Cogburn’s future looks much brighter after his win in the $300,000 Troy S. (G3) Saturday at Saratoga, the first graded stakes win, and third black type overall, for the 4-year-old son of Not This Time.
Cogburn is the 12th lifetime graded winner for his sire, who currently ranks in the top 10 on the 2023 General Sire list and leads the Fourth-Crop list by a wide margin, with over $7 million in progeny earnings.
Cogburn was riding a two-race stakes winning streak coming into Saturday’s 5 ½-furlong contest. Regular rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. got his mount away in good order and was within two lengths of the lead midway on the turn. He swung wide coming into the stretch and gamely ran down Nobals to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:03.70 on soft turf.
“I thought Ricardo gave him just a perfect trip today,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “Thankfully, he handled the soft turf. The concern was that he had run twice on very firm turf and all the rain we got [Friday]–not being sure how he’d like it–but obviously it suits him well. I feel great to beat the field that we did today and now we can think big. We hopefully have a Breeders’ Cup horse.”
Owned by Clark Brewster and Bill & Corinne Heiligbrodt, Cogburn has a record of 6-2-0 in 11 starts and has earned $591,710. He is undefeated in three turf sprint starts.
Bred by Bellary Bloodstock, Cogburn is out of the stakes winner In a Jif, who has a weanling full brother to Cogburn.
