Crupi Brings High Hopes, Famous Name Into Wood Memorial

Naming a horse after a departed friend or associate is a common practice at the racetrack. The hope, of course, is to find a quality runner who will honor the memory of its namesake by becoming a graded stakes winner. Trainer Bob Baffert hit a home run when McKinzie, named for his late friend Brad McKinzie and campaigned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, became a multiple grade 1 winner and earner of $3.4 million. McKulick (GB) was named in honor of trainer Chad Brown's late bookkeeper, Mary McKulick, and is a grade 1 winner. Crupi, on the other hand, has not yet found his best. Named for the well-known and highly esteemed horseman and consigner J.J. Crupi, who passed away in 2019, the equine Crupi is off to what can be best described as a slow start—both literally and figuratively. After developing a frustrating habit of breaking from the gate sluggishly and spotting fields 10 or more lengths in the early going, Crupi is winless after six starts for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher but has two seconds and three thirds. He's shown enough to keep getting opportunities. Last month, the son of Curlin rallied from 20 lengths back to finish seventh in the Risen Star Stakes (G2), a major Kentucky Derby (G1) prep. "I think Crupi breaks from the gate about as slowly as Jimmy Crupi would have," owner Mike Repole joked. Yet before Repole and co-owner Vinnie Viola look for another colt to bestow some part of Crupi's name, this 3-year-old colt will get a few more cracks to live up to his respected and beloved name, starting with the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Repole Stable and Viola's St. Elias Stable will send out two maidens (Crupi and Dreamlike) in New York's premier Kentucky Derby prep race, which could land one of them a spot in the Run for the Roses field with a top finish. Repole believes the "maiden" tag does not accurately describe his horses' chances in the 1 1/8-mile test that will award 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers. "Hopefully one or both will step up and prove they belong. I don't look at them as maidens," said Repole, who also owns champion and Kentucky Derby favorite Forte in a partnership with Viola. "Crupi lost a photo to one of the favorites in the Wood (co-third choice Slip Mahoney), so if he wins that bob, he's a not a maiden. Dreamlike ran an 87 and 91 Beyer (Speed Figure) and is the second choice in the morning line at 7-2." Dreamlike has certainly received more attention of the two. A son of Gun Runner and bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, he was bought for $975,000 from the Gainesway consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He debuted this winter at Gulfstream Park and finished second twice. The first time he raced wide at a mile before losing by 1 1/2 lengths and earning a sterling 87 Beyer Speed Figure (91 Equibase Speed Figure). He lost by three-quarters of a length to Empirestrikesfast in a 1 1/16 test on March 11, registering an even better 91 Beyer (99 ESF). The power in those numbers is reflected in Dreamlike being tabbed as the second choice in a field of 13 despite being a maiden. "In his second start, it looked like he would blow by the other horse but then he waited on him and the other one re-broke. We're putting on blinkers and he has the rail and I think he's going to come into his own and run a big race," Repole said. "He's the second choice and the favorite (Hit Show) has post 13. Forte had post 11 (in the Florida Derby, G1) so I know how tough that can be. (Hit Show) will have to run a mile and three-sixteenths from that post." Crupi is a more maiden-like 12-1 in the morning line for the Wood, but he has the name that created a buzz for his first start. The Curlin colt debuted as the preferred part of a Repole-Viola entry that went off as the 9-5 favorite Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course in a field of talented maidens. Much of the steam stemmed from knowing the connections' overflowing respect for J.J. Crupi, that the horse bearing the name of such a beloved figure probably had stakes potential. "Crupi got me my 2-year-old champion Uncle Mo and that was really special. I introduced him to Vinnie and he got Liam's Map (a Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, G1, winner) for him. He was a tremendous person," Repole said. Pletcher also had a long and successful relationship with Crupi. "J.J. was