Cox Hoping to Celebrate $150,000 Classic with Ain’t Da Beer Cold
At 1h28, on October 22, 2021 • By LAUREL PARK
Kenny Cox took out his trainer’s license in 1987, the year after the Maryland Million was launched. Though based in the state throughout his career, which includes a pair of state meet titles and several stakes winners led by Flaming Emperor, he has yet to win a race at the event.
Cox is hoping to change that this year in the biggest race of all, Saturday’s $150,000 Classic at Laurel Park, with long shot Ain’t Da Beer Cold, a 3-year-old gelding owned by Matt Spencer, Cox’s wife Kelly Jo, and Charlie Bonuccelli.
The 1 1/8-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up headlines a 12-race card featuring eight stakes and four starter stakes on ‘Maryland’s Day at the Races,’ celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state. Carded as Race 11, the Classic will have a post time of 5:10 p.m. EST.
First race post time Saturday is 11:30 a.m. EST.
With 2020 victor Monday Morning Qb absent, this marks the second straight year but only the seventh time in the past 24 years and 10th in event history that the Classic will not have either the previous year’s winner or a past champion in the lineup.
On paper, Ain’t Da Beer Cold was well-beaten in his only two starts this year, both sprints, the most recent coming Sept. 17 at Laurel. Listed at 20-1 on the morning line, he didn’t open his sophomore season until Aug. 14 at historic Pimlico Race Course in a similar conditioned allowance, contested at six furlongs.
Cox, a native of Gallupville, Md. near old Bowie Race Course, delved deeper into Ain’t Da Beer Cold’s form and noted his success the only two times the son of Freedom Child went a route of ground, winning an open optional claiming allowance last November and being beaten a nose in the Howard County a month later, both going 1 1/16 miles at Laurel.
“It’s not out of the question this horse could run real big in the Classic, actually,” Cox said. “He’s really training good. He’s a route horse and last time it was a very disappointing effort the way he got eased. But, he’s a horse that doesn’t want dirt in his face. He kind of got some dirt and backed out. We did some bloodwork and he had some issues going on and we addressed those.
“He worked the other day and [jockey] Angel [Cruz] came and worked him. I said if this horse works decent, then we’ll run him in the Classic,” he added. “He’s never worked as good as he did [that day] in his entire career that I’ve had him, even as a baby when he was in his best form. He worked in 47 [seconds], went out with a ton of horse and he’s usually not a good work horse by himself. Angel said he couldn’t have asked him to do any more. He was just sitting on him, and he had a ton of horse.”
Ain’t Da Beer Cold, bred by Spencer and Kelly Jo Cox, stumbled at the start of last year’s Maryland Million Nursery and lost all chance, finishing eighth. Cruz has been enlisted to ride in the Classic from Post 5.
