Cowboy Culture remains perfect by capturing Keith Gee Memorial
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Cowboy Culture spends every day in a winning culture, the barn of trainer Brad Cox, and so far Cowboy Culture has done nothing but win. He won his career debut in a turf maiden race at Churchill Downs, won a first-level allowance at Fair Grounds in his second start, and on Saturday, Cowboy Culture ran his record to 3 for 3 with a three-quarter-length win in the $50,000 Keith Gee Memorial Stakes.
Cox after seven races Saturday was leading trainer at the Fair Grounds meet with 24 wins, 19 of which have come on turf. The Keith Gee, for 3-year-olds at one mile on grass, as the 12th turf stakes so far this meet, and Cox-trained horses now have won five of them.
Under Florent Geroux, Cowboy Culture raced fifth around the first turn and down the backstretch as longshot Warrior’s Kid set slow fractions of 24.63 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 49.45 for the half. Geroux kept Cowboy Culture outside and in the clear around the far turn, crept ever closer to the front from the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole, and Cowboy Culture forged to the lead at the eighth pole, getting his last furlong in 11.64 to hold clear Girvin and Hot Dad.
Cowboy Culture ran about one mile on firm going in 1:37.44 and paid $5 to win as the favorite. By Quality Road out of English Willow, by Smart Strike, Cowboy Culture was bred by Rhineshire Farm and is owned by Cheyenne Stables.
Hot Dad followed the winner into the homestretch and had a chance at him the final eighth, but could not match strides and was nipped late for place Girvin. Girvin ran very well in defeat. Girvin had set a strong pace winning a fast dirt sprint in his career debut, but Saturday he rated comfortably inside and just behind the leader for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., and Girvin was reaching out nicely the final half-furlong before galloping out past Cowboy Culture.