Cohen Steps In and Wins Lake George With Selflessly
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Selflessly (No. 8) wins the Lake George Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Having spent more of his 16-year career riding against trainer Chad Brown's horses than for him, jockey David Cohen knows it's much better to get a leg up in the saddle from the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer than to try to beat him.
So you can understand Cohen's delight on the morning of Aug. 28 when Brown confirmed the veteran rider would be replacing the injured Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard Klaravich Stables' Selflessly that afternoon in the $100,000 Lake George Stakes (G3T).
"You definitely put the odds in your favor when you ride for Chad," Cohen said.
Actually, that didn't happen this time as Selflessly went off at 14-1 in a field of 10—the fifth-highest price on the toteboard.
In the end, however, the odds only sweetened the reward as the 35-year-old Cohen gave Selflessly a textbook ground-saving trip while catching the favored Sweet Melania in the final stride to prevail by a nose in the mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga Race Course.
"Some loyal Chad Brown fans made money today, for sure," the trainer said about the $30.60 winner.
It was also a return to top form for Selflessly, a daughter of More Than Ready who won the 2019 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) as a maiden in her second start. She closed the year with a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
In her 3-year-old debut, she was fifth again in the June 20 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T), but there was an excuse.
"I was a little disappointed watching the race," Brown said about the Wonder Again, "and when we got back to the barn, she had some cuts on her legs."
There was no need for excuses in the Lake George as Cohen kept Selflessly in fifth, behind Sweet Melania, as longshots Windracer and Sugar Fix were 1-2 through a half-mile in :48.48 on the good turf.
When Sweet Melania surged through an opening along the rail to take the lead at the three-sixteenths pole, Cohen and Selflessly followed that move before tipping out with a furlong to go and setting sail for the 3-5 favorite.
"My filly finished up strong and showed a lot of heart," said Cohen, a winner of 1,513 races who collected his first graded stakes win since 2018.
The final time was 1:36.06.
Selflessly (No. 8) ekes out a narrow win at the wire
"He rode such a great race and deserves a lot of credit," Brown said after winning a graded stakes with Cohen for the first time. "He followed the favorite all the way. He used her early speed to get position, which was key, and it was a real patient, well-timed ride and the filly really responded."
The Maryland-bred Selflessly improved her record to two wins in five starts with earnings of $219,000. Bred by George Louis Doetsch Jr. out of the Grand Slam mare Uniformly Yours, she was purchased by de Meric Stables, agent, for $190,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Selflessly is the first graded winner and second stakes winner for her dam, who has produced five foals.
An unraced 2-year-old daughter of Uniformly Yours by Honor Code was bought by Jay Em Ess Stable for $100,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She has also produced yearling and weanling colts by Kitten's Joy .
Lawana and Robert Low's Sweet Melania, a daughter of American Pharoah , was coming off a win in the Wonder Again, where she was 11 1/4 lengths ahead of Selflessly.
"She dug in and fought hard," jockey Jose Ortiz said. "It was a good race and a tough beat."
The multiple graded stakes winner for trainer Todd Pletcher who was third in the Juvenile Fillies Turf was a half-length in front of Witez, a daughter of More Than Ready owned by Mary Ann Charlston and trained by Ian Wilkes.
Selflessly's victory accounted for Brown's 24th win at the meet and lifted him into a tie for the lead with Pletcher for the training title.