Winning in Augusta, Lloyd Cox said, is not easy.

He may have a point. In the 29-year history of the Augusta Futurity Open finals, only two cutters have successfully defended their titles. In the past 12 years, there have been 11 different winners.

"It's hard to win," Cox said. "Everybody wants to, nobody more than me. But if you can be up there in the top three that's a good thing. It pays a few bills. It's makes the trip worthwhile."

The Fort Morgan, Colo., cutter will have two chances to add his second Futurity Open title this year. On Wednesday, Cox and Hard Hat Henry marked the top score of the Futurity Open second go-round at 219 to stroll into the finals with a combined 434 total.

The top 22 horses with combined scores of 428.5 or better advanced to the finals, which will be held Saturday following the Futurity Non-Pro finals at 6 p.m.

Sean Flynn and Cats Ruby and Ronnie Rice and Dr Cuzin, the first go-round winners, each advanced to the championship round with the top aggregate score of 435 after marking identical 216s.

Cox and his other horse, Rey To Play, got in on the bubble.

The pair finished fifth at the National Cutting Horse Association World Championship Futurity finals last month.

Cox will try to turn his luck around after finishing third in this event last year. In 2005, Cox finished second in the Futurity Open and third in the Classic Open.

In 2004, Cox placed second in the Futurity Open and Western Horseman Cup Open.

With his string of top-three finishes in recent years, Cox has vaulted to fifth on the Augusta Futurity career earnings list. After two go-round wins this week, he's collected more than $244,000 in Augusta.

Cox said the trick to Augusta success lies in reading the cows.

"You just need to know the cattle wherever you're at," he said.

"Whether you like one or not, sometimes they act better further down the bunch you go. I think you have to leave your options open in this pen more so than anywhere else."

Aboard Hard Hat Henry, a stud by High Brow Cat out of Baby Socks Nurse that is owned by ATL Cutting Horses of Murray, Utah, Cox cut two cows during the second go-round.

"The first cow was just an option," Cox said.

"It wasn't something I wanted. The second cow was. That second cow is what made the run. It was just a really good cow."

Cox said both his horses have been excellent so far.

"This year has been a really good year for 4-year-olds," he said.

"Jamie, the boy that helps me, showed a couple here and he didn't have any luck, but they're good horses.

"And I left a couple at home that are pretty good, too. I'm fortunate this year to have a good crop."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.

From the Thursday, January 24, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle