One of the most impressive juveniles to race at Arlington International
Racecourse in 2013 and subsequently a multiple stakes winner, Savoy Stable’s
Cool Cowboy could possibly be headed toward Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park
on June 7.
“He’s doing great,” trainer Dale Bennett reported. “He came out of his last
race good. He’s eating good and doing really well. We’re weighing our options.
We might go back to Prairie Meadows and run against older horses in a stakes or
we might go to Belmont (for the Grade 2, $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes).”
In addition to breaking his maiden at Arlington by 10 1/2 lengths in a
spritely 1:03.37 for 5 1/2 furlongs, the son of Sovereign Award winner and
Eclipse champion Kodiak Kowboy also won the $100,000 Inaugural Stakes at Tampa
Bay Downs on December 7 and the $75,000 Golden Circle Stakes at Prairie Meadows
on May 2 — both at six furlongs. In the latter, he was especially
eye-catching with a final time of 1:08.84 and a 104 BRIS Speed rating.
“He also got a 98 Beyer (Speed Figure) — and that’s really impressive,”
Bennett said. “He hadn’t run in four months before that, so I don’t want to
wheel him back too fast.”
According to Bennett, wintering at Tampa did the horse well. In addition to
his victory in the Inaugural, he was a good second in the seven-furlong Pasco
Stakes.
“Being in Florida and being able to train all the time really helps,” the
trainer said. “The track isn’t as deep or slow as it used to be, but the weather
makes the main difference and he did well.”
The conditioner also looks forward to the coming year with the developing
colt. Out of a mare by versatile sire Grand Slam, he is bred to possibly
appreciate many conditions.
“I had him entered going a mile on the grass, recently, but that race was
tough,” Bennett said of the salty allowance that featured graded stakes winners
Bobby’s Kitten and Global View. “I think he’ll maybe get a mile and possibly go
two turns. He’s still feisty, but he’s definitely matured. You still have to
walk around him because he’ll grab you.”
Even if plans are somewhat malleable at this time, Bennett definitely exudes
confidence in his charge, who had worked a half-mile in a bullet :46 3/5 over
Arlington’s Polytrack on April 27.
“After his (April 27 work), he wasn’t blowing at all. I think he’s ready.
We’ll find the right spot and that’s where we’ll run with him. I’ll pick a race
and aim for it and we’ll train him to the race he’s aiming. He ships well, which
definitely helps,” Bennett concluded.
Cool Cowboy worked a much more leisurely four furlongs at Arlington on
Saturday morning in :49.
In other Arlington news, Midwest Thoroughbreds’ Work All Week returned to the
worktab for the first time in 52 days and wasted no time making his reappearance
known with a bullet four furlongs in :46. The son of City Zip and reigning
Illinois Horse of the Year and older handicap male was the best of 43 at the
distance.
A winner of nine of 11 career races and two of his three Arlington starts,
Work All Week was last seen winning the $100,000 Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn
Park, blazing six panels in 1:09.84. The Roger Brueggemann trainee is on a
six-race win streak and could conceivably be headed toward one of Arlington’s
premier sprint stakes, including the $100,000 Arlington Sprint on July 5 and the
Illinois-restricted $100,000 Addison Cammack Handicap on July 26.
B. Jock Racing’s stakes-winning Illinois-bred Solar Flair worked a visually
notable five furlongs in 1:02 on Saturday morning at Arlington in advance of
next week’s restricted $100,000 Springfield Stakes over a one-turn mile. Trained
by Jimmy DiVito, the son of Sun King is exiting a good third in the Land of
Lincoln Stakes at Hawthorne on April 26.
“The work went really well — everything looked good,” DiVito said. “This
should set him up for the Springfield well. He finished good and we should be in
good shape.”
Last year, in addition to breaking his maiden over the Arlington Polytrack —
beating subsequent Illinois champion two-year-old colt Rambling Richie — the
chestnut gelding won the restricted $50,000 Troy Our Boy Stakes at Fairmount
Park and was second in the restricted $100,000 Sun Power Stakes at Hawthorne.
“He might be a little bit better at Arlington than he is at Hawthorne,”
DiVito added. “So, hopefully we can get things done (in the Springfield). He
really ran well last time on the synthetic last year. I’d like to try him on the
grass eventually and see how he does. He’ll be a solid horse, for sure. How good
he’s going to be, we’ll find out.”
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