SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. ⎯ There is speed … then there is Cogburn speed.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for Clark Brewster, William Heiligbrodt, and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Cogburn is back at Saratoga today, the site of his record-breaking victory in the Grade 1 Jaipur on Belmont Stakes Day. The 5-year-old son of Not This Time will look to repeat in the Grade 2 Troy Stakes, a $300,000 Mellon turf sprint at 5½ furlongs for older horses.
Cogburnm who sports a career record of 8-2-0 from 14 starts and earnings of $1,237,730, won the Troy last year (when it was a Grade 3) to rise to the top of his division before finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs one month later to close out his season. This year, Cogburn appears to be stronger than ever on the heels of a North American record-setting score in the 5½-furlong Jaipur on June 8.
“We felt he was going to run his best race to date, but a record was significant in so many ways,” Asmussen said of the Jaipur. “Saratoga makes everything special.”
Cogburn entered the Jaipur off a successful 5-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint on May 4 at Churchill Downs, where he made his first start with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. The five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey returned for the Jaipur and sent Cogburn to the lead through sharp splits of 21.33 seconds and 43.07 over the firm footing. Coppola attempted to make headway at the top of the lane, but Cogburn flew down the stretch to cross the wire 3½ lengths in front in a final time of 59.80, a Mellon turf course and North American record. He earned a career and field-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure.
“We’re extremely excited about him and how he’s doing. He’s just a very fast horse,” said Asmussen. “Last year when we moved him to the turf, it brought him to a new level, We felt with the lucrative turf races not being until late summer, we’d give him a nice break. He came back better than he left, and we are very excited to run him again.”
Cogburn, assigned a field-high 124 pounds, exits post 6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr., and is the 4-5 favorite on the morning line.
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Big Invasion holds a 2-for-4 record at the Spa, including wins in 2022 in the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by the listed Mahony.
Trained by Christophe Clement, the son of Declaration of War was narrowly defeated when second last year in the Jaipur at Belmont Park ahead of an off-the-board finish at Royal Ascot, but he rebounded well when returning to Saratoga to post a neck defeat in the listed Harvey Pack. A win in the Grade 2 Nearctic at Woodbine propelled him to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park, where he was a gutsy second by a neck to Nobals.
Big Invasion is looking for his first win of the year after finishing off-the-board behind Cogburn at Churchill and in the Jaipur, but flashed again last out with a neck defeat in a six-furlong optional claimer on July 4 at Aqueduct. Frankie Dettori will ride for the first time from post 7 at 12-1 odds.
Colts Neck Stables’ Kentucky homebred Grooms All Bizness (post 8, Dylan Davis, 8-1) goes for a hat trick of stakes scores for trainer Jorge Duarte, Jr. in his second attempt at the graded level. The 5-year-old son of Fed Biz was successful in a title defense of the five-furlong Get Serious last out, coming home a 1¼-length winner on June 16 at Monmouth Park. The effort marked his second consecutive stakes win after a career-best performance in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on May 18 that earned a 97 Beyer.
Grooms All Bizness has been on the board in his past seven outings. His 6-3-2 record from 14 starts also includes a win in last year’s Get Serious and on-the-board finishes in three other stakes.Godolphin’s Irish homebred Mischief Magic (6-1) seeks a return to the win column for the first time since February after a fifth-place finish in the Jaipur. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Exceed And Excel 4-year-old won the Dubai Sprint on February 2 at Meydan before a narrowly-beaten third in the Group 3 Dukhan Sprint there. His stateside record this year has yielded a second and a third from three starts, led by a deep-closing second in the Grade 2 Shakertown one length behind Arzak in April at Keeneland.
Aside from Cogburn, Mischief Magic boasts the lone Grade 1 win in the field. He captured the 2022 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland to cap a campaign that included a win in the Group 3 Sirenia at Kempton. William Buick will attempt to pilot a winning trip from post 1.
The Elizabeth Merryman-trained Witty (post 10, Tyler Gaffalione, 12-1) comes from a family that are no strangers to upsets on the big stage. His half-sister Caravel stunned the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in 2022 at odds of 42-1. Owned by Merryman with Marc Detampel and Qatar Racing, Witty won his seasonal bow in the King T. Leatherbury in April at Laurel Park and followed with two good runner-up efforts in the Turf Sprint won by Grooms All Bizness and the Grade 2 Highlander on June 29 at Woodbine.
Completing the sizable field are graded stakes-winning New York-bred Dancing Buck (post 3, Manny Franco, 12-1) for conditioner Michelle Nevin; multiple graded stakes-placed New York-bred Thin White Duke (post 11, Jose Lezcano, 30-1), who finished off the board in Race 7 Sunday here for trainer David Donk; stakes-winners Sosua Summer (post 9, Joel Rosario, 30-1) for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Outlaw Kid (post 2, Flavien Prat, 15-1) for trainer George Weaver and Xy Speed (post 4, Edwin Gonzalez, 12-1) for trainer Michael Lerman; and the Jorge Abreu-trained two-time winner Mischievous Angel (post 5, Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds, 30-1). Disarmed has been entered for the main track only.
Originally Published: August 2, 2024 at 5:15 p.m.
Source link : https://www.troyrecord.com/2024/08/02/horse-racing-cogburn-looks-to-crank-up-the-speed-once-again/
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Publish date : 2024-08-02 21:18:27
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