With the ranks of European turf sprinters in disarray, it was left to US speedster Cogburn to lay down a Breeders’ Cup marker as he completed a hat-trick at Kentucky Downs on Saturday [Sept 7].
The Steve Asmussen-trained five-year-old has moved into the world’s Top 20 on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings after a consummate display in the G2 Ainsworth Turf Sprint over six furlongs.
Following his blistering track-record romp in the G1 Jaipur at Saratoga in June, Cogburn was sent off an 11-10 favorite over a field featuring several top US turf sprinters, among them Breeders’ Cup winner Nobals and last year’s one-two, Gear Jockey and One-Timer.
Breaking sharply under Irad Ortiz, he never looked back and scored easily by 3¼ lengths from late-running European visitor Khaadem. Cogburn moves up to #20 (from #62, +137pt) on TRC rankings.
As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge, this $2m event is a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the BC Turf Sprint, where Cogburn could well start favorite.
“What an amazing horse Cogburn is,” commented Asmussen. “For him to validate the form that he has shown all year long in his turf sprints is very special.”
Cogburn has won all three starts in 2024, in the process completing an imposing sequence of 107-111-107 on Beyer speed figures.
“I loved how good the field was, and everybody was here,” added Asmussen. “He showed how unbelievably fast he is. We’re unbelievably blessed to be associated with this horse.”
Runner-up Khaadem (#220 from #250, +22pt) could also return to America for the Breeders’ Cup. “He’s an eight-year-old, but this is all very new to him,” said trainer Charlie Hills.
“The gate speed was a problem, and he found himself a little bit too far back to a very good horse. Trying to give him 10 lengths is not easy, but he’s come through the rest of the field brilliantly, and I’m delighted with him.”
The Ainsworth Turf Sprint was just one among a multitude of lavishly endowed races last weekend at Kentucky Downs, an idiosyncratic venue by US standards more akin to a European turf course.
On Saturday’s card, the Franklin-Simpson Stakes for three-year-olds over 6½ furlongs became the venue’s first-ever G1 event – and it also provided a first G1 winner for trainer Jose d’Angelo in the shape of Howard Wolowitz, who enters our charts at #125 after holding off Yellow Card by a length. This was another lucrative success for world #4 jockey Irad Ortiz.
Six-year-old Montassib (#92 from #385, +232pt) became the latest in a line of European sprinters to claim a G1 victory this term with a 25-1 success in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock.
To be fair, Montassib has now won four of his last five starts since being cut back to six furlongs by trainer William Haggas. He arrived late on the scene before holding Kind Of Blue by a neck under Cieren Fallon (#168 from #228, +35pt).
“He's a horse you’ve got to ride with a lot of confidence and take your time on,” said the rider. “It’s always frustrating riding a hold-up horse, looking for gaps but there was a gap for me today. He was tremendous for me today; he's done nothing but improve.”
The Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on Sunday was billed as a clash between top UK milers Charyn and Notable Speech but they were upstaged on soft ground in Paris by Godolphin five-year-old Tribalist (#39 from #116, +151pt).
The Prix de la Foret and Breeders’ Cup Mile are reportedly on the agenda for the winner, who made all, poaching an early lead and holding on from runner-up Charyn (#11 from #10, -6pt).
Winning trainer was the legendary Andre Fabre (#16 from #18, +63pt); jockey Mickael Barzalona (#17 from #20, +33pt) also gets a bump up the lists.
Sussex Stakes winner Notable Speech (#33 from #14, -78pt) was only fifih, reportedly not appreciate the conditions underfoot.. Even so, his record now looks patchy.
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires
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• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.