Cugino sharp in comeback win for McGaughey

Cugino made a successful 4-year-old debut Thursday at Aqueduct, winning a third-level allowance race by one length, adding more depth to trainer Shug McGaughey’s older male turf division.

Cugino, who ended his 3-year-old season with a victory in the Tropical Park Derby, saved all the ground under Irad Ortiz Jr., then split horses in the stretch to earn the victory. His final time of 1:40.99 for 1 1/16-miles was just .88 of a second off the course record and translated to a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, a career-best.

McGaughey said he isn’t sure whether to stretch Cugino out in distance or perhaps cut him back to a mile and consider a race like the Grade 1, $750,000 Fourstardave on Aug. 2 at Saratoga. The mile division lost a major player with the recent sale of Carl Spackler to Australian-based connections.

“The way he won yesterday, it looks like he’ll go farther,” McGaughey said.

McGaughey has an abundance of older turf males, including Integration, the Grade 1 Manhattan runner-up who is targeting the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs, and Fort Washington, the Grade 2 Dinner Party winner who is expected to run in next Saturday’s Wise Dan at Churchill Downs.

Battle of Normandy, the older brother of Cugino, is dealing with some bone-bruising that will likely sideline him until fall. Ohana Honor, who has yet to run this year, is expected to return to McGaughey’s stable soon.

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