Gulfstream: Cugino Provides Ortiz 5 Wins Saturday in Tropical Park Derby

By David Joseph —-

Gulfstream Park Photo
Cugino Provides Ortiz 5 Wins Saturday in Tropical Park Derby

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Cugino provided jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with his fifth winner, as well as a stakes sweep, on Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park, surging through the stretch to capture the $140,000 Tropical Park Derby.

Three races earlier on an 11-race program, Ortiz guided See You Around to victory in the $140,000 Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

“It feels great just to have the opportunity to ride these kinds of horses, nice horses like today and all week. I like to ride any horses, claiming horses, I don’t really care. I’m just happy to ride,” said Ortiz, who is seeking his third-straight Championship Meet title and sixth overall. “The trainers and owners give me the right opportunities and support me big time. I just thank God to keep me healthy and be able to keep doing what I love.”

Cugino ($5.40) needed a perfectly executed ride from Ortiz to prevail by a neck over late-rallying 40-1 outsider Full Nelson in the Tropical Park Derby, a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds.

“He got him in position on the first turn. I liked the way he was able to wait, and when the hole opened, he really kicked,” Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said.

Cugino broke cleanly from his No. 10 post in the 12-horse event before Ortiz deftly dropped the son of Twirling Candy to the rail in sixth behind a pacesetting Fidelightcayut, who was stalked to his outside by Silent Heart, the even-money favorite. Fidelightcayut set solid fractions of 22.51 and 46.73 seconds for the first half mile and continued to lead on the far turn.

Edgar Perez asked Silent Heart for his run on the turn into the homestretch, and the Brian Lynch trainee responded to take the lead at the top of the stretch as Ortiz bided his time for a hole to open up. Silent Heart appeared on his way to victory when a hole finally opened for Cugino in mid-stretch. Ortiz swung him off the rail and he surged through the late yards to eke out a victory while holding Full Nelson safe.

“I wanted to get a good position going into the first turn and I went for it without thinking twice. I used him a little bit to get position and that’s all I wanted to do. I was worried about the post position more than anything. I know I was on the right horse,” Ortiz said. “Going into the first turn I used him a little more than I wanted to, but I ended up in a beautiful spot and after that, everything worked out beautiful. I turned for home and it opened up and I was able to get clear without a problem, and he gave me a good kick down the lane.”

Cugino ran 1 1/16-miles in 1:39.32 over a firm turf. Full Nelson finished a neck ahead of Silent Heart.

Cugino, who lost a neck decision in last season’s $200,000 Colonel Liam at Gulfstream, finished second in the Hill Prince (G3) at Aqueduct in his prior start. The Tropical Park Derby is Cugino’s second stakes win.

“He’s just had some unlucky trips. Several times in the spring and here when he got beat in the Colonel Liam,” said McGaughey, who is thinking about giving Cugino a break after his big race Saturday.

“I just wanted to run him one more time after the [Hill Prince]. I thought about the Hollywood Derby, but this was in our backyard. All we had to do was put the bridle on him and lead him over,” McGaughey added.

GULFSTREAM TODAY

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Tuscan Sky was among several horses Saturday morning tuning up for Pegasus World Cup Preview stakes next Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 3-year-old son of Vino Rosso breezed a half-mile at Palm Beach Downs in preparation for the $165,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), an important prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream.

Tuscan Sky, who is coming off a runner-up finish in the Nov. 3 Discovery at Aqueduct, turned in the fastest clocking (47.89 seconds) at the distance in advance of the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up. He worked in company and finished on even terms with Spendthrift Farm LLC’s Major Dude, a prominent entrant for next Saturday’s $215,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1).

“Major Dude and Tuscan Sky breezed together. Both went well and both have been training well,” Pletcher said.

Wathnan Racing’s Tumbarumba, a veteran stakes performer who is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar, breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02.75 for the Harlan’s Holiday at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training center in Palm Beach County. The 4-year-old son of Oscar Performance won the Fred W. Hooper (G3) and finished second in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) and Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream last season for trainer Brian Lynch.

Others slated to run in the Harlan’s Holiday: Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Digital Ops, a $400,000 purchase at the Keeneland November sale; Bill Mott-trained Rocket Can, who captured the Holy Bull (G3) and finished second in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream in 2023; and Bobby Dibona-trained Steal Sunshine, the winner of the 2023 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

Whisper Hill Farm LLC’s Grand Sonata also represented Pletcher on the Palm Beach Downs worktab while preparing for a scheduled start in the 1 1/8-mile Fort Lauderdale. The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro, who most recently finished off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Del Mar, was timed in 49.91 seconds for a leisurely half mile. Grand Sonata captured the $2 million Turf Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs prior to the Breeders’ Cup.

Pletcher’s fellow Hall of Famers Mark Casse and Shug McGaughey will also be involved in the Fort Lauderdale. Casse-trained Win for the Money, who finished off the board in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar after capturing the Woodbine Mile (G1), and McGaughey-trained Fort Washington, who captured the Monmouth Stakes (G3), are entered to start. Emmanuel, a former Pletcher trainee now conditioned by Michael Maker, is also entered in the Fort Lauderdale.

Pletcher was also pleased Saturday with Team Valor International LLC’s Bless My Stars, who is scheduled to make her U.S, debut in next Saturday’s $165,000 Suwannee River, a mile turf stakes for fillies and mares that will serve as a prep for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2). The South African-bred 5-year-old mare, who is a Group 1-placed Group 2 winner, was breezed a half mile in 49.89 seconds at Palm Beach Downs.

“We’ve been getting her acclimated and she’s settled in well,” Pletcher said.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $550,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool is expected to grow to an estimated $550,000 Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the 11h racing day following a Nov. 24 mandatory payout.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, kicked off by a strong six-furlong optional claiming allowance in Race 5. Jack Sisterson-trained Seminole Chief, the winner of the $300,000 In Reality FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series final last year, is slated to make his first start since winning an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream in March. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Mish, a high-percentage in-the-money stakes performer, will seek to rebound from a distant fifth-place finish behind Grade 1 stablemate White Abarrio.

No Valla, who captured the Nov. 17 Daring Kathy Handicap, will seek her third straight victory for trainer Amador Sanchez and jockey Luca Panici in Race 7, a mile starter allowance on turf for fillies and mares.

The Rainbow 6 carryover pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Irad on a Roll with Five More Winners Including Derby and Oaks

Not only did jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., sweep Saturday’s Tropical Park Derby and Tropical Park Oaks, but he won five of the last six races including the last four.

Ortiz won Race 6 with Julee’s Legacy ($4), finished fifth in Race 7, then swept the remainder of the card. He won the Oaks with See You Around ($11.20), Race 9 with Vassimo ($6.60), Race 10 aboard Swan Lake ($4) and the Derby with Cugino ($5.40).

Ortiz is winning with 33 percent of his mounts and hitting the board with approximately 60 percent.

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