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| Staff Writer |
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As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, the victor will secure a coveted automatic berth in the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, set to take place at Del Mar on 2 November. The US$2 million contest has attracted a stellar field, with connections eyeing not only the substantial prize money but also the opportunity to punch their ticket to the world championships.
Cogburn, trained by Steve Asmussen, enters the fray off the back of a scintillating performance in the Gr.1 Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day, where he stopped the clock at a blistering :59.80 over 5 1/2 furlongs. The 5YO son of Not This Time boasts an impressive turf record, having won five of his six starts on the surface. However, his sole grass defeat came in this very race last year, where he finished fifth, beaten just three-quarters of a length.
Adding international intrigue to the contest is the Charlie Hills-trained Khaadem, who arrives fresh from back-to-back victories in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Mrs. Fitri Hay-owned speedster became the first horse since Right Boy in 1959 to complete the double, cementing his status as one of Europe's premier sprinters. However, the 6YO will need to bounce back from two disappointing runs in Group One company since his Royal Ascot triumph.
Defending champion Gear Jockey returns to Kentucky Downs looking to replicate his success from last year. The Rusty Arnold-trained 6YO held off the late charge of One Timer in the 2023 edition and will be hoping the unique, undulating Kentucky Downs course once again plays to his strengths.
Previous winners of this prestigious contest include Extravagant Kid (2020), who went on to land the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan, and Imprimis (2019), who subsequently finished sixth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Larry Rivelli, responsible for both Nobals and One Timer, is keeping his options open, stating: "It's very possible we could run both and not scratch one." Nobals, a 5YO son of Noble Mission, will be looking to improve on his sole previous appearance at the track, where he finished fifth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes over a distance beyond his optimum.
The unique configuration of Kentucky Downs, coupled with the lucrative purse structure, continues to attract top-class performers from both sides of the Atlantic. Kentucky-bred runners will be competing for the full US$2 million purse, while their foreign-bred counterparts race for US$1 million – still double the value of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
As the runners go to post on Saturday, all eyes will be on whether Cogburn can transfer his scintillating Saratoga form to Kentucky Downs, if Nobals can recapture the brilliance that saw him upset the Breeders' Cup, or if international raider Khaadem can add an American Group Two to his impressive CV.