Brad H. Cox Biography – Two-Time Eclipse Award Winning Horse Trainer

  • 5 MIN READ
Brad H. Cox Biography

Brad H. Cox has won multiple Eclipse Awards. Image Source: Brad H. Cox's Instagram.

Brad H. Cox is a thoroughbred horse trainer famous for his four wins at the 2020 Breeders’ Cup and two US Triple Crown titles in 2021. With more than 1,544 career wins, Cox has established himself as one of the most prominent rising trainers in the country.

Cox has been involved with the horse training business for a long time now as he used to go to the racing track with his father when he was only five years old. He began studying the tabloid newspaper, the Daily Racing Form when he was twelve as he was always fascinated with the trainers and jockeys and how they used to perform on the track.

Many still don’t know about the horse trainer’s personal life. So, let’s discuss more about Brad’s rise to fame, family, career, and net worth in this article.

Passionate For Horse Training From A Young Age

On March 3, 1980, Cox was born to American parents Jerry Cox and Mary Cox. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he showed signs of interest in horse racing at an early age. Moreover, Brad H. Cox’s father, Jerry, worked as a forklift driver in a local factory and knew about his passion for horse training.

Jerry did not waste any time furthering his son’s interest by taking him to the nearby racing track, where Brad felt the most alive. While working in a local factory, he heard all the buzz the game was starting to make, and it wasn’t a hard call for Jerry to make. However, Brad’s passion for horse training at a young age did not just end there.

Sadly, Jerry passed away on December 23, 2016, at the Norton Audubon Hospital.

Brad used to go to the racing tracks in the morning before heading to school. He got his first job as a hotwalker by lying about his age at thirteen. He was soon promoted to train as a groom for trainers Burt Kessinger and Jimmy Baker.

Brad H. Cox Childhood
Brad H. Cox started working in a racing stable when he was thirteen. Image Source: Social Media.

The trainer, who attended the Iroquois High School in his hometown, did not initially convince his older brother about his dream job. Doug Cox had an opinion that horse training wouldn’t yield good income. But Brad, who would not be budged at all from his decision, told his sibling that nothing could sway him from choosing the career path and knew what he was doing.

Also Read: More About Horse Trainer Antonio Sano

Brad H. Cox Net Worth And Career

Since he was a little boy, Brad has pursued his passion for horse racing and became the first person from Louisville to win the Kentucky Derby in 2021. So, Brad H. Cox’s net worth primarily consists of his earnings as a horse trainer. He has won many awards in his tremendous career, which adds more to his income.

The Kentucky-based trainer had a slow start to his career as his first win came in December 2004 with One Lucky Storm. However, the following fourteen years only saw him with moderate success. Brad finally won his major racing title in 2018 after the arrival of Monomoy Girl a year earlier.

Likewise, the racehorse gave Cox his first victory in the Ashland Stakes and six other titles the same year. He also won the Kentucky Oaks, Acorn Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, Highlander Stakes, Clark Handicap, and Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

However, Brad’s career’s best season was in 2020, when he won a whopping seven titles with the return of Monomoy Girl. He also won his first Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer that year. Furthermore, Cox won his second Kentucky Oaks and first Breeders’ Futurity, La Troienne Stakes, and four Breeders’ Cup trophies.

Likewise, the horse trainer carried the same momentum in 2021, winning seven titles, including his first wins in US Triple Crown with mares Mandoloun and Essential Quality. He also won his second Eclipse Award.

Let’s take a look at some of Brad’s earnings:

Year Earnings Per Start
2017 $8,833,028 $11,339
2018 $15,182,346 $16,485
2019 $17,603,625 $18,589
2020 $18,991,582 $21,032
2021 $31,833,012 $31,057

Table Source: Equibase

With all these wins, the horse trainer must have garnered a considerable sum. Moreover, he is the Brad Cox Racing Stable owner, which currently has over 100 horses.

Hence, Brad’s earnings are generated from his horse training business. The horses he has trained have accumulated more than $116 million, according to Equibase. Also, he has already earned more than $6.54 million as of 2022. So, we can assume that Brad H. Cox’s net worth is a significant amount.

Just like him, Todd A. Pletcher is another renowned horse trainer.

Met His Wife A Decade Ago

Brad met his spouse, Livia Frazar, a racetrack veterinarian, at the Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, Texas, in 2011. The latter was amused at how hard Cox worked and wondered if he had any time for other things.

However, the couple fell in love and married in September 2013. It was Brad’s second wedding. The now-married pair were dating when Midwest Thoroughbreds had fired Brad, and he was left with only three horses.

Brad H. Cox’s wife appreciates that he is doing what he loves but is also vocal about how it takes him away from the family.

Father Of Three

The two-time Eclipse Award winner is a father of three children. He has two sons, Blake Cox and Bryson Cox, from his first marriage. The details about Brad H. Cox’s first wife are scarce, and he has not revealed anything about her either.


Brad fathered his first kid at eighteen. Blake and Bryson currently work as assistants in their father’s stable.

Brad H. Cox’s youngest son, Brodie Cox, is his only child with Livia. He was present on the stage when his dad collected his first Eclipse Award in 2020.

Nevertheless, the trainer must be living a brilliant life with his wife and children. Let’s hope he keeps doing well in his career and with his family.