Cox earns MJC’s $50K bonus for Preakness weekend stakes participation
(A Maryland Jockey Club press release)
Brad Cox Earns Richest Preakness Weekend Trainer Bonus
BALTIMORE – Brad Cox edged Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen to claim the top prize in the Maryland Jockey Club’s $100,000 bonus program offered to trainers for their participation in stakes races over Preakness weekend at Pimlico Race Course.
Brad Cox won two stakes — the G3 Miss Preakness with track-record smashing Covfefe (at left) and the G3 Allaire duPont with Mylady Curlin (home page photo) — to earn the Maryland Jockey Club’s $50,000 top bonus for trainers racing at least five horses in stakes Preakness weekend. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photos
Cox led the way with 36 points, three more than two-time defending champion Asmussen, to earn a $50,000 bonus. In his Triple Crown race debut, Cox ran third and fourth, respectively, with Owendale and Warrior’s Charge in the 144th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 18, won by War of Will.
On the May 17 Black-Eyed Susan Day card, Cox won the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) with Covfefe in six-furlong track-record time of 1:07.70, captured the $150,000 Caplan Brothers Glass Allaire duPont Distaff (G3) with Mylady Curlin, and was second with Ulele in the $250,000 Xpressbet Black-Eyed Susan (G2).
Asmussen’s 33 points earned him a $25,000 bonus for second. He picked up wins in the historic $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3) May 17 with Tenfold and $150,000 ClearSpan Maryland Sprint (G3) with New York Central May 18. Also on the Preakness program, he was second in the $100,000 Sir Barton with Tone Broke, fourth in the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) with Pyron, and fifth in both the $1.65 million Preakness with Laughing Fox and $100,000 James W. Murphy with War Film.
Fair Hill (Md.) Training Center-based Graham Motion was third with 32 points, earning a bonus of $12,000. The other top finishers were Todd Pletcher (29 points, $7,000), Arnaud Delacour (24 points, $4,000) and Mike Trombetta (nine points, $2,000).
To be eligible, trainers had to run a minimum of five horses in 16 stakes races during Preakness weekend. Points were accumulated for finishing first (10 points), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three) and having a starter (one) among the 16 stakes, nine graded, worth $3.95 million in purses.
Bonus money totaling $50,000 was also offered for trainers having the most points in non-stakes races during Preakness weekend, with points accumulated in similar fashion. Ron Moquett finished first with 20 points, earning the top bonus of $25,000.
Also winning bonus money were Motion (18 points, $10,000), Jeremiah O’Dwyer (17 points, $7,500), Jeremiah Englehart (16 points, $4,000), Pletcher (15 points, $2,500) and Damon Dilodovico (11 points, $1,000).
