Covfefe overcomes rail draw in Beeeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
Covfefe might now be President Donald Trump’s most-famous typo.
The 3-year-old filly named after Trump’s ill-fated 2017 tweet overcame a rail draw Saturday, patently sitting= until turned loose by jockey Joel Rosario to win the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.
Off as the 3-2 favorite in a field of nine, Covfefe bided her time behind pace-setting Danuska’s My Girl and Heavenhasmynikki as the opening quarter mile went in 22.13 seconds.
Rosario guided his mount outside into the turn, ranging up three-wide, and the two pace factors dropped out. By the top of the stretch, Covfefe, a daughter of Into Mischief, had hit the front for good.
"I was able to work my way out and get her in the clear," Rosario said. "After that, she did all the work.”
Bellafina, who hasn’t won since the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) back in April, certainly liked a return to her favorite surface, chasing for second. It was a ways back to Dawn the Destroyer in third as Come Dancing, the 2-1 second choice, failed to fire in her career finale.
Covfefe, campaigned by LNJ Foxwoods and trained by Brad Cox, finished up in 1:22.40 for seven furlongs.
"This is everything I could ever wish for," said LNJ Foxwoods' Jaime Roth, whose interest in racing started with the great Rachel Alexandra.
"No comparisons," she said of Covfefe, "but I love her so much."
The filly made this her second Grade 1 victory having beaten her age group in Saratoga’s Test over the summer. Covfefe then won Churchill Downs’ Dogwood in a stroll as her final prep for the Breeders' Cup, which likely secures her an Eclipse Award.
"I hope she locked that up," Cox said. "Two Grade 1s. Two very prestigious races. She overcame a lot today, too. I know this race hasn’t been around a long, long time but I think eight Test winners maybe have tried this and not been able to break through. One, two and three were all holes horses hadn’t performed well from, 3-year-olds hadn’t performed well in the race. The list went on of all these things which hadn’t been done.
"But I didn’t waiver. I thought there was no shot of her not running her race. I knew she was going to run her race. You just stay optimistic and know your horse is doing well and the rest will take care of itself.”