Iggy Puglisi rides first winner since 2017

ARCADIA, Calif. – Journeyman rider Iggy Puglisi rode his first winner since November 2017 in Sunday’s sixth race at Santa Anita aboard Bouncing Around in a $30,000 claimer for maidens.

For Puglisi, the win felt like so much more than a minor sprint.

“It’s been a long time,” he said as he left the winner’s circle. “I had tears in my eyes when I was pulling up. I feel like I’d won the Derby.”

Puglisi, 45, was sidelined with an ankle injury in March 2018, a setback that took longer than expected to heal. Puglisi had hoped to return to riding within two months. He was out for 10 months, until January of this year.

“I didn’t know if I’d make it back,” he said. “I’m getting older.”

Bouncing Around was Puglisi’s 16th mount of 2019. He had 18 mounts last year. Puglisi said his progress was slowed earlier this year when Santa Anita canceled 13 days of racing in March because of safety concerns following a series of equine fatalities.

“All hell broke loose and things slowed down,” he said. “I said, ‘Keep working.’”

Racing resumed on March 29. Bouncing Around was Puglisi’s 11th mount since late March.

Puglisi began riding in Washington state in 1990. He has won 824 races, mostly in Southern California.

Puglisi rode Classy Cara to wins in two Grade 2 races in 2000 – the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park and Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park. The following year, Puglisi won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs on Irisheyesareflying.

Bouncing Around, a 9-1 chance who pulled clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths, is trained by Jack Carava, one of Puglisi’s principal clients. Puglisi is closely allied with Andrew Lerner and Michael McCarthy and frequently exercises horses for McCarthy, whose stable includes several stakes winners.

“It’s fun to test drive those horses,” Puglisi said.