Deftly handled by
jockey David Cohen, Coax Liberty came from off the pace to earn her first
stakes victory in the $65,000 Dearly Precious for 3-year-old fillies Saturday
at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Coax Liberty
prompted the early pace in second before she was taken back by jockey David
Cohen to race in fourth through a half-mile in 46.67. Angled outside in upper
stretch, she kicked strongly when roused to collar favored Breathoffreshheir
and drive to a two-length victory.
“The outside started stacking up on us pretty quickly,”
said Cohen, who won three races total on the card. “I chose to take her
out of that and sit behind in a nice stalking position as opposed to going with
them. The last quarter-mile I set her down for a run and she really exploded.
It was a very nice finish. Like I told the trainer, she was probably 90
percent. The last sixteenth of a mile I was just easing her on down.”
Winning trainer James Lawrence was quick to praise Cohen for his ride.
“David said it got a little crowded, so he took her back because
he thought she was a one-run filly, and she just exploded when he asked her,”
said Lawrence, who trains the sophomore for Copper Penny Stables. “She
had been training awesome, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I get real
emotional about her because she’s like a pet. The Cicada [Grade 3, March
19 at Aqueduct] has been our goal since Christmas. Hopefully we can get David
back on her. We know he’s real popular.”
Coax Liberty,
now 3-2-1 from seven starts, returned $12.20 to win as the 5-1 third choice and
was clocked in 1:11.24 for six furlongs on the inner track. The $39,000
winner’s share of the purse boosted her career earnings to $142,200.
Previously, Coax Liberty had finished third in the Grade 2 Adirondack
and fourth in the Grade 1 Spinaway, both at Saratoga Race Course, and sixth in
the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont
Park. After taking a Parx
Racing allowance by 2 ¾ lengths on November 12, she finished second, defeated 4
½ lengths, in the Brandywine at that venue on
December 21 in her most recent effort prior to today’s contest.
Coax Liberty, a daughter of Successful
Appeal, was bred in Kentucky
by My Meadowview, LLC.
Full Moon Blues finished a head behind Breathoffreshheir in third, with
Overseas Market and Wild About Sonny completing the order of finish.
Kela’s Pride was scratched.