Covfefe getting a breather before resuming training

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Covfefe is being turned out for the balance of the year and will return to training in early 2020 with a repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland being the primary goal, trainer Brad Cox said Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

Covfefe will get “maybe a couple of months” at the McKathan Brothers training center in Ocala, Fla., said Cox. The 3-year-old Into Mischief filly won the BC Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita last Saturday, clinching a divisional Eclipse Award.

National attention has focused in recent days on Covfefe through a light-hearted two-minute CNN feature that has been widely shared on social media.

“I thought it was really cool, really neat,” said Cox.

As for Cox’s four other Breeders’ Cup starters:

◗ British Idiom, who also clinched a divisional Eclipse by winning the BC Juvenile Fillies, will remain in light training at Churchill before shipping with the rest of the stable to Fair Grounds in New Orleans shortly after the Churchill fall meet ends Dec. 1.

The Feb. 15 Rachel Alexandra “is something we’d probably take a look at,” said Cox.

◗ Arklow, eighth in the BC Turf, was scheduled to resume training Thursday and also will ship to Fair Grounds early next month. His next start is indefinite.

“He acted up in the gate and had a wide trip and still didn’t get beat all that far,” said Cox, noting the 5-year-old horse finished just 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner, Bricks and Mortar.

◗ Owendale, a distant 10th in the BC Classic, will be nominated to the Grade 1 Clark on Nov. 29. “It seemed like he didn’t really take to the track out there,” said Cox.

◗ Andesite finished 10th in the BC Juvenile Turf, but was only three lengths behind the winner, Structor. “He leaves today for a freshening,” said Cox.

Whitmore to soldier on

Whitmore, a late-running third behind Mitole and Shancealot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was scheduled to return to light training Thursday and could race again relatively soon. He has the 2020 BC Sprint at Keeneland as a long-range goal, said trainer Ron Moquett.

“He’s the boss, he makes the rules,” said Moquett. “I already kicked him out this summer, so we’re good to keep going over the winter. We’ll definitely point him to Oaklawn and see what might come up along the way.”

Whitmore earned a 105 Beyer in the Sprint, equaling his career high. The 6-year-old gelding has earned more than $2.8 million from 30 starts.

Friday looking frigid

Back-to-back allowances with purses approaching six figures will serve as highlights of a 10-race Friday card at Churchill – assuming racing will be conducted amid unseasonable cold.

Overnight temperatures in the low 20s were expected to greet horsemen Friday morning, with a daytime high reaching only about 40. The last time Churchill canceled because of a frozen track was at the 2014 fall meet, when two straight days were missed.

If conditions are suitable for racing by the scheduled first post of 1 p.m. Eastern, the co-features should be entertaining.

Race 8 is a $97,000 first-level allowance for 2-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs, and there’s no clear-cut favorite in a field of 11. The highest Beyers were registered on non-dirt surfaces, led by Bean getting an 86 and 77 on synthetics and Western Taffy (72) and Takeitback (71) on turf.

Race 9 is a $99,000 secondlevel allowance for 3-year-olds and upward going a mile on the turf, and it looks like a scramble, too. Herecomesyourman, Secretary at War, Patriot Drive, and Combatant all seem capable among an oversubscribed lineup from which only as many as 10 can start.

Jefferson Cup rematch on tap

The top three finishers in the Sept. 28 Jefferson Cup at Churchill – Spectacular Gem, Tracksmith, and Faraway Kitten – will be rematched Saturday among a big lineup of 3-year-olds in the weekend highlight, the Grade 3, $175,000 Commonwealth Turf.

As many as 14 will be allowed to start in the Commonwealth Turf, which goes at 1 1/16 miles. Other notables include Armistice Day, a last-out runnerup in the Ontario Derby, and Louder Than Bombs, a last-out allowance winner over the Keeneland

◗ The Saturday card will feature the return of jockey Florent Geroux, who was cleared to ride by his physician after recovering from a broken sternum suffered in an Oct. 13 training spill at Keeneland. This week began with Geroux 12th in mount earnings among all North American riders with more than $10.1 million.