Brad Cox did not hesitate Wednesday to point out something
his four Breeders’ Cup horses have in common.

“I guess they all won last time out, so that’s a pretty good
start,” he said. “They’ve all got to step up if we want to win a Breeders’ Cup
race with any of the four.”

As he spoke in the morning shadows of the barn he and his
string of horses were assigned at Del Mar, it was impossible to ignore the elephant
in the room. Or more accurately the mare who was not.

DeRosa: Why to avoid betting on retiring horses.

Idiomatic, who was being prepared to defend her 2023 victory
in the Distaff against top horse-of-the-year candidate Thorpedo Anna, was
diagnosed late last week with a lame left knee. Cox and breeder-owner Juddmonte
immediately declared the 5-year-old’s racing days were done.

“It was an easy decision to make,” Cox said. “Excited about
her now joining the great Juddmonte broodmare band.”

He may not have a reigning division champion left in the
barn, but Cox has three horses who are 5-1 or shorter on the morning line for
Friday and Saturday’s races and one who could be a wise-guy value play in the
$7 million Classic. With so much attention paid to rival 3-year-olds City Of
Troy, Fierceness and Forever Young, Cox’s 4-year-old colt Highland Falls brings
in Grade 1 bona fides and program odds of 20-1.

“I thought 20-1 was a little long,” Cox said. “I didn’t set
the morning line. I don’t really care, but I did just see it and thought, wow,
20-1, he is being dismissed maybe a little bit. He’s a good horse. I think 10
furlongs is his thing. He showed that last time out at Saratoga. Once again
with a good trip I think he’s there.”

That most recent race was Sept. 1, when the Curlin colt stalked
the early lead before pouncing for a four-length triumph in the Jockey Club
Gold Cup (G1). That was with jockey Flavien Prat, who will be on 3-year-old
Sierra Leone in the Classic. Luis Sáez, whose only Breeders’ Cup victory came
when Cox put him on Essential Quality in the 2020 Juvenile, will get the leg up
this weekend on Highland Falls.

“I think he stacks up with the group of horses that he has
to run against on Saturday,” Cox said. “I think in a race like that, you have
to get a good trip. Luis has never been on him in the afternoon, but he’s been
on him in the mornings. I think Luis is actually going to fit him very well.
That’s a positive.”

Federal Judge, who is the 3-1 favorite in Saturday’s six-furlong,
$2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, also gets a new rider. Irad Ortiz Jr. replaces
Prat, who will ride 7-2 second choice Mullikin. Both horses are owned by WinStar
and Siena Farm. Mullikin is trained by Rodolphe Brisset, who had Federal Judge
before the now 4-year-old Army Mule colt went on a 13-month break.

Since he went to Cox, Federal Judge has had a second and two
runaway wins, most recently making his graded-stakes breakthrough early this
month in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland. In a gate-to-wire performance, he
reeled off fractions of 21.62 and 43.97 on the way to a winning time of 1:08.20
for the six furlongs and a Beyer Speed Figure of 106, according to Daily
Racing Form.

“For him to go as quick as he did early … and to win by
six just shows how good he really is and how much speed he has,” Cox said. “He’s
really on it right now. I’m excited about him. He’s a great horse to train and
he’s easy to deal with. Great mind. If he gets once again a good trip and a
forward trip, he’ll be tough.”

Immersive, who is 3-for-3 with Grade 1 wins in the Spinaway
and Alcibiades, is the 3-1 second choice in the Juvenile Fillies. Scottish
Lassie, who won the Frizette (G1) by nine lengths for trainer Jorge Abreu, is
the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Cox believes Immersive, a Godolphin homebred filly
by Nyquist, already has made a strong case for herself not only for Friday’s 1
1/16-mile, $2 million race but for a division championship.

“She’s a dual Grade 1 winner. She’s accomplished a lot
already,” Cox said. “We’d just like to get one more Grade 1 out of her that I
think would seal the championship honors for her. I think we’re in a great spot
with her. I think she’s best around two turns. I thought her race at Keeneland
(in the Alcibiades) was a really nice effort. She’s done nothing wrong since.”

Manny Franco, who rode Immersive in her first three races, gets
the call again Friday.

Saudi Crown, who has earned $3,070,985, will be the last of
Cox’s string of starters in the Breeders’ Cup when he breaks from the rail post
Saturday in the two-turn $1 million Dirt Mile.

The 4-year-old Always Dreaming colt owned by Saudi Arabia entrepreneur
Faisal Al Qahtani finished third in the Saudi Cup (G1) in February and then
wilted to a 12th-place finish in the Godolphin Mile (G2) the next month in
Dubai. That was followed by a long break on a farm before Saudi Crown won Aug.
11 in the black-type R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park. He was supposed to
race Sept. 28 at Churchill Downs before being shipped to the Breeders’ Cup.

“He missed the Ack Ack (G3) with a hind-foot issue,” Cox
said. “That’s resolved itself now. He had a fantastic gallop (Wednesday)
morning here at Del Mar. Moving great. He did draw the inside, so I think our
hand is forced a little bit with being aggressive early. But if things go our
way, I think he’s going to run a big race.”

Florent Géroux, who rides Thursday and Friday at Churchill
Downs, retains the mount Saturday on Saudi Crown, his only assignment this week
at Del Mar.

Cox knows he has a hard act to follow. It is not just the
fact he has won at least one race in each of the last six Breeders’ Cups,
including his record-tying four in 2020 that propelled him to the first of two Eclipse Awards. He also carries the recent racing
memories of Idiomatic, who authored Hall of Fame credentials with five Grade 1 victories
and $3,944,190 in earnings.

“She meant a lot to us,” Cox said. “She was a very honest
filly that brought it every time, that has an incredible race record when you
look at it on paper and very proud of what she was able to accomplish. Looking
forward at some point to maybe training some of her babies, so I’m excited
about that moving forward.”