Cody Samora gets bigger test in Anniron Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Cody Samora has won her first three starts in dominant fashion but gets a stern test Wednesday when she takes on more seasoned rivals in the $70,000 Anniron Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park. The Anniron, a seven-furlong race that drew a field of 10, is a prep for the $125,000 Iroquois Stakes here Oct. 23.

Cody Samora, a 4-year-old daughter of Mayakovsky, won her debut by 16 1/4 lengths last Oct. 4 in an off-the-turf race at Belmont. Sidelined by a minor injury, Cody Samora came back to win two statebred allowance races during the Saratoga meet by a combined 10 lengths. Both races were at seven furlongs, though one of them was an off-the-turf race in which she beat just four horses.

“There’s been gas left in the tank from both of her victories,” said John Morrison, who trains Cody Samora for owners Susan and Gary Lundy. “I really didn’t have her cranked all the way down for her first race, and she just moved forward off that. She trained extremely well for her second race and she’s training just like that for this. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of her yet.”

Morrison is heartened by the fact two horses Cody Samora beat in Saratoga – Wicked Diva and Rogue’s Jewel – came back to win stakes. Both are in this field Wednesday.

Cody Samora has won all three of her races in front-running fashion, and there is plenty of speed signed on for this spot. However, Morrison does not believe she is one dimensional.

“I know her [past performances] show nothing but 1’s, but almost every work that we did with her was in company where we put her behind horses and had her run at them,” Morrison said.

Cody Samora has won all of her races over wet surfaces. It rained here Monday and more rain was forecast for Tuesday,

A wet track would be favorable for several others in here, including Sapphire Sky who is 6 for 9 on wet ground, 0-for-8 on dry. Sapphire Sky has not been out since May 12 after she won an open-company allowance race. Trainer David Donk said his filly hasn’t had much of a break since she began her career and thought the summer was the right time to give her one.

“She was off about eight weeks,” Donk said. “She’s come back as well or better than I could have hoped.”

My Dinah, Meese Rocks, and La Concerto move up over a wet surface.