Page 21 - May 2005 The Game

22 The Game, May 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Can 'Justice' serve Cotey a Plate win?
Moonshine Justice & Groom Anthony Reid
By Chris Lomon
Dave Cotey is hoping the road to this year's Queen's Plate is similar to the works of his talented three-year-old hopeful.
Smooth. It's the one word Cotey, now in his fifth year as a conditioner, has used on several occasions to describe the training efforts of Moonshine Justice, a colt who appears to have a legitimate shot at contesting the "Gallop for the Guineas" on June 26 at Woodbine.
"I think he's our best shot to date, at least at this point in time," said the 57-year-old trainer, who started Dominion Bloodstock nearly 20 years ago, owning such horses as Certainly Classic, Wafare Warrior and Try And Be Clever. "But we don't know if he can go two turns. We'll have to find that out."
So far, Cotey, who posted career-best marks in wins (32), ranking (t-10) and purse earnings ($1,630,795) in
2004, has to like what he sees in the son of Whiskey Wisdom.
After a second-place start (Moonshine Justice came in on another horse and was placed fourth) in his career bow on June 13, the Ontario-bred reeled off three consecutive stakes scores, taking top honours in the Clarendon, Vandal and Simcoe.
In the Clarendon, on July 18, his first added-money test, Moonshine Justice, sent off at odds of 5-1, crossed the wire a three-length victor with Todd Kabel in the irons. One month later, this time as the favourite, the dark bay was 1 1/2-lengths the best. Three weeks later, once again as the bettor's top choice, it was a neck win for the then two-year-old in the Simcoe.
Impressive on their own merits, even more so considering Moonshine Justice wasn't exactly performing at 100 per cent in 2004.
"He was sort of handicapped because he was running with kind of a cracked cannon bone," said Cotey, who has been to the Plate before, including as the co-owner of Change of Fortune, a Robert Lane trainee who finished ninth in the 1992 classic. "But he's a lot
different horse this year than he was last year."
While his morning work ethic was questionable at best in his first campaign at the races, the same can't be
said of Moonshine Justice's mindset in 2005.
And that's a good thing, said Cotey.
"Our exercise boy Charlie Brown said Moonshine
is absolutely so smooth to gallop now," said the Mississauga resident, who watched the lifetime earner of $283,914 cover five furlongs, 1:03, breezing, over a fast main track on April 6. "He's worked extremely well. But that wasn't the case last year."
While he's developed an appreciation for morning works, Moonshine Justice has also developed a much stronger personality.
"It's tough to get him out of his stall, he's acting like a real tough guy these days," said Cotey, of the horse that has won at 5 1/2, 6 and 7 furlongs. "He's definitely a lot more to handle this year."
Though it's still relatively early to speculate, Cotey, who won 13 races and earned over $800,000 in 2001, his first year as a trainer, is hopeful Moonshine Justice can negotiate a successful path to the Plate.
The proof, he said, will come when he tackles two- turn events.
"It still has to be proven if he can handle two turns," said Cotey, whose first win as a trainer came on May 25, 2001 at Woodbine with Return Journey. "We know he settles nicely in a race. I'm cautiously optimistic that he will want two turns."
While looking forward is the norm for most horsemen at this point in the season, Cotey can't help but look back in time when he speaks of Moonshine Justice, a horse he admired at first blush.
"He was a classy looking, well-balanced, athletic horse. There was nothing I didn't like about him. I didn't bid on him because I thought he'd be out of my price range. When I heard he was bought back, I took a look at him, made the offer and it was accepted."
Cotey, who owns Moonshine Justice along with Derek Ball and Hugh Galbraith, certainly hasn't had any reason to regret his purchase.
The trio will be looking for a better finish in this year's Plate, after Strike Em Hard, who finished fourth in the 2004 Plate Trial, went on to finish sixth to Niigon in last year's 1 1/4-mile classic.
There's every reason to believe the 146th running of the Plate, at least at this point in time, could provide a much happier ending.
"Winning our first stakes race definitely stands out, as well as Lady Shari and Certainly Classic," said Ball, in reference to two of the more notable horses he has owned with Cotey and Galbraith. "But having a horse in the Plate is a big thrill, too."
A race that Cotey and Co. hope to be part of in 2005.
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