Covfefe was a pure sprinter who won an Eclipse Award in that division. But so far, the mare’s two foals to race seem like very different types. From the beginning, first foal, Ellen Jay, looked like her mother’s daughter and is a stakes-winning sprinter – albeit on the turf, tapping into the versatility of her sire, Constitution. A runner with a refined, feminine build, she found a rhythm quickly and seemed to steadily improve with each start. Rothko is a more rugged individual, with plenty of bone and a massive shoulder. He has taken time to come to hand. And while he has his mother’s speed, racing on or near the lead, he has tapped into the stamina influence of his sire, Tapit, as he has improved when going longer distances this year. He will look to continue his progress in Wednesday’s seventh race at Keeneland, a $120,000 allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt for older horses who have never won a race other than a maiden, claiming, or starter allowance, or who have never won two races. :: Keeneland Spring Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, picks, news, and more. Rothko made his first start in July 2024 and didn’t make his second until November 2025. He won a maiden race in his third career start, that coming on Jan. 11 at Fair Grounds for Brad Cox. Stretched out to a mile for the first time, he contested the pace and then finished well to the wire while kept to task. He then stepped out to 1 1/16 miles facing winners for the first time on March 19 in New Orleans. He was eager but not unrateable, kept on a tight rein while on a clear lead. Although he was overtaken late to be second by a length, he vastly improved his career-best Beyer Speed Figure to 93. Wednesday’s race is a little shy of four weeks since that effort, the fastest Rothko has ever come back between starts. Cox has removed the blinkers, and remaining rateable under Irad Ortiz Jr. will be a key task. Rothko has drawn post 2 in a field of five, with the other likely speed source being Roger Roger, who stretches out off a seven-furlong maiden win, next door in post 3. If Rothko feels pressure from his immediate outside, he may become more keen. The short stretch for this distance could work to his benefit. Fact, drawn in post 5 under John Velazquez, could wind up stalking. Fact is making his own second start off a layoff and should be tighter for this effort after a very consistent 2025 campaign for Will Walden. The gelding never missed the board in four outings last year, capped by a runner-up effort in the Smarty Jones at Parx Racing last August. Going 1 1/16 miles, trying two turns for the first time, Fact kept trying hard to the line while beaten a head by Tip Top Thomas. In his comeback race, going a sharp mile March 14 at Gulfstream, Fact improved position late to be second. Wednesday’s card also includes a $140,000 allowance for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on turf, with several familiar names dropping out of stakes company into this 12-horse field. Those entered for race 8 include Child of the Moon, who seems to be rounding into form. In her second start off a layoff of more than a year, she was beaten less than a length in a strong edition of the Grade 2 Hillsborough last out. Sweet Treasure, Grade 3-placed last November, was most recently third in the Albert M. Stall Memorial at Fair Grounds. The winner, Expensive Queen, dead-heated for the victory in last Saturday’s Grade 1 Jenny Wiley here. Austere was multiple graded stakes-placed last year, while Settling Storm and Zadorsky were both stakes-placed this winter at Turfway. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.