Cogburn Back at Saratoga After Record-Breaking Victory

Authoring an encore might be an impossible mission for Cogburn .

Let's face it, when you set a North American record in your last start, that's a pretty tough bar to match.

Nevertheless, even if he turns in a somewhat slower performance, his 10 turf rivals face a steep uphill climb trying to catch him in the upgraded $300,000 Troy Stakes (G2T) Aug. 3 at Saratoga Race Course.

It was on the very same Mellon Turf Course at the Spa that the 5-year-old son of Not This Time   entered the record books when he rocketed to a 3 1/2-length victory in the June 8 Jaipur Stakes (G1T) in the lightning-fast final time of :59.80 for the 5 1/2 furlongs—the same distance as Saturday's Troy.

"We felt he was going to run his best race to date, but a record was significant in so many ways," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "Saratoga makes everything special."

As freakish as the final time may have been after a :43.07 opening half-mile, the victory was hardly a fluke. Winner of last year's Troy (when it was grade 3), he was a 2 1/4-length winner of the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs prior to his grade 1 tour de force at Saratoga.

"We're extremely excited about him and how he's doing. He's just a very fast horse," Asmussen said. "Last year when we moved him to the turf, it brought him to a new level, We felt with the lucrative turf races not being until late summer, we'd give him a nice break. He came back better than he left, and we are very excited to run him again."

Owned by Clark Brewster and William and Corrine Heiligbrodt, the $1.2 million earner has won 8 of his 14 starts. Bred by Bellary Bloodstock out of the Saintly Look mare In a Jif , he was bought for $150,000 from the Pick View consignment at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

"We're extremely excited about him and how he's doing. He's just a very fast horse," said Asmussen. "Last year when we moved him to the turf, it brought him to a new level. We felt with the lucrative turf races not being until late summer, we'd give him a nice break. He came back better than he left, and we are very excited to run him again."

The field of 11 (not including main track only entrant Disarmed ) also includes Godolphin homebred Mischief Magic , who closed from 12th to fifth in the Jaipur. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Exceed and Excel  gelding was third in the Turf Sprint.

A 4-year-old, Mischief Magic won the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong distance.

Colts Neck Stables' Grooms All Bizness  comes into the Troy off four wins in his last five starts. Seeking his first graded stakes score, the Fed Biz   gelding has won his two 2024 starts for trainer Jorge Duarte Jr., the Get Serious Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.