Covfefe lands first Grade 1 with thrilling Test S. victory
August 4, 2019
Covfefe’s dynamic win over Serengeti Empress in Saturday’s Test S. (G1) made the 3-year-old filly the fifth Grade 1 winner for Into Mischief and was one of two stakes winners on the day for the Spendthrift stallion.
Saturday’s results capped a terrific week for Into Mischief, who had three 2-year-old maiden special weight winners at Saratoga and one at Del Mar, as well as the runner-up Sombeyay in the Aug. 2 Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2). After Saturday’s results, he is the only stallion in North America to have progeny earnings in excess of $10 million.
The seven-furlong Test featured the powerful trio of Covfefe, Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Serengeti Empress, and the multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina. As expected, Serengeti Empress went to the front, with Covfefe chasing her closely through a half-mile in :44.28.
Covfefe inched closer around the turn, and the two were locked together at the top of the stretch, Racing side-by-side the rest of the way, Covfefe dug in late to edge clear, winning officially by a half-length in 1:21.26, the fifth-fastest Test on record.
“I didn’t know we had the race won until we hit the wire,” said Covfefe’s trainer, Brad Cox. “We had to get by a Kentucky Oaks winner. That was a grade 1 filly on the inside, and now we have a grade 1 winner. It was a great race, and we’re very thankful for (owner) LNJ Foxwoods to give us an opportunity like this.”
Covfefe, who set a track record in the Miss Preakness S. (G3) in May, is now 4-0-1 in six starts and has earned $483,300.
Bred in Kentucky by Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds, Covfefe is out of the Unbridled mare Antics, who produced Grade 2 winner Albiano. Covfefe was purchased by Solis/Litt for $250,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Cox said Covfefe will get a break before either running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) in early November or the La Brea S. (G1) Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.
“We’ll back off of her a little bit,” said Cox. “She’ll go back to Kentucky and we will let her regroup there. We’ll give her plenty of time before we ship her back, but we will see. We will see how she comes out of it and what other options are out there.”