Boldor Makes it Two in a Row With King Cotton Score
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Photo: Coady Photography
Boldor (outside) makes his winning move in the King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Ed and Susie Orr's Boldor is 2-for-2 this year after securing his second straight stakes victory in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
The 5-year-old Munnings gelding came off a victory in the Jan. 4 Sam's Town Stakes at Delta Downs to land a sharp one-length score in the six-furlong test over a sloppy track Feb. 6.
Breaking from post 5 of six under jockey David Cabrera at odds of 9-1, Boldor settled into fourth place early as Mr. Jagermeister grabbed the early lead through fractions of :22.52 and :45.78, while being pressed the whole way by Seven Nation Army. The winner came four wide into the stretch and kicked in late to wear down his rivals in a final time of 1:09.86, returning $21.60 on a $2 win ticket.
"I thought I was going to be a little bit more off of it," Cabrera said. "He broke really sharp. I just let him get comfortable. Pick a spot. He responded to me really good down the lane. I'm pretty happy that (trainer) Steve (Asmussen) gave me the opportunity, that's for sure."
Seven Nation Army finished second by a neck over Mr. Jagermeister. Grade 2 winner Flagstaff, the even-money favorite, finished fourth. He was followed by Strike Power and Mucho.
"I just couldn't get him going," jockey Florent Geroux said of Flagstaff. "He was just out-paced. I don't know if he didn't like the track. I just couldn't get him going. He was lost and I was riding really hard. Made a nice finish at the end, but just had too much to do."
Bred in Virginia by Carlos S. E. Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore out of the winning Siphon mare Senate Caucus, Boldor improved his record to 5-2-1 in 14 starts, with earnings of $335,197. He was a $700,000 purchase by his owners from Randy Miles' consignment to the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Boldor is the ninth of 12 foals out of his dam, who has had eight winners from 10 starters. Senate Caucus is also the dam of stakes-placed Fly E Dubai (by E Dubai) and Avarice (by Not For Love). Her last reported foal was a 2020 full brother to Boldor, and she has an unraced 2-year-old Maclean's Music filly named Senate Dance. Boldor's third dam is Ruby Slippers, the dam of Tap Your Heels, who produced top sire Tapit .
"The pedigree is secondary to me because I'm really in it for the thrill of the race and the challenge of that," Orr told BloodHorse when he purchased Boldor.
The Colorado cattleman, real estate farm broker, and land developer was also at one time involved in the oil and gas business.
"We have had good fortune in a lot of our business ventures and this has turned out to be more challenging than any of those business ventures ever were," he said.