Relationships help drive Cohen's success at Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Jockey David Cohen is in the midst of a strong meet at Oaklawn Park, but has yet to team in the afternoon with some of the high-profile horses he’s been working in the mornings.

That changes Friday.

Cohen will be aboard Wonder Gadot, a leading candidate for Canadian Horse of the Year who starts her season in an allowance. And looking ahead to March 16, trainer Mark Casse said Cohen will have the mount on champion Shamrock Rose in the Grade 2, $350,000 Azeri.

Mounts of that quality – and the support of the meet’s current leading owner, M and M Racing – have put Cohen in a position to vie for the title at Oaklawn. He had won 27 races at the meet through Wednesday, three behind six-time Oaklawn champ Ricardo Santana Jr.

Cohen, with 120 mounts, is winning races at a 23 percent clip – highest of all riders with five or more mounts at the meet, according to Equibase. He’s also already closing in on his win total from last year – 37 – when he was coming back from a more than three-year hiatus. This year, he’s at full force for Oaklawn.

“I’m very excited about implementing a lot of higher-end business,” Cohen, 34, said. “We’re riding in a lot of the stakes, have a lot of stakes and allowance horses that we really didn’t have coming in last year.”

One of the driving forces behind that development is Casse, the trainer of Wonder Gadot who has brought a division to Oaklawn. The trainer put Cohen on Power Gal for her win in last month’s $125,000 Martha Washington, and he’s named him to ride her again Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Honeybee, a points race for the Kentucky Oaks.

Casse and Cohen first teamed last year at Woodbine, when Cohen traveled from his New York base to guide 6-1 starter Federal Law to a close runner-up finish in the $225,000 Coronation Futurity in November.

“I don’t know how many races David’s ridden for me, but I’ve been extremely impressed,” Casse said. “I don’t think he’s ever ridden a bad race for me. I have the utmost confidence in him.”

Cohen said he’s grateful for Casse’s support.

“It’s one of those relationships that just clicked,” Cohen said.

“What he’s giving me are very live, live opportunities, and we’ve been able to make the most of them.”

The needed numbers to make a splash in the standings come courtesy of the M and M Racing stable of Mike and Mickala Sisk.

“They’re great supporters year round, and obviously, more so here,” Cohen said. “They’re more active here than in New York. This is where they focus. They have a house in Hot Springs. There’s not too many owners you ride four to five horses a day for – they are just great.”

Cohen won three races for M and M on March 2, with all trained by Robertino Diodoro. Cohen also has won for M and M’s other trainers at the meet, Karl Broberg and Norm McKnight.

For the card Saturday, Cohen has an additional stakes mount. He has been named to ride Heartwood in the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes. Cohen was aboard the Kentucky shipper last month when he won the King Cotton at Oaklawn.

Cohen said following the meet he will ride at Churchill Downs rather than in New York, a decision he made in part because of the increased purse structure the Kentucky track is rolling out for 2019.

“I knew that was coming up,” Cohen said. “I always wanted to make that a part of my circuit. I’ve had a house there a few years, and it looks like I’ll have good support of owners and trainers in Kentucky.”

Until then, Cohen is focusing on Oaklawn and specifically on Wonder Gadot on Friday.

“She’s doing great,” he said. “I worked her the other day out of the gate and she worked well. The way she covers ground, she just does it so effortlessly and just glides over the track.”

Just as smooth as the meet Cohen is having at Oaklawn.