Strobe once again flashes his brilliance
While things didn’t go great for trainer Brad Cox this past weekend in Florida, where Cyberknife wrapped up his racing career with a sixth-place finish as the 2-1 favorite in the Pegasus World Cup, the Fair Grounds wing of the stable did just fine. Cox ran four horses last racing week in New Orleans, and all of them won.
That group includes 4-year-old Strobe, who has started looking like a very serious sprinter for Cox and Godolphin. Racing over a sloppy Churchill track last November, Strobe was a well-beaten second in a first-level allowance, but no rival has come close to him in four other starts, which Strobe won by almost 22 lengths combined. Stepping up in class from a second-level allowance victory Dec. 22 at Fair Grounds, Strobe won a third-level allowance Jan. 27 by 5 1/4 lengths. Jockey Florent Geroux never asked Strobe for much of anything and still the colt earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure following a 105 last out. Strobe is very fast, but settles and responds to his rider.
“He’s not a rank horse at all. He put some distance on a solid group of horses,” Cox said.
Strobe is bound for stakes racing – when and where remains to be seen. One spot Cox mentioned was the Grade 1 Carter over seven furlongs April 8 at Aqueduct.
Warrant showed less flash capturing a third-level route allowance on Jan. 26, but after leading and being headed in midstretch, he came back to win going away with a 90 Beyer. Warrant finished a close second in the 2022 Santa Anita Handicap, and that race is in play for him again.
Saturday, the 3-year-old Lookin At Lucky colt Eyeing Clover followed up a debut sprint score at Oaklawn with an eye-catching 9 1/4-length first-level sprint allowance win. Eyeing Clover got an 87 Beyer and could start next in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn.
“He galloped out well. We’ll look at two turns, stretch him out, and see what happens,” Cox said.
◗ Swot Analysis will be a heavy favorite facing high-end Louisiana-bred sprint allowance foes in the featured fifth race Thursday, but he could get caught up in a hot, contested pace, and Jax Man is the selection to rally from well off the pace and post a mild upset.
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