LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brad Cox held a nice lead atop the local trainer standings when another week of racing began Thursday at Churchill Downs. Uneasy, however, lies the head that wears an unfinished crown. “We better keep winning races,” Cox said. “We won’t wind up on top if we get shut out the rest of the way.” Fat chance, that. Cox is intent on holding sway, not only in upcoming stakes but also in a broad range of categories in which his stable regularly participates. Among his best chances this week is the $100,000 Louisville, a Grade 3 turf marathon in which he’ll send out Arklow as the likely favorite Saturday. “He’s ready to bounce back with a good one, I really feel like,” said Cox, whose 11 winners during the first 15 cards of a 26-day spring meet had him ahead of Brendan Walsh (8) and Steve Asmussen (6). “He’ll be coming off a layoff, but he’s been breezing pretty steady all spring. He’s ready to run.” As an earner of more than $1.8 million, Arklow is the class of the field in the 1 1/2-mile Louisville. The 6-year-old horse won the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last fall at Belmont before disappointing runs in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Pegasus World Cup Turf. About 10 older horses were expected when entries were drawn Wednesday for the Louisville. Cox has designs on numerous other stakes over the next several weeks, although he revealed this week that his Louisiana Derby winner, Wells Bayou, is no longer in the hunt for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby. :: Want to get your Past Performances for free? Click to learn more. “I wasn’t happy with the way he trained last week, so we sent him out to the clinic for a bone scan,” Cox said. “He does have some bone bruising, nothing major, but he is going to need a little time. It’s disappointing, but we hope to have him back later in the year.” Meanwhile, Cox remains unsure where Monomoy Girl will show up next. The 5-year-old mare is nominated to the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis – which is expected to get her familiar rival, Midnight Bisou, the No. 1-rated horse in the weekly National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll the past three months – but Cox is hedging on whether Monomoy Girl will bypass the June 27 Fleur de Lis in favor of the Grade 2 Ruffian on July 11 at Belmont Park. “I’m going to breeze her this weekend,” he said. “I’ll have a better idea in the next week or so.” Also, Factor This, a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz at Fair Grounds, goes next in the June 20 Wise Dan on the Churchill turf; Bonny South, a last-out winner of the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, remains on target for the July 11 Ashland at Keeneland; and Shedaresthedevil, a sharp allowance winner last week, also could go in the Ashland, with the July 8 Indiana Oaks an alternate spot. Cox’s top two older dirt horses, Owendale and Warrior’s Charge, both are under consideration for the Grade 2 Stephen Foster on June 27 or the Grade 1 Met Mile on July 4 at Belmont. “We’re probably leaning more toward the Foster with Owendale,” he said. Peitz smacks a double Dan Peitz swept the last two races Sunday with Alkhaatam ($45.20) and Front Man ($32.60), prompting fond memories of the last time he sent out winners in back-to-back races. “It was Kentucky Oaks Day and I was in Chicago” on April 30, 2010, recalled Peitz. “I had three live horses in at Arlington. The first one flipped over by the starting gate and was scratched. Then the other two won,” those being Born Indy USA and My Sugar Bear. “That’s the closest I’ve ever come to winning three in a day.” Peitz remembered that the scratched horse from that day recovered quickly and won his next start. He also remembered that the owners of all three horses, Robert and Lawana Low, flew with friends and customers on their private jet from Louisville after watching a few Oaks Day races in time to catch all their Arlington races (it was a twilight first post). “Then they flew back to Louisville that night, picked up some of their people, and flew back to Springfield, Mo. Then back to Churchill the next morning with other friends and customers for the Derby. Quite a weekend.” Peitz, 63, has won 424 races in a training career dating to 1987. His most recent two-win day had come in March 2018 at Oaklawn Park. On Sunday, Alkhaatam and Front Man combined for a $2 daily double worth $594. ◗ Laddie Boy, virtually eased in a $16,000 claiming race Saturday, came out of the uncharacteristically poor effort no worse for wear and can be expected to race again, trainer Chris Hartman said. The 9-year-old gelding has a remarkable record of 12-21-12 and $517,728 in earnings from 83 career starts.