Let not forget that before he became the last word in training Kentucky Derby contenders, Brad Cox won the Kentucky Oaks twice.
In Louisville, the trainer's hometown, only one race is bigger than that for fillies on the first Friday in May. That comes a day later and the winning horse wears a blanket of roses afterward. You might even know the words to "My Old Kentucky Home," the Derby alma mater, as it were.
Weep no more, my lady, Cox holds strong hands in both 2023 spring classics. He has a grocery list full of Derby prospects and for the Oaks, Wet Paint made another runway entrance at Oaklawn Saturday. A peekaboo ride by Flavien Prat planted Blame's daughter into the Larry Snyder Winner's Circle for the second time at the meet, which owner-breeder Godolphin LLC checked out after the Jan. 28 Martha Washington.
Against five rivals and with Prat up, Wet Paint won by two lengths over wet-fast footing in the Martha Washington. The Grade 3 $300,000 Honeybee meant another trip around a wet track, this one rated sloppy and against 11 opponents, and required more ability.
Prat jerked his mount off the rail and split horses inside the final sixteenth, thus beating last-out Oaklawn allowance winner Condensation with Breeders' Cup show filly Grand love third.
With 50 qualifying points Saturday, Wet paint has 60 in two local qualifying races. The Grade 3 $600,000 Fantasy in April at Oaklawn is under Cox' consideration before setting sail for Churchill Downs, where he won the 2018 Oaks with Monomoy's Girl, his first Eclipse Award winner, and in 2020 with Honeybee winner Shedaresthedevil for Hot Springs owner Staton Flurry.
Condensation set a target with opening splits of 23.54 and 49.19, wiring the field by three quarters in her second local start Feb. 11. Taxed, last-out second in the Martha Washington, gave chase from the 12 hole with Rafael Bejarano. Meanwhile, Grand Love, tiring sixth in the BC Juvenile Fillies, stood third on the final turn after a dream trip for Joel Rosario.
"To be honest, I was worried about how far back I was," said Prat. "I mean, I didn't think I had much chance from where I was. She had to give a kick somewhere and that was in the stretch. On the backside I was galloping, but the problem was I was far back and it was a slow pace. But she finished up well."
Tenth after three quarters in 1:13.51, Wet Paint moved up to fifth at the head of the stretch. Condensation hung on by two lengths, the mile in 1:39.25, until Prat took matters into his own hands.
A seventh-to-first maiden winner in October at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Wet Paint ran closer to the pace when second at Turfway Park in December. The Martha Washington, in which she was last of six early, went her way when two leaders stopped without warning in upper stretch.
A number of fillies entered will wonder the fate if it had not rained -- nobody carries any weight with the Arkansas weatherman this time of year -- and had better trips. Wet Paint can go the distance and does not need things her own way to win. That is something to keep in mind at Oaks time -- Honeybee winner winning the first-Friday-in-May classic last year.
"She showed a lot of heart to be able to handle these conditions today," Cox said. "She showed she liked the wet track and I think as the distance she'll keep improving."
Wary to bet against Cox for any reason, bettors made Wet paint 8-5 program favorite for returns of $5.40, $3.80 and $3. Winning time was 1:45.35 over a track that mostly played fair to speed. Todd pletcher-trained Gambling Girl and Mike Maker-trained Towhead also collected qualifying points for the Oaks, in which Louisville school kids get the day off, some funneling traffic up Taylor Boulevard to the intersection of Longfield Avenue, where a first-time visitor looks up for the spires at Churchill Downs.