Cogburn on his way to a grade-making victory in the Troy (Chris Rahayel)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Clark Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt’s Cogburn earned a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure while keeping his winning form in turf sprints afloat in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Troy going 5 ½ furlongs over yielding Mellon turf at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Cogburn was initially campaigned on the main track, finishing second in last year’s Bachelor at Oaklawn Park and Grade 3 Chick Lang at Pimlico Race Course. But the son of Not This Time has found a new home on grass after capturing a pair of turf sprint stakes at Lone Star Park.
Following a half-length score in the Chamberlain Bridge on May 29, he narrowly defeated multiple stakes-winner Big Chopper in the Grand Prairie Turf Sprint on June 24. In the Troy, Cogburn dove into deeper waters in facing reigning Champion Turf Sprinter Caravel, who finished fourth as the heavy favorite.
Asmussen said the Grade 2 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint on September 9 at Kentucky Downs would be his likely next target.
“He had run twice on the turf previously and looked very impressive. But obviously it wasn’t against the quality of field that was assembled yesterday,” Asmussen said. “His scheduled next race will be at Kentucky Downs in a ‘Win And You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Hopefully all goes well.”
While Cogburn was in good form on the dirt, Asmussen said he felt he was still not reaching his full potential.
“He’s a horse that always trained really impressively,” Asmussen said. “We just didn’t feel that we were getting the best out of him in his dirt races. He had run fine on the dirt, but we felt there was more there. Obviously, the turf has been key.”
Bred in Kentucky by Bellary Bloodstock, Cogburn is out of the stakes-winning Saintly Look mare In a Jif. Through an 11-6-2-0 record, Cogburn has banked $591,710.
