West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig's Cugino impressed his Hall of Fame-trainer Shug McGaughey with a winning 4-year-old debut in an optional-claimer going 1 1/16 miles June 19 on the inner turf at Aqueduct.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., the Twirling Candy bay saved ground 1 1/2 lengths back in third position during the early going, tipping to the two-path in the stretch to split rivals and inch clear for a one-length victory over Exact Estimate in a final time of 1:40.99, which returned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.
"I think Cugino has a chance to be a really nice horse," said McGaughey. "I was not surprised with the way he ran. He trained really well. I was having a hard time getting a race for him. We finally got one and he came through, so I'm very pleased with him."
Cugino could easily already be considered a very nice horse—he holds a 10-4-4-0 record with $559,410 in earnings, highlighted by listed wins as a sophomore in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream Park and Audubon at Churchill Downs. He is also dual grade 3-placed, finishing second in last year's Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland and the Hill Prince Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
McGaughey said a goal is the listed $150,000 Bernard Baruch, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older horses, on Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course. The Spa also offers the $750,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1) Aug. 2, which is a one-mile "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) in November at Del Mar.
"I think my one main objective, that is later on, is the Bernard Baruch," McGaughey said. "It is at the end of the meet. They have changed the date multiple times. (A next spot) is a good question, it is not going to be that easy. The Fourstardave, we will nominate and see how it comes up, might be a little quick coming off a layoff, but a lot of times that doesn't really bother him."
McGaughey has won the Bernard Baruch with My Big Boy (1988), Furiously (1993), Hall of Famer Lure (1994) and Ironicus (2015).
