Grade 1-winning sprinter Cogburn , the fastest turf sprinter on the planet, will shuttle to Widden Stud in 2025.
In a massive coup for the Australian breeding industry, Widden have struck a deal with the North American operation WinStar Farm to stand the talented son of Not This Time , who will shoot for top-tier glory once again in next month’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Cogburn cemented himself as the fastest turf sprinter in the world when he blew his rivals away in the Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course in June, setting a North American and world-record time of :59.80 for the 5 1/2-furlong (about 1,100 meters) trip in the process.
This performance coupled with the horse’s physical appearance had Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson reaching for the phone to sign up Cogburn for future shuttle duties to the operation’s New South Wales base.
“His physical attributes, his super speed, and the fact he loves the turf, make him the perfect stallion to shuttle to Australia. From my point of view that is what is so exciting about him and that is what captured our attention and had us so committed to getting him down here and seeing it work,” Thompson told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“He came on the radar when he broke a minute for 1,100 meters and when you see that time and the world record and you think: ‘Holy moly—what is this horse?'”
Widden Stud has charted a path into a new era of success this century through an astute selection of stallions such as Northern Meteor, his son Zoustar , and Sebring , and Thompson is excited to introduce Cogburn to Australian breeders.
“Australia is renowned for elite speed on turf and Cogburn’s stats are undeniably up there with the very best of our sprinters,” he said.
“In recent times we have been offered and considered many shuttle opportunities, but never actively pursued them until Cogburn—he’s a horse we chased, a physical powerhouse who I believe will make a meaningful impact on Australian racing.
“Aside from his astonishing win in the Jaipur Stakes, Cogburn has also clocked brilliant times on the turf over five furlongs (1,006 meters in :55.49) and six furlongs (1,207 meters in 1:07.68) which compare favorably with our superstar sprinters.”
Putting his world-record :59.80 for the approximately 1,100-meter trip into context, the track record over 1,100 meters at Flemington is 1:02.15, at Caulfield it comes in at 1:01.73, while Rosehill’s is clocked at 1:02.51.
The great Black Caviar is the only Australian sprinter to record a faster time over 1,000 meters in :55.42 when winning the 2013 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1), while the Randwick course record over 1,200 meters is a time of 1:07.32 and the Flemington track record over the same distance is 1:07.17.
Bred by Bellary Bay Bloodstock, Cogburn has improved with every term on the track and has strung together an impressive three-start unbeaten run this season, kicking off with a win in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T), before his explosive victory in the Jaipur Stakes and was last seen easily accounting for dual Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) hero Khaadem in the Ainsworth Turf Sprint Stakes (G2T) Sept. 7.
Having had his first eight starts on the dirt, winning three, Cogburn was switched to the turf, a decision that has been more than vindicated, with the entire having only tasted defeat once on the surface.
“We moved him to the turf because I didn’t feel that he had met his potential the way that he had trained. He’d run solid on the dirt, but we expected better from him. Then, we moved him to the turf, gave him a freshening and he’s come back an absolute monster,” said Asmussen.
“I’ve had some of the fastest horses in the world, some of the fastest horses of all time, and he’s still the first one I’ve ever had run 5 1/2 furlongs in under a minute.
“Five and a half furlongs in under a minute, it’s just hard to even get your head wrapped around that. He’s unbelievably impressive. He’s an absolutely different horse since being switched to the turf.”
In July, it was announced that WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., would stand the sprinter at the conclusion of his racing career after they entered a partnership with the ownership group of the 5-year-old, which includes Clark Brewster, William and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Lindy Farms, to acquire his breeding rights.
The deal between WinStar and Widden was brokered by Bradley Weisbord and Will Johnson, and Thompson has said it signaled an exciting chapter for Widden to work alongside Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm, to bring Cogburn to Australia.
“We’re over the moon about his arrival, and it’s been a great honor working with WinStar, one of the world’s most distinguished stud farms, to shuttle Cogburn to Australia,” he said.
“It is the first time we have worked and had a relationship with WinStar, but Elliott Walden is obviously a fantastic horseman and great guy, so it is pretty easy when you are dealing with people of that caliber.”
WinStar are no strangers to shuttling stallions to Australia having done so with great success with More Than Ready, and Walden is confident Cogburn can make his mark on the Southern Hemisphere breeding landscape in the future.
“We are delighted to announce a partnership with Widden Stud on Cogburn, the fastest horse in the world. We shuttled More Than Ready for many years, and I think Cogburn has a big chance down under,” Walden said.
“I was in awe of his performance in the Jaipur and his balance and conformation are spectacular and his type will suit the Australian market. Being by Not This Time, and having tremendous speed, he is a great fit for Australian breeders. Standing alongside Zoustar at a historic farm like Widden, we couldn’t be more excited.”
Out of listed-winning mare In a Jif (Saintly Look), Cogburn is from the second crop of Taylor Made Farm-based sire Not This Time and is one of the stallion’s six individual elite-level winners, which headline his 38 individual stakes winners.
Not This Time’s statistics make for impressive reading, with nearly 70% winners to runners and 11% stakes winners to runners, Not This Time has sired the winners of more than $10.7 million in North America this year and his global appeal reached new levels when his son Shareholder landed the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot in June.
Not This Time represents the Storm Cat sire line through champion racehorse and sire Giant’s Causeway, who has produced a hugely successful sire dynasty that has also achieved widespread success in Europe on the turf through his champion son Shamardal, Lope de Vega , and various other sire sons.
“Cogburn is one of six grade 1 winners by Not This Time who is regarded as one of the most exciting young sires in North America, attracting comparisons to champion Australian sire I Am Invincible, for his meteoric rise at Taylor Made Stallions—starting off from a modest fee of $15,000 when he went to stud in 2017, his fee has since rocketed to $175,000,” said Thompson.
“We have seen the success of the sire line with Shamardal and Lope de Vega down here. Not This Time is one of those freak stallions, to see him do what he is doing in America and see him have a nice winner at Ascot, and the quality of the stock he is getting and the types he is producing, it just seems amazing and very exciting.
“His first crop that are now 6-year-olds produced 17 stakes winners and his second crop produced 12 stakes winners, with his current crop of 2-year-olds including his first Royal Ascot winner Shareholder, winner of the group 2 Norfolk Stakes over five furlongs.
“I think he’ll suit a myriad of Australian mares. The Danehill line and the Australian speed mares will work. I think he’ll work with a lot of our mares and I’d love to see him cover some lovely Zoustar fillies and other nice mares we’ve got.”
