Solid throughout his career, Cogburn has found his home sprinting on the turf.
After blitzing out of gate 14 in the $569,770 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) May 4 at Churchill Downs, Cogburn settled into tracking front-running Coppola through a quarter-mile in :22.61 before edging to the lead through a half-mile in :45.27 and flashing another gear in early stretch to draw off to a 2 1/4-length score in the 5 1/2-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up.
"I was so concerned about the outside draw and then he took care of that in one jump," said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. "The 14 hole is a lot to overcome but his break cured that problem."
In eight starts on the dirt to launch his career, Cogburn earned a grade 3 placing but he was moved to the turf in May 2023 and responded with three straight stakes wins sprinting on the grass, capped by a victory in the Troy Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.
In two of those wins, he had troubled starts but won anyway. On Saturday he corrected that problem with a quick start.
"He has found a home, he really has. His turf races have been beyond excellent," Asmussen said. "And we're very fortunate to have him. The good start hasn't been typical for him but then he broke so well. .... We thought that he was doing very well going into this race off the layoff."
Cogburn, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.16 on good turf as the son of Not This Time won his 5-year-old debut. He was followed home by grade 2 winner Filo Di Arianna and Mischief Magic, who has opened his North American campaign with back-to-back grade 2 placings.
As for the winner, the connections were confident that Cogburn was prepared for a big effort.
"He was sharp, the trainer had him ready today," Ortiz said. "The way he broke, Steve (Asmussen) told me he was ready. Today he was running so good, there was no stopping him."
"That was a nice effort off that long a layoff but he'd been training so well and we were pleased with the way he was going," co-owner Clark Brewster said of Cogburn's first start since September.
Bred in Kentucky by Bellary Bloodstock, Cogburn is out of stakes-winning Saintly Look mare In a Jif, who has produced three winners from as many starters.
Brewster went to $150,000 to purchase Cogburn at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where he was consigned by Pick View.
Cogburn is the third graded stakes winner this season for Not This Time, who finished among the top 10 stallions on last year's general sires list. His other graded stakes winners are Arzak, also sprinting on the turf in the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland, and No More Time. Not This Time stands for $150,000 at Taylor Made Stallions near Nicholasville, Ky.
Asmussen said the long-term goal will be the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Stakes (G1T).
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