Cheyenne Stable LLC's Cooke Creek schooled in the Gulfstream Park paddock between races Wednesday in preparation for a return to action in Saturday's $150,000 Harlan's Holiday (G3), a major prep for the Jan. 28 $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) for a few entrants.
Cooke Creek, the 3-year-old son of Uncle Mo who showed considerable promise early in his career, will return from a six-month layoff in the Harlan's Holiday, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up.
The Jeremiah O'Dwyer-trained colt was accompanied during his schooling session by Jun Park and Delia Nash's Sibelius, who is scheduled to start in Saturday's $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3).
Cooke Creek won his first two career starts at Delaware Park, including the Rocky Run Stakes, before finishing second in the Nashua (G3) at Belmont Park and third in the Jerome at Aqueduct. The Kentucky-bred colt was outrun in the Withers (G3) and the Peter Pan (G3) and didn't do any better while dropping into the ungraded Pegasus at Monmouth in June.
“We always really loved this horse. He just had a few niggling issues that we had to take care of,” O'Dwyer said. “We had to back off him for one reason or another. His last race was a disappointment. We knew there was something not right.”
A subsequent examination by Dr. Larry Bramlage discovered bone bruising on a cannon bone, and Cooke Creek was treated and turned out. He has had a series of workouts at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's satellite training facility in Palm Beach county, for his return.
“He's got a good foundation under him. He's coming back in a tough spot, but the horse is training very well,” O'Dwyer said. “I still have a lot of confidence in this horse that he can become a top older horse.”
The O'Dwyer-trained Sibelius enters the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector in solid form having won a Saratoga allowance and the Light the Fuse Stakes at Pimlico before finishing fourth in the Phoenix (G2) at Keeneland and second in the Bet On Sunshine at Churchill Downs.
“Sibelius is training extremely well. We gave him a freshening after his race at Churchill, where he ran a nice race,” O'Dwyer said. “We gave him a little break and some sun on his back. He's had two nice breezed at Palm Meadows. The plan wasn't necessarily to run. We were willing to give him more time, but he was jumping out of his skin. We kind of have to run him because he's doing to well.”
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