Covfefe to Prep for Breeders' Cup in Dogwood Stakes

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Covfefe to Prep for Breeders' Cup in Dogwood Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Adam Moshian
Covfefe wins the Test Stakes at Saratoga Race Course

Longines Test Stakes (G1) winner Covfefe tops a compact field of six 3-year-old fillies Sept. 21 in the $125,000 Dogwood Stakes—the featured event on an 11-race program at Churchill Downs—as she preps for the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

The seven-furlong Dogwood is carded as Race 10 with a post time of 5:26 p.m. ET.

Trained by Brad Cox, Covfefe will make her first start since defeating Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Serengeti Empress in the Aug. 3 Test over seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course. The strikingly fast 3-year-old sprinter had back-to-back five-furlong bullet workouts leading up to the Dogwood.

Saturday's race will mark the third time Covfefe, who has a record of 4-0-1 from six starts and earnings of $483,300, has run beneath the Twin Spires. The daughter of Into Mischief  won her debut in September 2018 and finished third in the Roxelana Overnight Stakes in June. 

"Our goal was to get Covfefe a grade 1 win, and we were able to do just that in the Test," Cox said. "She came back from the race quicker than we originally anticipated. It was such an awesome race that afternoon with two great fillies battling down the lane. She's come to Churchill and worked fantastic into the race. This race fits well on the calendar, and we don't have to ship her."

Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan has the call on Covfefe, who drew the outside post position.

If all goes well, Covfefe will likely be pointed toward the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at seven furlongs Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Breaking to the inside of Covfefe is Randall Bloch, Six Column Stables, Fred Merritt, John Seiler, Stephen Harner, Gene Rice, and Jack Porter Jr.'s Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Champagne Anyone, who will cut back in distance to seven furlongs for the first time since early February.

Champagne Anyone, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks, came back July 21 to finish fourth in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles and then finished sixth in the Aug. 17 Alabama Stakes (G1) at 1 1/4 miles, both at Saratoga. She has a record of 3-0-3 from 10 starts and earnings of $360,825.

Champagne Anyone is trained by Ian Wilkes, whose son-in-law, Chris Landeros, will ride. 


Entries: Dogwood S.

Churchill Downs, Saturday, September 21, 2019, Race 10

  • STK
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $125,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 5:26 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Bell's the One (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 120 Neil L. Pessin 8/1
2 2Take Charge Angel (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Ben Colebrook 9/2
3 3Free Cover (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Robby Albarado 118 W. Bret Calhoun 12/1
4 4Istan Council (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Chantal Sutherland 118 J. Larry Jones 10/1
5 5Champagne Anyone (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Chris Landeros 122 Ian R. Wilkes 4/1
6 6Covfefe (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Shaun Bridgmohan 122 Brad H. Cox 3/5