Covfefe tunes up for Breeders' Cup with easy win Churchill's Dogwood
LNJ Foxwood's Covfefe, one of the leading contenders in this year's female sprint division, made short work of an overmatched field to win the $125,000 Dogwood Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Covfefe stalked pacesetter Take Charge Angel through fractions of :22.49 and :44.95 for the seven-furlong contest. Free Cover ranged up three-wide on the turn and that trio raced side-by-side into the top of the stretch.
It didn't remain a contest for long, however. Covfefe got her cue from jockey Shaun Bridgmohan and the pair shot to a 3 1/2-length lead at the eighth pole. Covfefe ($2.40) continued to widen her lead to the wire, ultimately prevailing over Bell's the One by eight lengths while completing seven furlongs in near track-record time of 1:20.51. Free Cover was another 2 1/4-lengths back in third.
Covfefe's final time set a stakes record and was just .07 second off the track record of 1:20.44 set by champion Groupie Doll in 2012.
Bridgmohan, who was riding Covfefe for the third time in the Dogwood, heaped praise on his winning mount.
“The way she’s developed since she was young is what impresses me the most," Bridgmohan said. "I’ve worked her since she was a 2-year-old and she’s developed into a very special filly. What is most spectacular about her is how smart she has become. She is able to sit off the pace even with her natural speed. It’s a lot of fun being the passenger on one like this."
Trainer Brad Cox was hoping for a relatively easy final Breeders' Cup prep for Covfefe and that's exactly what he received ahead of the Filly & Mare Sprint.
“We all knew how talented she is but to just simply dominate the race as she did today was awesome,” said Cox, who also won the 2017 Dogwood with Pinch Hit. “She was going fast the entire way around there and just kept on going. She’s very special. On to the Breeders’ Cup.”
The 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief is 4-for-5 this year with wins in the Miss Preakness (G3) and, most recently, a thrilling edition of the Test Stakes (G1) on Aug. 3.
"She's definitely the most talented horse LNJ has ever owned," said Jaime Roth of LNJ Foxwoods. "She's so special to us and such a talent. She's just very special.
Covfefe was a $250,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale.