Hazlewood guides Big Cuddle to hometown victory in Sir Barton

Apprentice jockey Yedsit Hazlewood has earned immense attention early in his career in Maryland, but the 18-year-old rider’s star grew even brighter on Preakness Day at Laurel Park. After winning two races early on the card, he and 3-year-old colt Big Cuddle rolled home to win the $100,000 Sir Barton Stakes by a half-length.

To Laurel regulars, it has become practically mundane to see Hazlewood connecting with trainer Gary Capuano for big purses. Since joining forces shortly after Hazlewood’s debut last March, they have won 49 of 117 starts and seven stakes, including a win with Big Cuddle in $100,000 Maryland Million Nursery last year.

“I got a lot of confidence in him,” Capuano said. “He’s got a lot of confidence in himself, and he knows the horses. He gets on these horses all the time. He loves this horse.”

Saturday’s racegoers were slow on the uptake, and instead of siding with the local contender in the restricted stakes for 3-year-olds, bettors made the Brad Cox-trained colt Final Story the 1-2 favorite. Big Cuddle paid $12.80 to win.

Final Story and Big Cuddle were the only runners in the field of six who had never routed, but they were the only two in contention at the end of the 1 1/16-mile race. Reagan’s Honor, the 7-5 morning-line favorite trained by Cherie DeVaux, was scratched.

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“Thanks to the trainer, thank you for opportunity,” Hazlewood said. “[Capuano] always told me, follow [Final Story] and that's it.”

Sitting in second through an opening quarter-mile in 24.60, Final Story and Irad Ortiz Jr. seemed intent on a runaway when they took over on the backstretch, completing a leisurely half-mile in 48.64. On the far turn, Big Cuddle was still in a swarm of horses trying to find position behind the leader.

When the seas finally parted, Hazlewood urged his Maryland-bred into contention. Firmly under the “Hazlewood Hustle,” as track announcer Dave Rodman called it, Big Cuddle took a short lead at the top of the stretch and dug in to put away his Kentucky-based rival. He completed the 1 1/16-mile in 1:44.47.

Since debuting at 17 last year, Hazlewood has now won 11 stakes races. Earlier on the Preakness Day card, he won a turf allowance and maiden special weight for trainers Hugh McMahon and Michael Stidham.

Undefeated in two starts as a juvenile, Big Cuddle suffered his first defeat to stablemate Buds Notion in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance last month. Capuano said it was a great race in defeat and gave him the confidence to stretch out in a stakes.

The trainer added blinkers in the Sir Barton in hopes of a better break, but Big Cuddle started slow again and was then bumped. The added distance helped, however, allowing him to secure a stalking position before launching his bid.

“He still didn't break sharp,” Capuano said. “So even with the blinkers, for some reason, he seems to not break too quick. But going two turns, it helps because the pace isn't so fast, so he doesn't have as much to catch up.”

Now a two-time stakes winner, Big Cuddle is one of countless runners who excelled as juveniles for Capuano last year. Much has been made of what that crop can do as 3-year-olds, and the trainer delivered an emphatic answer Saturday.

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