Cogburn Traveling Well in Breeders' Cup Preparations

America's Breeders' Cup Challenge Series came to a close Oct. 6, and only two races remain overseas, at Ascot Oct. 19. Across the country, trainers and owners now completely shift their attention toward final training preparations and travel plans.

The sun had yet to rise on this next stage before likely Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) favorite Cogburn  made his way out to the Churchill Downs dirt track early in the morning Oct. 7 to record a "smooth" half-mile workout in :49 4/5 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

#Cogburn after completing his 4F breeze in :49 4/5 at @ChurchillDowns Oct. 7. The speedy son of #NotThisTime is on track for the @BreedersCup Turf Sprint (G1T). pic.twitter.com/1hLPY686CS

— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) October 7, 2024

"We're within a month from the Breeders' Cup, just awfully happy to see him traveling great, being fresh," Asmussen said. "We're excited about how good he's doing, excited about who he is, and we're looking forward to running him in the Breeders' Cup."

The son of Not This Time   is perfect (3-for-3) this season, earning $1,772,000 for owners Clark Brewster and William and Corinne Heiligbrodt while clinching a breeding career at WinStar Farm at year's end. His stellar season has established the 5-year-old as a leading contender for honors as Eclipse champion male sprinter, a rarity for a turf horse, and champion male turf horse, a rarity for a sprinter. Depending how the Breeders' Cup shakes out, he could even have a shot at Horse of the Year.

"He's run some amazing races this year," Asmussen said. "We got a sharper horse spacing his races better, more to his liking. Hopefully, he gets away well (in the Breeders' Cup) and shows everybody how fast he is."

Cogburn started his season with a 2 1/4-length win in the 5 1/2-furlong Twin Spires Turf Sprint (G2T) at Churchill Downs May 4 before setting a North American record for the distance in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course June 8. The time of :59.80 is believed to be a world record for 5 1/2 furlongs on grass.

Asmussen recalled the moment he saw :59.80 posted on the board while waiting for Cogburn to return to the winner's circle. He said his initial thought was to make sure it was a final time and not a fraction.

"It was quite obvious he had flown around there," Asmussen said. "For him to accomplish something like going 5 1/2 in under a minute—something I had never seen before—is extremely exciting."

Cogburn kept the speed train rolling at Kentucky Downs Sept. 7 when he added a 3 1/4-length victory in the six-furlong Ainsworth Turf Sprint (G2T), finishing just 0.27 off the course record over a field that included last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner, Nobals . Both the Jaipur and Ainsworth were Challenge Series races for the $1 million Turf Sprint.

Cogburn will have one more work at Churchill Downs before shipping with the rest of Team Asmussen to Del Mar Oct. 22. Asmussen plans to breeze him once at the Southern California track ahead of the Nov. 2 race.

"We just want the preparation to go smooth," Asmussen said. "Hopefully the weather will smile on us and we'll get out there in as good a shape as we are right now."

In addition to Cogburn, Asmussen plans to run Ballerina Handicap (G1) winner Society  and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2) winner Zeitlos  in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. He also has a pair for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in multiple graded stakes winner and grade 1-placed Skelly  and Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) winner Gun Pilot  .

"One with a lot of pace (Society and Skelly), one that closes (Zeitlos and Gun Pilot), so however the racetrack plays, we feel like we've got it covered," Asmussen said of the Sprints.

He is also considering the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for Extra Anejo , a two-time allowance winner this year. He worked five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 Monday at Churchill.

Seize the Grey, Jonathan's Way Continue Breeders' Cup Preparations

Other Breeders' Cup horses were also out at Churchill early Monday morning, including Preakness Stakes (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Seize the Grey  and Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Jonathan's Way .

MyRacehorse's Seize the Grey logged his first work since the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby on Oct. 3, when he completed a bullet five furlongs in :59. His Monday exercise for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was nice and easy, with a one-mile jog around the dirt oval before taking a few jogging laps in the chute.

.@PreaknessStakes and PA Derby winner #SeizetheGrey jogging at @ChurchillDowns this morning. The son of #Arrogate worked 5F in :59 on Thursday, Oct. 3. @MyRacehorse pic.twitter.com/dmkq33n65c

— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) October 7, 2024

The 3-year-old son of Arrogate is under consideration for both the Dirt Mile and the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

Rigney Racing's Jonathan's Way recorded a half-mile in :47 Oct. 4, his second breeze since winning the Iroquois Sept. 14, which earned him a $30,000 credit toward entry fees to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) thanks to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen Series. On Monday. he jogged a mile before galloping another mile.

"Jonathan is doing great," trainer Phil Bauer said. "You hold your breath for the next few weeks, but his two breezes since he ran have been what we asked for and I feel like we're right on target."

Iroquois winner #JonathansWay galloping at @ChurchillDowns Oct. 7. He is pointed at the @BreedersCup Juvenile (G1) at @DelMarRacing Nov. 1. pic.twitter.com/EamL0o3DKr

— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) October 7, 2024

Bauer flirted with the idea of running back in the Oct. 5 Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, a Challenge Series race, but decided to stick with the original plan of training up to the Breeders' Cup.

"It was very tempting to try, but the horse has a lot of quality, so we're thinking long-term with him," Bauer said. "Maybe fewer starts this year will lead to more next year."

The Ohio-bred son of Vekoma   is 2-for-2 to start his career, breaking his maiden by 4 1/4 lengths traveling six furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 17 before winning the one-mile Iroquois by 2 3/4 lengths.

All three of the Juvenile's Challenge Series races took place Saturday, with East Avenue  winning the Breeders' Futurity, Chancer McPatrick  the Champagne Stakes (G1), and Citizen Bull  the American Pharoah Stakes (G1). However, Bauer remains confident that he's bringing a winner to California.

"It's hard to gauge—different tracks, different states—but I think after the weekend's over, we're still confident that we fit right in there," Bauer said. "Jonathan's Way will rate, it just depends on the post and then you work a plan from there."

The Rigney and Bauer team have an additional rooting interest as they bred Chancer McPatrick in Kentucky, originally selling him from the Denali Stud consignment for $260,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select Yearling Sale. The dam, Bernadreamy, was a homebred for Rigney, bred in partnership with Dreamkeepers, trained by Bauer.

"One way or another it seems like we'll have a good piece of it," Bauer said. "I think everything is coming together for the team. Top to bottom the next few years should be a lot of fun."

Jonathan's Way will stick to breezing weekly on Fridays because the Juvenile is run on Friday. Bauer plans to ship on a Breeders' Cup chartered FedEx plane out of Cincinnati Oct. 28.

"I think our horse will handle (shipping) really well," Bauer said. "He's a laid-back horse and he's handled everything we've thrown at him so far."