Photo: MEC
Joan Scott couldn’t predict that Cor Cor would become a stakes
winner in only her second start, but she was well aware that she was
training a very fast filly before the daughter of Smoke Glacken made her
debut at Keeneland in October.
“She was a rocket out of the gate. When she got her gate card, she
was always sharp out of the gate,” said Scott, who’ll saddle Cor Cor for
Tuesday’s $100,000 Old Hat (G3) at Gulfstream. “But you never know
until they run. You know how it is, you have all these great ideas, but
the proof is only after they make that first start.”
Cor Cor’s exceptional speed was very much in evidence on Oct. 11,
when she ran away from 11 3-year-old fillies over Keeneland’s synthetic
surface to score by nearly three lengths.
“I was delighted with her, delighted and excited,” said Scott, who
trains the Florida-bred filly for Steve Ballou and Harriet Waldron.
Cor Cor came back two months later with an even more exciting
front-running effort to win the $68,000 Sandpiper at Tampa Bay on Dec.
1. She rocketed away from the starting gate to set torrid early
fractions (:21 4/5, :44 2/5 and :56 3/5) and hung tough to register a
half-length victory.
“It showed me that she had some guts,” Scott said. “I saw the
fractions, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was really proud of
her. It shows you a lot.”
Cor Cor has turned in a pair of bullet breezes since her winning
stakes debut, including a :47 2/5 four-furlong breeze that was the best
of 40 recorded at the distance on Dec. 23.
“She’s very kind; she’s very pretty; and she’s sweet. But she’s
quick about everything. You have to train her with relaxed training,”
Scott said. “But if she’s ready to go, you just have to push the button.
She’s very kind to deal with.”
Scott Spieth will have the return mount aboard Cor Cor, who is
slated to break from the No. 3 post position, two stalls outside of
likely favorite Kauai Katie in the starting gate.
“I’m happy with the post,” Scott said, “and we’ll play it by ear.”