a legendary horseman," Pletcher said. "He was very gifted at identifying talent in young horses and was always fun to be around," the eight-time Eclipse Award winner said. The name popped up last year when Repole was looking over his long list of unnamed 2-year-olds and spotted an intriguing son of Curlin who was bred by Claiborne Farm and bought for $275,000 at the Keeneland sale. "One of the last horses J.J. bought for us was a Curlin colt named Vino Rosso and (Crupi) passed shortly before Vino Rosso won his first grade 1 for us (the 2019 Gold Cup at Santa Anita Stakes, G1). He later won the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)," Repole said. "I always wanted to name a horse after Crupi and give him a namesake, so when I saw this colt and looked at the mare's name, it was a no-brainer. Her name is Don'tforgetaboutme. If you knew Jimmy Crupi, he was one of the big personalities in the game. One of the great storytellers. Nobody's going to forget about him." Unfortunately, Crupi's debut was memorable for the wrong reasons. He hit the side of the gate at the break in the seven-furlong test and was last in the field of nine. He was 10 lengths behind after the opening quarter-mile and was 14 lengths back after a half-mile. He closed with a rush in the center of the track to just miss second by a nose while ending up 6 1/4 lengths behind Disarm, who was second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) last month. That furious rally made him an 8-5 choice in a Sept. 3 maiden race at the Spa, also at seven furlongs. That time he bobbled at the start, dropped a little more than seven lengths back, and finished third, 5 3/4 lengths back. "He keeps spotting horses 10 lengths coming out of the starting gate," Repole said. A third and second closed out his 2022 campaign before his Jan. 21 3-year-old debut at the Big A turned out to be his best try to date. Ridden by Kendrick Carmouche for the first time, he spotted the field his customary advantage in the one-turn maiden race. But Carmouche was able to kick him into gear on the backstretch and he quickly sped past rivals. By the quarter pole, he was at the flank of the leader, Slip Mahoney, and seemed poised to motor past. But his rival, who exited that race to finish second in the Gotham Stakes (G3), dug down and would not let Crupi go by, winning by a head. In the Feb. 18 Risen Star, at the Wood distance off 1 1/8 miles, Crupi was his usual self, trailing by 19 lengths after six furlongs before closing to finish seventh, 9 1/2 lengths behind Angel of Empire. With Carmouche back in the saddle and after a sharp :49.57 breeze at Palm Beach Downs April 1, Repole is hopeful that fans may see a repeat of Crupi's strong effort in his most recent Big A start. "He's a Curlin," Repole said about the half brother to Royal Spirit who was grade 3-placed for the stable. "He's getting better with every start and so we decided to run in him some bigger races. With Kendrick aboard, hopefully he can get him a little more involved early. I don't think we'll be on the lead but maybe he'll be within 10 lengths and not 25 behind. Last week was probably his best work ever so we'll see." For both Repole and Pletcher, the Wood has a special meaning. The New York-based trainer, who will also send out Classic Catch, has won the circuit's most coveted Derby prep a record-matching seven times and is seeking a third straight win. Included is the 2021 edition when Pletcher sent out Bourbonic to beat Repole's Dynamic One by a head. "I didn't talk to Todd for four weeks after that," Repole kidded. Repole, who grew up near Aqueduct in Queens and will have about 30 family friends with him Saturday, already owns two Wood wins with Vino Rosso in 2018 and Outwork in 2016 and sees Saturday as an opportunity to record a third in storybook fashion. Mo Donegal won last year's Wood for Donegal Racing and afterward Repole would buy into that colt who would finish fifth in the Derby before taking the Belmont Stakes (G1). "The Wood has always been special to me. I can remember seeing Bellamy Road (in 2005) win by a mile and going there as a kid to see so many other great horses. To me it is Aqueduct's biggest race, even if it's not a grade 1," Repole said. "My first experience as an owner was a nightmare with Uncle Mo (in 2011) finishing third at 1-10 odds but now, if a horse named Crupi can break his maiden in a $750,000 race like the Wood and get a spot in the Kentucky Derby, can it get any better than that?"