Capuano glad he skipped Haskell with Big Cuddle

Gary Capuano said he might have had a stroke of good luck when he decided to pull Big Cuddle from his preparation for the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth last Saturday. The trainer said he was targeting the race after the colt improved to win the $300,000 Delaware Derby, but he ultimately decided not to enter.

“Just the way the things were coming up to the race, it just didn’t seem like the right fit for him at the time,” Capuano said. “It turned out fine anyway because the track came up [sloppy] and it was just a mess.”

Torrential rain greatly impacted this year’s edition of the Haskell, leading to a wet track that seemed to keep several key contenders from running their best races. Kentucky Derby runners Further Ado and Ocelli finished fifth and seventh, while the Preakness winner Napoleon Solo was upset by the rail-skimming 28-1 longshot Baby Vino.

Capuano escaped the weather by making his early decision to withdraw Big Cuddle, who has never run on a wet surface. All three of his stakes victories have come on fast tracks at Laurel Park and Delaware Park.

The trainer said he plans to give his colt several weeks’ rest before landing on a next start.

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