Brad Cox sealed a scintillating Breeders' Cup 2021 with victory for Knicks Go in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Stablemate Essential Quality finished third in the six million dollar showpiece.

Cox has a career record of more than 1,500 wins from over 6,000 starts. His total earnings are above $80million.

Not the usual introduction to racing

Those early days laid the foundation for Cox to go on to become one of the sport's leading trainers.

Early career

Breakthrough years

In the Kentucky Oaks, Monomoy Girl managed to hold off Wonder Gadot in the stretch to score the victory, which provided Cox with his second Grade 1 win. Monomoy Girl was responsible for more than just those two Grade 1 wins, as she went on to earn the trainer his first Breeders' Cup success too. In the Distaff, she outran Wow Cat, who was closing quickly towards the finishing at Churchill Downs.

Cox also won the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes later that year with British Idiom. The filly went on to claim the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies on Novmber 1, which was just one day before Covfefe won the 2019 Filly and Mare Sprint, coming in as the 6/4 favourite.

The trainer entered long shot Shedaresthedevil in the Longines Kentucky Oaks, which the filly won to keep his success going through October.

All of that led to a highly-impressive performance in that year's Breeders' Cup World Championships, which saw Cox win four of the event's races to bring his total to seven. Those victories came in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Aunt Pearl, the Juvenile with Essential Quality, the Dirt Mile with Knicks Go, and the Distaff with his top runner, Monomoy Girl.

The Breeders' Cup success led to Cox winning his first-ever Eclipse Award as Outstanding Trainer, and he closed out 2020 ranking second by purse earnings among North American trainers, having brought in just under $19million.

2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby

Brad Cox was one of the most important names on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby. He trains leading runner Essential Quality, who has sat consistently at the top of the standings. He also trains Mandaloun.

Godolphin's Essential Quality is a three-year-old Tapit colt who had a perfect record going into the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Some Derby qualifying race victories included the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland and the Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. Consequently, he was the favourite going into the Churchill Downs showpiece but a poor start saw him finish a disappointing fourth.

Mandaloun is a three-year-old Into Mischief colt owned by Juddmonte Farms. The runner's biggest performances included victory in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 13 and a third-placed finish at the same course in the Lecomte Stakes on January 16. He finished second in the Kentucky Derby, just half a length behind winner Medina Spirit.

Mandaloun's second place saw Brad Cox achieve his strongest showing in a Triple Crown race thus far. His best previous performance in the series came back in 2019 when Owendale finished third in that year's Preakness Stakes (G1).

2021 Breeders' Cup glory for Knicks Go