Turco Bravo being aimed for third Stymie victory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Turco Bravo, a two-time winner of the Stymie Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track, is gearing up for a return to the races and a bid for a Stymie three-peat.

On Thursday, Turco Bravo worked a mile in 1:46.48. He went his first three furlongs in 43.99 seconds and got his last quarter in 24.34 over Belmont Park’s training track. He was credited with a five-furlong workout in 1:02.49.

“Every eighth was faster than the one before,” trainer Gary Contessa said. “I love seeing that. We’re not far away.”

Turco Bravo, an 8-year-old Chilean-bred gelding, has not raced since winning the Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga last Aug. 10.

“He had had it; his year was over,” Contessa said. “He fell apart on me after the race.”

Turco Bravo, whose only win in 2015 came in the Stymie, won three races in 2016: the Stymie, the Flat Out at Belmont, and the Birdstone.

“He’s really come back well,” Contessa said. “I don’t see any reason why he won’t be a stakes horse in those long-distance races.”

The Stymie, run at 1 1/8 miles, is scheduled for March 12. Contessa said he may look to get a race into Turco Bravo in early February as a prep.

Contessa said that Winning Move Stable, which purchased Turco Bravo out of Chile, recently purchased Tu Brutus, a four-time graded stakes winner in Chile. Tu Brutus, a son of Scat Daddy, is in quarantine in south Florida and will be joining Contessa’s stable shortly.