Cox Seems to be to Virginia Derby, Oaks With Confessional, Hit Parade

NEW KENT, VA. (March 12, 2026) — Brad Cox, who yearly develops a few of the sport’s high 3-year-olds, sends out Confessional within the $500,000 Virginia Derby and Hit Parade within the $250,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs on Saturday, as each proceed their push for a spot within the 152nd Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

The 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby, slated as Race 9 and the centerpiece of the 10-race card, is straight away preceded by the 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks. Both races award Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks qualifying factors of 50-25-15-10-5, respectively, to the highest 5 finishers. First put up Saturday is 12 p.m. ET.

Owned by Steve Landers Racing, Confessional will make his third begin since breaking his maiden at Keeneland in October. The colt most not too long ago completed seventh to Renegade within the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, his lone Derby prep race thus far.

“He didn’t run as well as we expected,” Cox stated. “He broke from the inside, and I thought he was getting a good trip, but found a little trouble going into the stretch when I felt like it was really time to go forward. He’s always trained well, and he’s continuing to train well, so we’re giving him another swing.”

While racing in tight quarters by way of the far flip within the Sam F. Davis, Confessional tried to chop the nook and make a run however discovered himself bottled up by two foes. It was his first begin with out blinkers, which will probably be reapplied for the Virginia Derby.

“I’m putting blinkers back on to hopefully give him a little more confidence and go forward,” Cox stated. “Maybe if he does get in some tight spots, he’ll be thinking about going forward instead of looking at other horses.”

With three Kentucky Oaks titles to his title, Cox will attempt to get Hit Parade to the beginning gate for a shot at a fourth. The Gary and Mary West homebred has earned 12 qualifying factors with a win within the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds and a fifth-place end final out within the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the place she was crushed by greater than six lengths.

“I liked the trip she got (in Martha Washington),” Cox stated. “I liked the position she was in when they straightened up, but then she just didn’t really offer much running down the lane or finish up as well as I thought. That was a little bit of a head scratcher. She’ll be facing a good group (on Saturday). We’ll see if she stacks up.”

Both Confessional and Hit Parade will probably be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., a five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.