Paul Reddam may have lost I'll Have Another and finished unplaced in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) with Handsome Mike , but that doesn't mean he's out of the 3-year-old picture. Reddam said he is planning on sending his European-trained Cogito to Saratoga Race Course for the Aug. 25 Travers Stakes (gr. I).
Cogito, a well-bred son of Giant's Causeway –Ladies Cruise, by Fappiano, has won two of his four starts for trainer Brian Meehan, including a victory in the one-mile Betfair Heron Stakes at Sandown and a second in the 1 1/4-mile Prix Eugene Adam-Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte (Fr-II) in his most recent start July 22.
Bred in Virginia by Lazy Lane Farms, Cogito was a $165,000 weanling purchase at the Keeneland November mixed sale, then was bought back for $140,000 at the following year's Keeneland September yearling sale. He was consigned to the Tattersalls 2-year-old sale in England last year, but was withdrawn.
"We bought him for $275,000 and a small contingency right after the breeze up sale," Reddam said. "He had some minor issue, like a cough, at that time. He was training right along as a 2-year-old and then we had to stop on him as his ankle was bugging him.
"(Jockey) Kieren Fallon got off last time and said he thinks the horse would prefer dirt, and then Brian and (bloodstock agent) Jamie McCalmont were all over it. I originally gave them their choice of the Haskell or Jim Dandy (gr. II) and they opted for the Jim Dandy because they didn't want to quarantine in New Jersey, where your help can't have access to the horse. For Saratoga he could quarantine at Aqueduct. However, he got a vaccination that he didn't need and therefore couldn't be released from quarantine until Thursday, which only gave him one day on the track, which wasn't enough. By waiting until the Travers, Brian now has time to train him properly for the race."
Meehan will fly to the States on the Wednesday before the race and will saddle the colt. Joel Rosario will ride.
Reddam also said that Handsome Mike, trained by Doug O'Neill, will run in Saturday's Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington Park.
