Slight cutback should suit Cooey
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Saffie Joseph Jr. had things pretty easy when Cooey first entered his barn late last year and rattled off two straight victories, but the filly hit a wall when she stepped up to face open-company winners in January. Still winless this year, her trainer believes she is due for a breakthrough in the seventh race on Sunday at Gulfstream Park, a first-level allowance on dirt.
In her third start this year, Cooey will cut back slightly to six furlongs in a field of six fillies and mares. Returning to a familiar distance is one of several factors Joseph finds encouraging. A workout April 12, in which the 4-year-old ran four furlongs in 47.20 seconds, also points to improvement.
“I thought we were going to make the right jump going forward after” two straight wins, Joseph said. “Maybe the seven furlongs has been an issue because she trains too good to not run well.”
Though she delivered a few strong efforts in California for Bob Baffert, the Florida-bred filly did not earn her inaugural victory until hitting the track at Gulfstream in November. After taking that maiden special weight by a nose in her first start for Joseph, she improved to win a statebred allowance with an 80 Beyer Speed Figure in December.
Coming off such an effortless score against Florida-bred rivals, Joseph had every reason to put Cooey back in open company in January. Stretching out to seven furlongs on a sloppy track didn’t seem like a concern either, but despite getting another uncontested early lead, she quickly faded to fourth by 6 3/4 lengths. Off a short layoff in March, Joseph entered her at the same level and distance, where she pressed a hot early pace and caved again in a 7 1/2-length defeat.
“She should run well this time,” Joseph said. “Last time, I was kind of disappointed. I thought maybe the slop was the reason [for her regression in January], but she came back and ran similar, so I think the cutback in distance is going to help her more than anything.”
Back at six furlongs on Sunday, Cooey will be the likely pacesetter against a group that could be hard-pressed to chase her down. Alongcomesawoman is the only other horse in the field to win a race in the last nine months, having most recently taken a $12,500 conditioned claiming race on March 6 for trainer Gustavo Delgado.
Costa Amalfitana will return to dirt in her second start for new trainer Juan Arias. A synthetic test last month ended in a 13 3/4-length defeat. Toward the end of her last stint with trainer Carlos Munoz, the filly was zeroing in on an appropriate level after running at long odds at Colonial Downs, Keeneland, and Tampa Bay Downs.
Rock the Rainbow, a 4-year-old filly trained by Eddie Owens Jr., will return from yet another short layoff in her fourth career start. A dominant debut winner at Monmouth Park in August 2024, the New Jersey-bred has only run twice since.
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