Cogburn reinforced the view of arguably being the best grass sprinter in the world on Saturday with a dazzling score in the $1,797,2000 Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs, leading gate-to-wire to win by 3 1/4 lengths over two-time Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee (G1) winner Khaadem.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Cogburn sped six furlongs in 1:07.68 on firm ground, not far off the course record of 1:07.41. He returned $4.20 as the 11-10 favorite in a field of 12.
“What an amazing horse Cogburn is,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I’m so proud that it’s the first time that he ran since WinStar bought into him, bought his breeding rights. For him to validate the form that he has shown all year long in his turf sprints is very special.”
Cogburn, who previously captured the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Downs and the Jaipur (G1) at Saratoga while setting a North American time record, figures to be an overwhelming favorite in his next start, the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.
The Kentucky Downs feature offered a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, though Cogburn had already earned one by virtue of his win in the Jaipur.
Runner-up Khaadem had one length on Axthelm, who nosed out 2023 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Nobals for third. Next across the line were Charcoal, One Timer, Gear Jockey, Coppola, dead-heaters Noble Reflection and Mo Stash, Five o’ Somewhere, and Witty.
Cogburn races for the partnership of Clark Brewster, William Heiligbrodt, and Corinne Heiligbrodt. He’s now a six-time stakes winner, with his only loss on grass being a fifth-place run in last year’s Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint. His other graded win besides the trio of wins this year occurred in the 2023 Troy (G3). He’s won nine of 14 starts and nearly doubled his career earnings on Saturday to more than $2.4 million.
Bred in Kentucky by Bellary Bloodstock, Cogburn was last sold for $150,000 as an OBS April juvenile. By Not This Time, he was produced by the stakes-winning Saintly Look mare In a Jif.
Howard Wolowitz is now the answer to a horse racing-related trivia question as the three-year-old colt captured the first Grade 1 race ever held at Kentucky Downs, the $1,847,100 Franklin-Simpson (G1).
Sent off as the 3-1 favorite in a field of 12, Howard Wolowitz turned back a challenge from Yellow Card in deep stretch and a subsequent objection from the rider of that rival to secure the one-length victory under Irad Ortiz Jr.
Named for a television sitcom character, Howard Wolowitz is also the first Grade 1 winner saddled by trainer Jose D’Angelo, who trains the son of Munnings for Gold Square LLC.
“I really was very confident in him; he is a nice horse,” D’Angelo said. “He is hard to train; he has his own personality, like his name! So, I was pretty sure that the more ground for him and the long stretch was going to help him.”
Howard Wolowitz completed 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.20 and paid $8.12. Following runner-up Yellow Card under the wire were Mansa Musa, Evade, Please Advise, Bear River, Hedwig, Smokey Smokey, General Ledger, Apollo Ten, Vote No, and Joe Shiesty.
The Franklin-Simpson was only the fourth career start for Howard Wolowitz. Far up the track in his debut at Gulfstream on dirt in March, Howard Wolowitz broke his maiden second out by 7 3/4 lengths over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface in June, his first start for D’Angelo. He was most recently fourth in the Mahony S. at Saratoga in his turf debut, where he endured significant traffic trouble in the stretch.
“I would like to go to the Breeders’ Cup with him,” D’Angelo said.
Sold for $240,000 as a short yearling at the Keeneland January sale, Howard Wolowitz was produced by Forget Me Not, a daughter of Uncle Mo.
Simply in Front ran down pacesetter Pipsy with a little more than a furlong to go and edged clear in the final yards to captured the $1,767,200 Music City S. for three-year-old fillies by a half-length under Luis Saez.
Sent off at 6-1 in the field of 12 and exiting a second-place effort in the one-mile Ontario Colleen (G3) at Woodbine, Simply in Front notched her first stakes win in a time of 1:16.01 for 6 1/2 furlongs. She returned $14.62 for owner Colebrook Farms and trainer Eddie Kenneally.
“The filly is getting good right now,” Kenneally said. “We liked her coming in here, we liked her cutting back to 6 1/2. I knew she would like this new setup here, Kentucky Downs. She hadn’t run here before, but I knew she would like it.”
Runner-up Pipsy had three parts of a length on Vive Veuve, who was followed by Time to Dazzle, Kairyu, 3-1 favorite Buttercream Babe, Pharoah’s Wine, Amidst Waves, Pounce, Visually, Gavea, and Regulatory Risk.
Simply in Front has now won three of nine starts and earned more than $1.4 million. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Summer Front was Grade 1-placed at two, finishing second in the Natalma at Woodbine.
Bred by William Harrigan and Mike Pietrangelo and sold for $115,000 at Keeneland September, Simply in Front was reared by Complicated, a daughter of Blame who has also produced this year’s Delaware H. (G2) winner Honor D Lady and stakes winner Churchtown.
