Cugino looks to fire fresh again in Knickerbocker
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Cugino usually acquits himself well off a layoff and could score off the bench in the 65th running of the Knickerbocker, the first of two $175,000 turf stakes on Saturday’s Belmont card along with the Key Cents.
Cugino found the mark when fresh three times during his career, including when he won the Grade 2 Red Smith last fall at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old was a troubled third coming off a break July 5 at Colonial, after which he ran third in another conditioned allowance at Saratoga.
Antonio Fresu will ride Cugino for hot trainer Shug McGaughey. They are a combined 2 for 4 at the Belmont meet.
The other protagonists in the 1 3/16-mile event are Program Trading, Carson’s Run, and Tiz Dashing.
Program Trading, the probable favorite, prevailed in the Grade 2 United Nations at Monmouth in July. The Chad Brown-trained 5-year-old was a stalking third two back in the Grade 1 Christophe Clement Turf at Saratoga and was the surprising pacesetter here most recently when a fading fourth in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Victorious in the Grade 1 Summer in 2023 and the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational in 2024, Carson’s Run is winless since taking the Grade 3 Jockey Club Derby Invitational over Deterministic two years ago.
Carson’s Run is coming off an improved second to Tiz Dashing in an Aug. 21 conditioned allowance going 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga, in which Cugino checked in third.
The erratic Tiz Dashing never fired most recently in the Grade 2 Sycamore at Keeneland. In his only race on Lasix over the past 1 1/2 years, he won the allowance over Carson’s Run with a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
Lasix is prohibited in the listed Knickerbocker, which lured five other runners.
Key Cents
The one-mile Key Cents for New York-bred 2-year-old fillies includes stakes winner Extravaganzoo and two recent maiden breakers on turf – Luck Penny and Forecheck, who are both extending from a sprint.
Extravaganzoo is stretching out off a rallying win on turf here in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes, which was delayed due to the gate being initially placed in the wrong position. Her speedy freshman sire, Golden Pal, has yielded 11 percent turf route winners, and her dam produced a turf route winner.
George Weaver trains Extravaganzoo and Luck Penny, who woke up dramatically when switching from dirt to the grass and earning her diploma Oct. 18. Going back five years, Weaver was 1 for 22 with 2-year-olds going sprint to route on turf.
Forecheck graduated second-time out on the lead Oct. 3 with a 76 Beyer, the highest Beyer in this 10-horse field. By the nine percent turf route sire Maxfield, she is sent out by trainer Linda Rice, who had an eight percent strike rate going sprint to route on the grass during the last five years.
Forecheck drew post 10, breaking just outside Golden Maiden, who is turning back off a fade job in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland. Golden Maiden won her only other outing in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special Aug. 30 at Saratoga.
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