Covfefe ready for takeoff in Dogwood Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six weeks ahead of the Breeders’ Cup, the timing and setup of the Dogwood Stakes should be just right for the star sprinter Covfefe.

Assigned the outside post in a field of six 3-year-old fillies, Covfefe will be heavily favored to roll to victory Saturday when the $125,000 Dogwood is run for the 44th time at Churchill Downs. The favorable post should allow jockey Shaun Bridgmohan plenty of leeway as the seven-furlong race unfolds.

“It looks that way, anyway,” said Brad Cox, who trains Covfefe for the LNJ Foxwoods of the Roth family. “Bottom line is we hope this moves us forward to the Breeders’ Cup.”

Covfefe is being pointed to the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, to be run Nov. 2 at Santa Anita, also at seven furlongs.

From six prior starts, Covfefe already has put forth two efforts worthy of industry-wide attention. The bay daughter of Into Mischief crushed a longstanding track record for six furlongs at Pimlico in winning the Grade 3 Miss Preakness in 1:07.70, and she got the best of Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress following a race-long duel in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in her last start Aug. 3.

“It’s the timing of this race that really landed us here,” Cox said. “It’ll be seven weeks since the Test, then another six to the Breeders’ Cup. We all think that’s pretty important. Plus, we get to stick with 3-year-olds one more time, and we’ll be leading her out of her own stall. Let’s just hope things go our way.”

As fast as she is, Covfefe demands close scrutiny in her daily training.

“I can’t remember the last time I breezed her in company, because obviously you don’t want her going too quick,” Cox said. “Fortunately, she really listens to what her riders ask of her. She’s pretty push-button – a very kind, really smart filly.”

After this, Covfefe will meet up with top older females in the Filly and Mare Sprint, including Spiced Perfection, Come Dancing, and Chalon. Cox has not committed to a Breeders’ Cup jockey, as Javier Castellano rode her in the Miss Preakness and Joel Rosario in the Test.

As for the Dogwood, Covfefe figures to make the lead – unless a former Cox trainee, Take Charge Angel, guns early from post 2 – with Free Cover and Istan Council among the others giving closest chase. Once Covfefe turns on the jets, they’ll start sorting themselves out, with Bell’s the One and Champagne Anyone looking to make late impact.

Champagne Anyone is a wild card, having gone longer in several classic races in the 3-year-old filly division. Trained by Ian Wilkes for Randy Bloch and partners, the daughter of Street Sense is a Grade 2 winner who hasn’t been tried at a one-turn distance since early March.

“Why not?” Wilkes said. “She’s a quality filly, pretty versatile. Obviously, Covfefe is the horse to beat, but we’re going to give her a try.”

The Dogwood is carded as the 10th of 11 races on a Saturday card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Post time for the feature is 5:26. Two allowances (races 8 and 9) directly precede the Dogwood, with all of them part of the 20-cent Single 6 (races 6-11).

More dry weather is in the local forecast, with a high temperature near 90.