Oaklawn the next stop for Cosmic Burst

Cosmic Burst, who won her third straight race in the $100,000 Trapeze for 2-year-old fillies Sunday at Remington Park, will come under consideration for the 3-year-old filly series at Oaklawn, trainer Donnie Von Hemel said Monday.

Cosmic Burst made her two-turn debut in October, winning a maiden special weight at Keeneland. One start later, she won a first-level allowance at a mile at Churchill Downs. From there, she powered to a 5 1/4-length win in the Trapeze, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 80.

“I thought it was a great effort from her,” Von Hemel said. We “moved a little early to take advantage of the rail, but it didn’t seem to make any difference. You can watch her races and she’s progressively gotten more savvy in her races, and I think has improved physically in her races, too.”

Von Hemel said an upcoming option for Cosmic Burst is the $125,000 Martha Washington on Feb. 10 at Oaklawn. The daughter of Violence races for Norma Lee Stockseth and Todd Dunn. Von Hemel selected the filly at last year’s Keeneland September sale.

“I wanted to a buy a Violence colt or filly and I tried and tried and tried, and they all went too high,” Von Hemel said. “I liked this filly and was prepared to give a little more than we had to. I liked the sire – a first-year sire – and was just trying to get one in our budget and lucky us. [Violence] is Medaglia d’Oro on top and Gone West on the bottom, and boy, Gone West makes a pretty horse.”

Cosmic Burst was one of three stakes winners Von Hemel had on the six-stakes card Sunday at Remington.

Okie Diva won her third straight race at the meet in the $50,000 Useeit, and in the process won at two turns for the first time in her career. For her win, the 3-year-old filly earned a Beyer of 70. Okie Diva was stretching out off a sprint win but was content to settle well back off modest fractions under Luis Quinonez before shuttling home Sunday.

“We’re going to give her shot at Oaklawn in open company and see what she does there,” Von Hemel said. “Her last four races, she started listening to the rider, and I would have never dreamed that they could go a half in 48 [seconds] and change and she would be eight lengths off the pace. That’s what’s made her a good horse. She’s gone from just blowing out of there to listening to Luis and doing what he wants.”

Von Hemel said he does feel Okie Diva is a better sprinter. She is a daughter of Chitoz who races for Richter Family Trust.

Von Hemel also won the $100,000 She’s All In with Ready to Confess, who will now be based at Oaklawn. The daughter of More Than Ready and the Grade 1-winning mare Confessional won her first stakes Sunday.

“It was nice to get her a stakes win,” Von Hemel said. “She’s got a great family. Maybe at Oaklawn we can get a graded stakes in her. That will be our goal, anyway.”

Von Hemel said Ready to Confess is a candidate for the filly and mare route stakes series at Oaklawn. Ready to Confess races for Pin Oak Stable.