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Cugino surges to victory in the Tropical Park Derby (Ryan Thompson)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – 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.
