2012 Champion Turf Male - Riding The River

Owners: Dominion Bloodstock, HGRH Inc. and Linmac Farm. Trainer: Dave Cotey. Breeder: Juliana Orem (Ky.).

You remember that Cinderella tale of Mine That Bird, the $9,500 yearling purchase by Cotey who went on to stun the world with his 50 to 1 Kentucky Derby score for his new American owners?

Well known for his sharp eye to pick out an athletic equine, and his ability to get such a horse for not a lot of money, Cotey picked out another modestly bred, inexpensive yearling in 2008, a year after he bought the Bird.

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This one, a Kentucky bred, plain bay by Pennsylvania stallion Wiseman’s Ferry from the mare Glow Ruby Glow, by Rubiano, cost just $3,500 (US) at the Fasig Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale. Shares in the youngster were divided up between Cotey, longtime business partner Hugh Galbraith and Jim McNair’s Linmac Farm.

“He was bred by the daughter of one of my best friends in Kentucky, Beau Lane,” said Cotey about the youngster, bred by Juliana Orem. “He came into the sales ring and no one was bidding. I felt bad, so I bid.”

Riding the River debuted for just a $16,000 claiming in 2010, won easily and in fast time, kickstarted an incredible career and injected some new life into the Cotey stable.

“We went through a couple of years with a lot of bad horses,” said Cotey, who races under the name of Dominion Bloodstock. “We had bad luck with a few decent ones and many we bought just didn’t turn out.”

The stable had its worst year in 2011, winning just nine races from 190 starters.

Riding the River, who had won some $260,000 in his first three years of racing and started to show signs that he could be a serious horse on the grass in the fall of 2011, made the most of his five turf races in 2012.

Following a Polytrack tune-up race in April, Riding the River finished fourth in the Connaught Cup (GII) to Something Extra in his first outing with his new jockey, champion Todd Kabel.

On Queen’s Plate day, in front of a large crowd, Cotey and his team experienced their biggest win in years when Kabel guided the gelding through traffic to win the $300,000 King Edward Stakes (GII) at one- mile on the turf.

“We were hopping in the bar,” said Cotey, after the win. “Todd gave him an awesome ride. He sat back, and made his run. I love him for it. We needed that. The horse deserves a win. He always tries. He runs his guts out every time.”

It didn’t take long for the River to continue to flow as the gelding overcame being shut off in mid-stretch to get up and win the Grade II Nijiinsky Stakes at nine furlongs, by a neck over Sam-Son Farms’ Hotep in a torrential downpour.

“It was a trip of hell,” said Cotey. “I warned Todd, “At some point in time, they’re going to shut off and you’re going to see a six-inch hole. Point him and hold on,” and that’s almost exactly what happened. He just forced his way through, he’s such a game little guy.”

Riding the River shortened up in distance for the Play the King Stakes (GII) but did not get as lucky with his trip, finishing a troubled second to Big Band Sound. The race did set him up for a chance at the big money, $1 million in the Woodbine Mile (GI).

Meeting up with North American hotshot Wise Dan (coincidentally also a son of Wiseman’s Ferry), Riding the River finished a respectable fourth and was retired for the season. His double-stakes win season was enough to get him a narrow win for the Sovereign Award for turf male by just three voting points over Sky Classic Stakes (GII) winner Forte dei Marmi (GB).

Now six years old, Riding the River began preparations for 2103 with his first three-furlong workout on April 14.