Jockey David Cohen traveled 1,000 miles to win at 1 1/16 miles Friday at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark..
Cohen's whirlwind journey began when he rode seven races Thursday at Oaklawn, the last at 5:36 p.m. (Central). A little less than two hours later, Cohen flew privately from Hot Springs to Louisville, Ky. (approximately 500 miles), arriving at 9:52 p.m. (Eastern). Cohen worked four horses early Friday morning at Churchill Downs and flew back to Hot Springs, arriving at 9:46 a.m., a little more than an hour before training hours ended at Oaklawn. First post was 1 p.m.
Cohen rode five races Friday at Oaklawn, winning the eighth, a 1 1/16-mile event for older $17,500 claimers, on heavily favored Lord Dragon ($3.60) for his major clients, trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk). It was Cohen's 26th winner at the meeting.
“I've done this before, but it makes it a lot easier on a private jet,” Cohen said after his first mount Friday, the Diodoro-trained Wildwood Flash, finished seventh in the second race. “We were up at 3:20 (a.m.) our time (Central), because it was 4:20 their time (eastern). Robertino's assistant picked us at the hotel at 4:45, so that would have been 3:45 our time. Worked the first horse, Ava's Grace, the Oaks filly, at 5. Knocked out four workers, flew back and I actually had time to go home and lay down and take a shower and relax.”
In addition to Ava's Grace (Kentucky Oaks), Cohen worked two other horses previously based at Oaklawn, Keepmeinmind (Kentucky Derby) and Dreamer's Disease (Pat Day Mile), for potential stakes engagements next week at Churchill Downs. All three were for Diodoro, who accompanied the jockey on the quick trip.
Keepmeinmind, who finished sixth in his 3-year-old debut, the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) March 13 at Oaklawn, covered a half mile in :46.20 over a fast track, quickest of 108 works published at the distance. Keepmeinmind, shedding blinkers, breezed with stablemate Shasta Star, a 6-year-old mare.
Cohen called the work, “beautiful.”
“He went very strong,” said Cohen, Oaklawn's leading rider in 2019. “I actually put him behind another one of our horses, about 10 lengths. Just wanted to give him a good target and wanted to give him something to pass. As soon as he got up by that horse and went up on the inside, there was a little traffic outside. Opted to just go up the rail. That was one thing he was dealing with early on in his career. He wasn't wanting to go into some tight spots and kind of sucking out and giving up some much needed ground, which he did in the Breeders' Cup prep and the Breeders' Cup as well.”
Before breaking his maiden in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs, Keepmeinmind finished second in the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and third in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland.
Keepmeinmind had been scheduled to make his 2021 debut Feb. 15 at Oaklawn – the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) – before severe winter weather led to multiple postponements of the race and interrupted the late-running colt's training schedule. Oaklawn lost eight live racing dates and 11 days of training (Feb. 12-22) because of heavy snow and arctic temperatures.
After finishing sixth in the Rebel, Keepmeinmind shipped to Keeneland and finished fifth in the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 3. Keepmeinmind moved up to No. 20 on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard after Get Her Number was withdrawn from consideration, giving the colt the final starting position. Post positions will be drawn Tuesday.
Ava's Grace, in her 3-year-old debut, ran third in an entry-level allowance sprint March 4 at Oaklawn before finishing second in the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 3. The 1 1/16-mile Fantasy, Oaklawn's biggest prize for 3-year-old fillies, marked the two-turn debut for the lightly raced Ava's Grace. She is safely in the field for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) April 30. It is limited to 14 starters.
Dreamer's Disease, sixth in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, worked several times at Oaklawn, but didn't start at the meeting after falling behind in his training because of winter weather. The $500,000 Pat Day Mile (G2) May 1 will be his 3-year-old debut.
“Been a weird year,” Diodoro said between races Friday afternoon at Oaklawn. “We had a good meet. I'm happy with the meet, but just weird. Just how fast the meet went, those two weeks of the storm threw a couple of these 3-year-olds off schedule and just made the meet go so fast.”
Diodoro was Oaklawn's leading trainer in 2020 and entered Saturday with 38 victories to rank second in the standings. Friday was the 45th day of the weather-shortened 51-day meeting.
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