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Stakes-winner Cofactor makes turf debut in Lady Shipman

by Ryan Martin

Stoneway Farm's Cofactor will try turf for the first time,entering off a six-month layoff to compete in Sunday's $80,000 Lady Shipman for 3-year-old fillies over Belmont Park's inner turf course.

Trained by Kelly Breen, the gray or roan daughter of The Factor has not raced since a distant seventh in the Gin Talking on December 28 at Laurel Park.

Cofactor, who boasts a consistent 5-3-0-1 record on dirt, won her stakes debut in the Smart Halo on November 16 at Laurel Park following a first-level allowance win at Keeneland and a second-out maiden victory at Monmouth Park, where she earned a career-nest 75 Beyer Speed Figure.

In preparation for her sophomore debut and first career turf start, Cofactor recorded a half-mile drill in 47.60 seconds over Belmont's inner turf on May 30; the fastest of 15 recorded turf works at the distance.

"She's by The Factor and he's got a lot of turf horses. Kelly and I talked about it and he breezed her over the turf and she seemed like she liked it," said Terri Burch, Stoneway Farm's racing manager. "It's at a good distance, especially since it's been a while since she's raced. She's at home and didn't have to ship and I like the six furlongs. All those things are going to be good for her."

Burch compared Cofactor to Stoneway's multiple stakes-winner Pretty Perfection, who was a winner on both dirt and turf.

"We've had horses like this before where once we try them on turf they do well," Burch said. "Pretty Perfection was like that, so I'm hoping that Cofactor is the same way. They're similar as far as speed and the sires seem like they're pretty versatile. I'm real excited to see her on the turf. She's been breezing and training really well. She loves her job, she's quick and so we're hoping for the best."

A Kentucky homebred, Cofactor is out of the multiple stakes-winning Storm Boot broodmare Coco Belle. She will have the services of jockey Manny Franco from post 7.

Andrew Stone's Bredenbury will attempt to notch her first victory in North American for trainer Graham Motion.

Bred in Ireland by Rabbah Bloodstock, the chestnut daughter of Night of Thunder arrives off a fourth-place effort against allowance company at the Lady Shipman's distance, where she tracked third in between horses off a swift pace, came under urging approaching the eighth-pole and was unable to hold off two closing horses, finishing fourth.

Motion said she was a bit headstrong in her last effort and that she should be more relaxed this time around.

"I thought she was a little keen in her last race, and [jockey] Johnny [Velazquez] said he couldn't get her to settle early. I'm inclined to run her back," Motion said. 

"We cut her back in distance that day, which we all feel she needs, but she was pretty sharp. She's pretty fresh and now that she had a race, I think she'll be settled next time."

Jockey Luis Saez will pilot Bredenbury from the inside post.

Trainer Christophe Clement will saddle two fillies for the Lady Shipman in stakes-winner She's My Type and Notorious R B G.

Owned by Ghislaine Head, She's My Type, a French-bred daughter of Dunkerque, will make her first start away from Gulfstream Park and cuts back in distance to six furlongs after a pair of starts going one mile. Following a victorious career debut in December, she won the Ginger Brew going 7 ½ furlongs at the South Florida oval.

She's My Type arrives at the Lady Shipman off a close third to Highland Glory in the Sanibel Island on March 28 and recorded a strong half-mile work over the inner turf on June 12 going a half-mile in 48.40 seconds.

She's My Type will break from post 6 under Joel Rosario.

Stable mate Notorious R B G will attempt to make her case known when she makes her stakes debut following a seventh-place finish against winners on April 17 at Gulfstream Park.

The lightly raced daughter of Speightstown out of 2007 Champion Sprint Mare Maryfield won her career debut by a half-length on March 4 at Gulfstream Park. 

Owned by River Oak Farm, Scott Krase and Peter G. Stokes, Notorious R B G will have Junior Alvarado in the irons from post 2.

Completing the field are Call On Mischief [post 3; Jose Lezcano], Chili Petin [post 4; Irad Ortiz, Jr.], American Giant [post 5, John Velazquez], Lady Fatima [post 8; Dylan Davis], Gogo Shoes [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche]. and Miss J McKay [post 11; Jose Ortiz].

Miss Peppina entered for main track only.

The six-furlong sprint is named in honor of the 11-time stakes winner, who captured the Coronation Cup and Smart N Fancy at Saratoga Race Course in 2015 and the 2016 License Fee at Belmont. The speedy daughter of Midshipman retired with $902,387 in lifetime earnings with a record of 21-13-2-2.

Slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m. Eastern, the Lady Shipman will feature on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on FS1 and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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