Cozze Up Lady exited her win in Saturday’s Grade 3 Chicago Handicap at
Arlington Park with little issue, according to trainer Bret Calhoun.
“She came out of it good. She is still at Arlington, but will return to her base
at Churchill very soon,” he reported.
Coming out of three impressive races in Kentucky, including
wins in both a two-turn turf race and a one-turn Polytrack sprint, the
four-year-old Cozzene miss was sent off as the 4-1 third choice in the
nine-distaffer field and won despite a tough trip.
“I thought we’d be closer. Fractions were hot and (jockey) Miguel (Mena) called a good audible — he had more confidence than I did and had a lot
of horse,” Calhoun said. “We had quite a bit of traffic problems and I was quite
concerned. I was very happy the way she ran. She overcame traffic problems and
got out and won.”
As far as what is in store for his filly, Calhoun and company will be looking for more of the same.
“We’ve
been targeting this race. We’ll look over options the next few days and try to
keep her on synthetics and turf from 6 1/2-furlongs to a mile,” he concluded.
Queen’s Award exited her runner-up
finish in the Chicago in good order, trainer Eduardo Caramori said Sunday.
“She came back
fine,” he remarked about the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro. “She’s a difficult filly to ride.
(Jockey) Kent (Desormeaux) did a great job. She
has a short burst of speed and you have to use it the right way. Yesterday she
was outside and couldn’t cover up. She used a little more early speed and when
she made the lead she couldn’t sustain. It was a good
effort. We are looking for a graded stakes win, but so is everyone else. She’s a
stakes filly — she proved that.”
The six-year-old mare who outran her 10-1 odds to lose by
less than a length will be given time and aimed toward the early fall.
“She
normally runs better with space between races. We may run her at Presque Isle
(in the Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Masters) at 6 1/2 furlongs in September,” Caramori
added.
Aubby K, third as the 8-5 favorite in the Chicago, exited her loss with valid excuses, trainer Ralph Nicks
asserted.
“She has quite a few cuts
and abrasions, including above her hock,” he explained. “But, she’ll
live to see another day.”
Making her first start on a synthetic surface, the Grade
1-winning stalker was a little farther back usual back in fifth early behind the
rapid pace of Flower Spell.
“I think that just had to do with the surface,” Nicks said. As far as where and when
the Street Sense filly got cut, “I don’t know where she got cut
up/stepped on, but that definitely compromised her finish some. I’m not sure she
loved the Polytrack — probably not — but the cuts are what hurt her most.”
The dark bay four-year-old will now be
aimed toward the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina at Saratoga on August 23.
The aforementioned Flower Spell, a massive 17-hand
three-year-old filly taking on her elders for the first time, broke through the gate
prior to the race — suffering some minor cuts above her eyes and on her right
hind leg — and had to be reloaded. The Flower Alley chestnut displayed flashy speed through a half in :45, with a second quarter
0.4 seconds faster than her first, until giving way in the final sixteenth to lose by three
lengths in her first attempt at seven furlongs.
“She came back perfect and scoped clean,” said trainer Ingrid Mason, who
also co-owns the filly with Dare to Dream Stable and Little Bear Racing Stable.
“She’s very healthy
and I’m very happy with that. She just can’t go seven furlongs yet. Breaking out
of the gate didn’t help either. I’ve never seen a horse win after doing that —
it definitely takes energy out of a horse. I’m thankful to the gate crew for
taking care of her.
“She is kind of a slow learner. I honestly believe she
could go seven furlongs if she tried it again. That’s how she’s programmed. She
needed the first try. Still, I believe she’s a three-quarter horse. She could
have beaten those fillies going six furlongs,” Mason continued. “She’s very
athletic and has a ton of ability, but it takes her a few tries to really get
good at something.”
As far as the promising filly’s future, the conditioner has
a lot of options. The chestnut lass has won on all three surfaces and
has proven she can compete with older mares.
“Maybe there will be a small
overnight stakes on the turf going five and a half (furlongs) or something,”
Mason said.
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