Cozze Up Lady ready to stretch for Mabee Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. – Cozze Up Lady was able to stretch her speed to 1 1/16 miles when winning the Osunitas Stakes the first weekend of the meet, and on Sunday at Del Mar, she’ll try to extend her range to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2, $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes for older female grass runners.
Cozze Up Lady drew an outside post in the Osunitas, was used early to establish position, and fended off her rivals down the lane. A similar strategy likely will be utilized in the Mabee, as she landed the outside post in a field of nine, with only the comebacker Miss Ellany capable of matching strides with her in the early going.
“There’s no having to think twice about the tactics,” Keith Desormeaux, who trains Cozze Up Lady, said at his barn Friday.
Cozze Up Lady was sent to Desormeaux for the summer by her regular trainer, Bret Calhoun.
“We knew she’d be keen last time,” Desormeaux said. “She was coming out of sprints, and Bret is a speed-oriented trainer. We knew she’d grab the bit. She’ll be winging it.”
Desormeaux’s brother, Kent, is back aboard.
It will not be an easy task. In addition to the extra distance, Miss Ellany will provide pace pressure, and Cozze Up Lady will have to hold off the late runs of Miss Serendipity and Wishing Gate.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Miss Serendipity. Trainer Ron McAnally is 3 for 31 with a $0.44 over the last five years in turf routes at Del Mar (0 for 8 in graded stakes).Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Key contenders
Cozze Up Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 88-75-85)
* This is a significant step up in class from the Osunitas, but Cozze Up Lady is tenacious, with seven wins in 16 lifetime starts.
* She also has done well in the two summers she has been sent here from the Midwest. In 2012, at age 3, she was a close third in the Sandy Blue Handicap.
“I was warned she can be tough to saddle, but when we put her in her stall last time, she went to sleep,” Desormeaux said. “We’ve schooled her a couple of times since the race, and she’s been fine. I’m taking that as a sign of confidence.”
Miss Serendipity (Last 3 Beyers: 97-91-86)
* Strictly the one to beat based on her victory May 26 in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in her last start.
* With regular rider Brice Blanc still sidelined as a result of an accident two weeks ago, Rafael Bejarano is aboard. He rode her once previously in February at Santa Anita in the Buena Vista Stakes, in which she was fourth.
“Bejarano realized his mistake,” trainer Ron McAnally said Friday. “He sent her. You need to sit on her. Hopefully, there’s enough speed in there.”
Wishing Gate (Last 3 Beyers: 79-80-93)
* Was fourth following a five-month break June 28 in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes and should improve off the run.
* This is her favorite track. Wishing Gate has won during each of the last two summers at Del Mar, including the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap last year. She also was second last year in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.
Stormy Lucy (Last 3 Beyers: 73-89-91)
* Beat Miss Serendipity twice this year at Santa Anita – in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes and the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Handicap – but disappointed in her last two starts, the Gamely and Royal Heroine stakes.
* She won both those earlier stakes with Bejarano, who missed her last two starts because of injury and is committed Sunday to Miss Serendipity. So, Corey Nakatani tries his luck.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Queen of the Sand. Trainer Patrick Gallagher is 5 for 31 with a $2.96 ROI over the last five years in turf routes following a win and a layoff of between 31 and 60 days.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan