Break Even will point to Giant's Causeway at Keeneland

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Break Even, a Grade 2 winner who is 6 for 8 in her career, could return to turf for her next start, according to trainer Brad Cox.

“We’ll look at the possibility of sprinting her on the grass at Keeneland, in the Giant’s Causeway,” Cox said Friday.

The $150,000 race, for fillies and mares at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, is April 11.

Break Even launched her 4-year-old season Feb. 29 at Oaklawn and finished sixth as the favorite in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes. The start was her first since August, when she ran second in the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga.

“She came back good, is back to the track,” Cox said.

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The move to turf would not be new for Break Even.

“She’s run on the grass once before, handled it fine,” Cox said.

Break Even won the $101,000 Coronation Cup on turf last year at Saratoga. Overall, she is a four-time stakes winner for Klein Racing, with earnings of $477,400.

Shared Sense to Lexington

Shared Sense is being pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Lexington Stakes on April 11 at Keeneland, Cox said Friday.

Shared Sense won a first-level allowance Feb. 29 at Oaklawn. He was up for a nose win in the mile race and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 84.

Shared Sense is a son of Street Sense and the Bernardini mare Collective. He races for his breeder, Godolphin.

Cohen starts suspension Thursday

Jockey David Cohen, who won last year’s title at Oaklawn, will begin serving a reduced, five-day suspension Thursday. His agent, Bill Castle, said Cohen is eligible to ride the track’s three stakes on the Rebel Day program next Saturday.

Cohen will miss Friday, as well as Sunday, March 15, and March 19-20. He will return to riding on March 21, Castle said.

Cohen was given a 60-day suspension last April for allegedly striking another rider with his crop during the running of a race at Oaklawn. Cohen appealed to the Arkansas Racing Commission, and the suspension was reduced to five days during a hearing in February. A commission spokesman said the regulatory body watched films of the race and found it difficult to determine whether Cohen intentionally struck fellow rider Edgar Morales. He said the commission’s rules prohibit the striking of another rider during the running of a race, whether intentionally or not.

Castle said he was pleased officials reduced the suspension.

“At the end of the day, we’re happy it’s behind us,” Castle said.

Croatian possible for Temperence Hill

Croation could make his next start in the new $125,000 Temperence Hill at Oaklawn, according to his trainer, Wes Hawley. The 1 1/2-mile race for 4-year-olds and up will be run Friday.

“I think the mile and a half distance might be to his liking,” Hawley said. “The one time I ran him a mile and three-sixteenths he ran a very impressive race. He’s a possibility for the Temperence Hill.”

Croatian won a Churchill Downs allowance over 1 3/16 miles in December for owner Greg Frye. It was the first time he’d raced beyond 1 1/16 miles.

Hawley has brought his entire stable to Oaklawn for the first time this meet. The barn includes Grade 3 winner Hawaakom and the multiple stakes-placed Thirstforlife.

“Both of them are training good,” Hawley said. “I’m not looking to run them in the stakes here. It would take too much out of them. The purses are very good for allowance races, or high claiming races, so why not?”

Following the meet, Hawley will again head to Kentucky.

◗ Grade 1 winner Knicks Go was to work over the weekend in his first move since winning an Oaklawn allowance with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

“We’ll start coming up with a plan for him in the next week,” Cox said.