Cagliostro's improving form pays off in Hanshin Stakes

Sometimes the addition of blinkers changes nothing with a horse. But blinkers have transformed the 4-year-old colt Cagliostro, who raced as a stalker and closer in two-turn races last year, and on Sunday at Churchill Downs won the Grade 3, $300,000 Hanshin Stakes, a one-turn mile, after sitting just off the pace.

It’s not just a stylistic thing, either. Cagliostro runs with greater confidence and purpose now than he did even in his best performances last year. The colt has grown up, gotten faster, and ran impressively capturing the Hanshin by one length over Tumbarumba, game as always in defeat. Raise Cain rallied decently to finish third, 1 3/4 lengths behind Tumbarumba and well clear of fourth-place Three Technique. Extra Anejo, the 17-10 favorite, could not keep pace with Cagliostro in upper stretch and faded to seventh. Early pacesetter Zozos was beaten at the half-mile pole and eased to the wire at 9-2.

Cagliostro, a son of Upstart and A Rosefor Isabelle, by Hard Spun, was timed in a snappy 1:34.87 over a fast track and paid $10.44 as the third choice. Trained by Cherie DeVaux, the colt was making his second start since being privately purchased by Wathnan Racing.

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That purchase came after Cagliostro’s 2024 debut, a first-level allowance win at Keeneland and his first start in blinkers. While the pace in that 1 1/16-mile race around two turns came up moderate, Cagliostro pressed early and took a lead down the backstretch, showing even more speed while finishing a good second on June 1 going 1 1/8 miles in the Blame Stakes.

DeVaux had Pyrenees (who finished second) for Saturday’s Grade 1 Stephen Foster, another 1 1/8-mile race, and decided the time was right to cut Cagliostro back to an extended one-turn race, a transition that worked beautifully.

With Flavien Prat taking the mount after Jose Ortiz had ridden the last two races, Cagliostro broke sharply and had the lead after 10 strides before Zozos came up the rail to lead, pressed by Extra Anejo. At the half-mile pole, bending into the turn, Zozos stopped and Extra Anejo inherited the lead, but Cagliostro wasn’t letting him get away. Cagliostro drew abreast, put his head in front just past the quarter pole, and finished up in a solid 24.34 final quarter off a half-mile in a modest 46.10.

Cagliostro won for just the third time in 11 starts while landing his first stakes. Eight of those races, though, came around two turns, and for Cagliostro, less distance is producing greater success.

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