'I'm glad to be a part of it' - Cawkab a first Shadwell winner for Brad Cox

Cawkab, who broke his maiden on Friday in the third race at Oaklawn Park, represented trainer Brad Cox's first winner for Shadwell.

Cox said on late Friday afternoon that the royally bred Cawkab, a three-year-old son of Curlin, is the first horse he's trained for the famed global breeding and racing operation, which has been overseen by Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum since the death of her father, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in March 2021.

The Eclipse Award-winning trainer said he was contacted by Shadwell late last summer, and Cawkab moved to his barn in September time.

Shadwell downsized its international footprint following Sheikh Hamdan's death but continues to maintain a presence.

"Obviously they've moved in a little bit different direction," Cox said. "It looks like they definitely want to continue to have a presence in American racing with Sheikha Hissa taking over. I'm just glad to be a part of their operation here in America."

Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon, Cawkab is a half-brother to millionaire Grade 1 winner and Airdrie stallion Girvin and to the late Grade 3-winning millionaire Midnight Bourbon, as well as to Grade 3 winners Cocked and Loaded and Pirate's Punch.

Shadwell purchased the bay colt for $500,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Cawkab finished fourth on debut, a mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in November. Ridden for the first time by Joe Talamo, he stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the $90,000 maiden special weight for three-year-olds and up and scored by two and three-quarter lengths, paying $4.60 as the favourite in a six-horse field. The winning time over a fast track was 1:44.92.

"He definitely acted like a two-turn horse once we picked him up, breezed him a few times," Cox said. "It looked like he wanted ground. We ran him one turn first time out and kind of showed he would get better with experience and ground. He took a step forward today."

Cox said he doesn't have any other horses for Shadwell but added he is supposed to "have a group of two-year-olds coming we're excited about."

"We'll see how it goes," Cox said.

Cox already trains for the internationally prominent Godolphin, which was founded by Sheikh Hamdan's brother, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Cawkab marked Shadwell's 26th victory at Oaklawn, the first coming in 2001. Cawkab was the first victory of the 2022-23 Oaklawn meeting for Cox and his 266th overall at the Hot Springs track.

Cox was Oaklawn's third-leading trainer last season with 31 victories. The trainer, who splits his horses between Louisiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas during the winter, won a meet-high five stakes races, including the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby for three-year-olds with Cyberknife.

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