Oaklawn Barn Notes: The Comeback Kid

By Gissel Torres —-

The Comeback Kid

David Cohen finished third in last year’s Oaklawn jockey standings in his local debut and ranked second this year through Saturday, trailing perennial champion Ricardo Santana Jr. 48-43. The goal, naturally, is to be first when the meeting ends May 4.

“That’s just one day of racing for either one of us,” Cohen said Saturday morning, when he trailed Santana 47-43. “I think that’s just the way it’s going to be. I don’t think that either one of us is going to run away with it.”

Cohen, 34, has a chance to topple Santana, Oaklawn’s six-time defending champion, because he is the go-to rider for Robertino Diodoro, Oaklawn’s second-leading trainer, and M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk).

M and M captured its first career owner’s title at last year’s meet with 21 victories and is the runaway leader this year (37 victories from an eye-popping 155 starts through Saturday). M and M had $1,110,294 in purse earnings through Saturday, the 38th day of the scheduled 57-day meeting, and will undoubtedly break Zayat Stables’ single-season Oaklawn mark ($1,275,541), set in 2015.

Cohen is trending up, too.

He rode 37 winners last year at Oaklawn, with his mounts earning $1,662,335. Cohen had already bankrolled $1,540,458, through Saturday, and was winning at a healthy 22-percent clip. He won the $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 2 aboard Power Gal and the $100,000 King Cotton Stakes Feb. 9 aboard Heartwood.

“We didn’t come in here saying that we’ve got to win the meet,” Cohen said. “We knew we would have some good support coming in and the way it’s continuing on, it’s going to be a tossup. It’s going to come down to having good days and staying consistent.”

Cohen was JockeyTalk360.com’s Comeback Jockey of the Year in 2018 after finishing with 114 victories overall and $6,775,883 in purse earnings. Competing in New York and the Mid-Atlantic, Cohen ranked sixth nationally in victories (288) and 24th nationally in purse earnings ($7,357,326) in 2009 before a devastating leg injury in early 2014 and the subsequent deaths of his father and sister derailed his career for approximately three years.

Cohen’s comeback came in late 2017 at Fair Grounds. He had four mounts there and two more at Delta Downs in advance of the 2018 Oaklawn meeting.

Cohen will be based at Churchill Downs, not New York, after the Oaklawn meeting ends because of Diodoro’s expanded presence at the Kentucky venue.

Happy Birthday

Trainer Brad Cox celebrated his 39th birthday Saturday with three victories, including the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters with unbeaten Break Even.

In addition to the Purple Martin, Cox won the first race with favored Cashanova ($5.40) and the seventh race with favored Night Ops ($6.40). Both horses were making their first starts for Cox and owner Steve Landers, a prominent Arkansas automobile dealer and member of the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Cashanova was claimed for $50,000 March 7 at Fair Grounds. Night Ops broke his maiden Saturday after being privately purchased following an eighth-place finish in the $200,000 LeComte Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds Jan. 19 at Fair Grounds.

Break Even – in her stakes debut – was a sparkling 4 ½-length gate-to-wire winner under Colby Hernandez. A homebred for Klein Racing (Richard Klein), Break Even (3 for 3) covered 6 furlongs over a good track in 1:10.15 and paid $5.60 as the second choice in the nine-horse field.

“She was just doing it nice and relaxed – comfortable,” Hernandez said after riding Break Even for the first time. “We’re headed to the three-sixteenths pole, kind of just clucked on her and she moved on.”

Shaun Bridgmohan had ridden Break Even in her first two career starts – a New Year’s Day maiden special weights off-the-turf sprint at Fair Grounds and a first-level allowance sprint there Jan. 28 – but the jockey is sidelined with a broken collarbone.

Hernandez said he had breezed Break Even, adding she felt the same Saturday afternoon as she had in the morning.
“She’s a cool horse,” Hernandez said.

Break Even, a career winner of $138,600, has won her three starts by a combined 13 ¾ lengths.

Hernandez, who had never ridden at Oaklawn, was also aboard Night Ops. The triple gave Cox 13 victories at the meet. The winners were saddled by Jorgito Abrego, who oversees Cox’s Oaklawn division.

Cabrera Update

David Cabrera, who has 12 wins at the meet, is named to ride Welder in the $50,000 Highland Ice Stakes Tuesday at Will Rogers Downs, the jockey’s first scheduled mount in almost three weeks.

Cabrera hasn’t ridden since March 14 because of a “family issue,” in his native Mexico, his agent, Joe Santos, said Saturday morning. Santos said Cabrera returned to his Jones, Okla., home approximately five days ago and he plans to meet with the jockey Tuesday at Will Rogers Downs.

“Glad to have him back, that’s for sure,” Santos said.

Santos said he’s unsure if Cabrera will ride again this year at Oaklawn, owing in part to the agent’s recent high-profile addition, Tyler Baze, who had been based in Southern California. Baze is scheduled to ride regularly at Oaklawn until the meeting ends May 4.

“A lot of the horses that he’s been riding, Tyler already has the call on,” Santos said. “I don’t want to take Tyler off those horses and I’m sure the connections don’t really want to, either. I don’t really want him to come over and ride one or two a day. If we’ve got something he can win on and is serious and we’ve got to stick with, then he’ll come ride it. Really just focusing on getting ready for the summer.”

Santos said Cabrera will return to Prairie Meadows for its meeting that begins May 3.

Cabrera has ridden Welder in his last five starts, including a third-place finish in the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters March 9. Cabrera was Oaklawn’s second-leading rider last year and captured the riding title at the 2018 Remington Park meeting with 95 victories. Four of the victories – all stakes – were aboard Welder, the 2018 Remington Park Horse of the Meet.

Finish Lines
The track was rated fast for workouts Sunday morning. … Grade 2 winner Mia Mischief went a half-mile in :50.80 Sunday morning for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Mia Mischief is pointing for Saturday’s $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters. … Asmussen ($3,006,679) surpassed $3 million in purse earnings at the meet Saturday as he moves closer to his single-season Oaklawn record ($3,448,729), set in 2016. Asmussen, who is seeking his 10th local training title since 2007, had a meet-high 37 victories through Saturday. … Whitmore is scheduled to have his final work for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) for older horses April 13 Saturday, co-owner/trainer Ron Moquett said. Whitmore has won the Count Fleet the last two years. … Count Fleet candidate Mitole worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 Sunday morning for Asmussen. Also working Sunday morning for Asmussen was Snapper Sinclair, who covered 5 furlongs in 1:00. Snapper Sinclair is nominated to the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 13. … Raintree Starlet, winner of the $100,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 16, is probably headed for a grass race at Keeneland, trainer Brian Williamson said Saturday morning. Raintree Starlet worked a half-mile in :49.80 Sunday morning. … Red Again ($7) became the meet’s first three-time winner in Saturday’s fourth race, a starter allowance for older horses at 1 3/16 miles. … Favored Northern Trail ($3.80) became the meet’s second three-time winner in Saturday’s eighth race, an allowance/optional claiming sprint for older horses. Northern Trail was the third winner on the card for jockey Ramon Vazquez. Trainer Kelly Von Hemel won a 22-way shake, or blind draw, to claim Northern Trail for $16,000. … Favored Brush Country ($4.40) broke his maiden in Saturday’s fifth race to give trainer Will VanMeter and owner John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs their first victory of the meeting. Trainer Robertino Diodoro won a 10-way shake to claim Brush Country, a Triple Crown nominee, for $30,000. … Through Saturday, the 38th day of the scheduled 57-day meeting, 382 claims had totaled $6,234,000.

Photo Credit: Coady Photography