After individual graded stakes wins Oct. 19, jockey Luan Machado and trainer Brad Cox teamed up to cap a stellar weekend at Keeneland Oct. 20 as Selective's Chop Chop brought them their second graded victory in the $296,738 Dowager Stakes (G3T).
Machado, winner of four races over the two days, had won the Perryville (G3) aboard Brunacini for trainer Matthew Sims a day earlier while Cox had won the Raven Run (G2) with Emery and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Machado and Cox working together is something they both admitted doesn't happen much, but has been fruitful when they do. According to TwinSpires, the jockey/trainer combo is now 6-for-10 over the last 365 days.
"I haven't worked much for Brad, but every time he gives me an opportunity he makes me look good," Machado said.
"We've not rode (Machado) a whole lot, but when we have used him, he's been very effective for us," Cox echoed.
Sunday was the second time Machado received the leg-up into Chop Chop's saddle, the first coming Feb. 24 at Turfway Park in the Wintergreen Stakes. The pair emerged victorious both times.
"I love that filly, she's an old pro," Machado said. "She does everything on her own. It makes my job easier."
That prior experience worked in Machado's benefit. Breaking sharp, Machado got the 4-year-old City of Light filly to relax in second behind Surprisingly in the first of three turns. He held that position comfortably behind fractions of :24.72, :49.94, and 1:15.88.
Machado pounced on Surprisingly approaching the quarter pole to take the lead while floating wide into the stretch.
"Most of her races she likes to get out a little bit. I let her be comfortable to go where she wanted to," Machado said. "I didn't want to be telling her where to go and try to fight her where she's not comfortable."
Forever After All and Adam Beschizza had a ground-saving trip three lengths off the lead and continued to use the rail to mount a strong rally in the stretch. Confronting Chop Chop at the eighth pole, the two threw it down for an exciting stretch drive, one Machado never felt in danger of losing.
"As soon as she felt the other horse get close to her, she dug and fought right back. She's a fighter," Machado said.
Chop Chop emerged a winner by a nose, completing 1 1/2 miles in 2:29.00 while paying $9.62 to win. Forever After All was 2 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Anatolian. Neecie Marie, the 6-5 favorite, finished fifth with a wide trip.
"Everything was smooth, exactly where she likes to be," said the favorite's rider, Joel Rosario. "She ran her race, but sometimes it's hard to win all the time."
Cox lengthened Chop Chop out to the 1 1/2-mile distance for the first time in Keeneland's Bewitch Stakes (G3T) in April, which she won by 2 1/4 lengths. She then placed three times in her next four starts at distances ranging from 1 5/16 miles to 1 1/2 miles including two graded stakes.
"She does obviously like Keeneland, she likes both surfaces," Cox said. "But the experiment with a mile-and-a-half this spring was a good thing. I'm very proud of the year she's put together."
Bred in Kentucky by Cobra Farm and MRJ Thoroughbreds, Chop Chop was purchased by owner Selective and Cary Bloodstock from the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale for $230,000. She has now earned $1,239,952. Out of the unraced Giant's Causeway mare Grand Sofia, her second graded stakes win of the year was a fifth in the United States for her sire City of Light this year.
Other top progeny this season for City of Light, who stood the 2024 season for $35,000 at Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky., are multiple grade 1 winner Fierceness and grade 3 winners Formidable Man and Mentee. City Fever also won a grade 3 in Puerto Rico.
Cox Sets Keeneland Single-Meet Stakes Record
The win was a historic victory for Cox, giving the Kentucky-based trainer a Keeneland single-meet-record fifth stakes win. In addition to Chop Chop and Emery, Cox won the Spinster (G1) with Idiomatic, Alcibiades (G1) with Immersive, and Phoenix Stakes (G2) with Federal Judge—all on opening weekend.
Cox previously shared the record of four stakes wins in a single meet with Ben Jones, Todd Pletcher, and Chad Brown in the Spring Meet and D. Wayne Lukas (twice), Mark Casse, and Graham Motion in the Fall Meet.
"We've had a good meet, I'm very proud of what we've been able to accomplish," Cox said. "Hopefully we close out with a strong closing weekend. Keeneland means a lot to us, we always try to run our best here. It's a special place, it's exciting to race here with the crowd and everything."
