Connections Hope Cofactor Bounces Back in Cicada

Set to make her first start of the year, Stoneway Farm's stakes-winning homebred Cofactor will headline a talented field of five in the $100,000 Cicada Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going six furlongs March 21 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Kelly Breen, the daughter of multiple graded stakes winner The Factor , out of the graded stakes-placed mare Coco Belle, broke her maiden at second asking in September at Monmouth Park.

Cofactor returned to win a second level allowance race Oct. 16 at Keeneland and followed with a 1 3/4-length victory in the Warrior's Reward Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park Nov. 16. She capped her juvenile season with a disappointing seventh-place finish in the seven-furlong Gin Talking Stakes Dec. 28 at Laurel.

Video: Warrior's Reward Smart Halo S. (BT)

Cofactor enters the Cicada off numerous sharp breezes, including a four-furlong work in :48.78 March 14 on the Belmont Park training track.

"She came out of her last breeze really well," said Terri Burch, racing manager of Stoneway Farm. "In her last race, she threw her head up. She's a really nice filly but she has her own mind. She wants to do what she wants to do. We freshened her up after that last race and Kelly had this on his schedule as her comeback race. She has been training well. Kelly is just over the moon with her and how happy she seems to be."

Drawing post 3, Cofactor will be ridden by Dylan Davis.

Spanish Point, for owner Bermuda Limestone Thoroughbreds, will be running for the first time since a third-place finish in the Glitter Woman Stakes Jan. 4 at Gulfstream Park.

In the care of conditioner Jorge Abreu, the Creative Cause  filly won her debut impressively by 5 1/4 lengths Sept. 26 at Belmont Park, and went on to win the House Party Stakes Nov. 30 at Gulfstream before earning black type in the Glitter Woman.

The filly is shipping up from Abreu's winter base at Palm Meadows training center in Florida and the conditioner said he expects her to improve off her last effort.

"She's really continued to blossom here in Florida over the winter from last year," said Abreu. "In her last start, she was in good position for most of the way but had to travel three-wide into the stretch. I thought she still put up a good effort to get a piece of it and she definitely gained some racing experience which should benefit her going forward."

With Aqueduct winter meet-leading rider Manny Franco in the irons, Spanish Point will depart from the rail.

Two Sixty will be in search of a third stakes score for trainer Mark Casse and owner Gary Barber. The Uncaptured bay filly won the My Dear Girl Stakes in September at Gulfstream and kicked off her sophomore season with a win in the Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Jan. 18. Two Sixty will cut back in distance following a fifth-place finish in the Suncoast Stakes Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay.