Jockey David Cohen happy with first Oaklawn season

Jockey David Cohen on Saturday will attempt to close out what has been a very successful comeback meet with a win in the Grade 2, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap. He will ride Inside Straight, who captured the race a year ago. Cohen has been working the horse for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

“He’s worked very good,” Cohen said. “He’s a very classy horse. I could see very easily why he won that race last year.”

Cohen returned from a more than two-year hiatus during the Oaklawn meet, and through Wednesday ranked third in the standings behind perennial leader Ricardo Santana Jr. Cohen had won 35 races from 246 mounts, for mount earnings of $1.5 million. He said he plans to ride at Aqueduct starting on Wednesday, then will shift his tack to Belmont Park when that meet opens on April 27.

“I’d love to make it here for next winter,” he said of Oaklawn. “Everyone said, if you ever go to Oaklawn you’ll love it and now I really understand well. The people, the fans, the whole town, it kinds of reminds me of Saratoga. It’s just a cool track, a cool meet to be a part of. I’d like to make it part of my routine for the rest of my career.”

Later this year, Cohen will head to Saratoga.