on April 29 in Louisville, Ky. The 41-year old Louisville native was named the winner of the Big Sport of Turfdom award this week. - Photo by Charlie Riedel of The Associated Press
Trainer Brad Cox looks over his horses at Churchill Downs on April 29 in Louisville, Ky. The 41-year old Louisville native was named the winner of the Big Sport of Turfdom award this week. - Photo by Charlie Riedel of The Associated Press

In a year that he saddled the prospective Horse of the Year and his first classic winner, Brad Cox reaped another high honor this week.

The 41-year-old Louisville native is the 2021 recipient of the Big Sport of Turfdom award from the Turf Publicists of America, recognizing a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists.

"What a year it's been for Brad Cox. Whenever there was a big race to cover, it was odds-on that a horse from his barn would be one to talk about," TPA President Wendy Davis said. "Brad's generosity with his time, allowing his story, as well as his horses' stories to be shared with the fans of our sport is the epitome of what the award stands for."

Growing up a few blocks from Churchill Downs, Cox first went to the track with his father in early youth. He got his first job as a hot walker at 13, then worked as a groom for trainers Burk Kessinger and Jimmy Baker. He served as an assistant to Dallas Stewart five years before starting his own stable at age 24.

Cox has blazed an ascent to the top of his profession, winning his first Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer last year after saddling four Breeders' Cup winners. He has kept it up this year, his horses with a North American-high $29.8 million in earnings through Wednesday (per Equibase.com) although with less than half the starters of No. 2 Steve Asmussen.

Cox has Breeders' Cup Classic winner and likely Horse of the Year Knicks Go and leading 3-year-old Essential Quality, the Belmont Stakes and Travers winner. Both horses are Oaklawn winners, Knicks Go in 2020 in his first start for Cox and Essential Quality in February's Southwest.

Cox finished second to Asmussen in Oaklawn earnings and third in races won this year. His 29 winners included seven stakes with bookend winners of 3-year-olds Caddo River in the $150,000 Smarty Jones and Fulsome in the $300,000 Oaklawn. He scored a Grade 2 victory in the Azeri and two more Grade 1s after Oaklawn with 4-year-old filly Shedaresthedevil, co-owned by Hot Springs horseman Staton Flurry.

Look for Cox to have another strong stable when Oaklawn launches a 66-day season Dec. 3, extending through May 8.

He will receive the Big Sport of Turfdom award at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's annual award luncheon Dec. 7. With last year's ceremony not held because of COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 Big Sport winner, trainer Tom Amoss, will be honored at the same time. First presented in 1966, the award's honor roll includes jockeys Bill Shoemaker, Eddie Arcaro and Pat Day, trainers Wayne Lukas and Jack Van Berg and Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery, a two-time winner.

"I am honored to receive this award," Cox said. "It is especially meaningful given the list of previous winners."


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