Purely Cozzene Finds La Jolla to His Liking

After having a three-race win streak ended in Texas on July 3, Purely Cozzene started a new one Saturday in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap.

Owned by Ed and Natalie Friendly and trained by Bob Baffert, who won two other races on the card, the 3-1 second choice went wire to wire under David Flores, defeating 17-10 favorite Duke Of Green and seven other 3-year-olds.

This was the sixth victory in 13 starts for Purely Cozzene, who completed the 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:41 2/5 while winning by three lengths. A winner of a division of the Oceanside Stakes, Duke Of Green was second by a length over 4-1 third choice Sign Of Hope.

“He’s just a big, free-running horse,” said Baffert, who also won Saturday with Glorious Bid and Saudi Poetry. “He’d been doing great for this race, training very well over this turf course.

“If he continues to do as well as he has been doing, we’d have to take a shot in the [$300,000 Del Mar] Derby [on Sept. 10].”

The La Jolla was one of four victories on the program for Flores, who is second in the jockey standings behind Victor Espinoza, who had three winners Saturday.

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With Kona Gold and Caller One sitting out the $150,000 Pat O’Brien Handicap, Love That Red is the 2-1 favorite against five other sprinters in the Grade II this afternoon.

A California-bred owned by Terry Wells, Love That Red was second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Kona Gold, in the Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap three weeks ago. The Crosby was his first race for Baffert and the gelding stretches today to seven furlongs, a distance at which he has raced twice, winning both times.

Elaborate, the winner of last month’s Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap, and Cliquot, the runner-up that day, are co-second choices at 5-2. Victor Espinoza, who was on Love That Red in the Crosby, is back aboard Elaborate and Kent Desormeaux will ride Cliquot, the likely pacesetter, for the first time.

Completing the field are Auction House, Grady and Son Of A Pistol.

Horse Racing Notes

Proving her victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks last month at Belmont Park was no fluke, Jostle was impressive in victory again, easily winning the $750,000 Alabama at Saratoga. . . . After missing training time because of a minor foot injury, Early Pioneer, the upset winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup, will not run in Saturday’s $1-million Pacific Classic, according to trainer Vladimir Cerin. . . . On the day he was honored by Del Mar, jockey Laffit Pincay won the 8,967th race of his career when taking the second with Lifeguard.