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Caracaro ‘In Another Category’ Than Delgado’s Other Derby Starters

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Caracaro has alternated wins and losses in his brief career, and trainer Gustavo Delgado is hoping that pattern continues as he points the lightly-raced colt to Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers at Saratoga.

Caracaro ran second in his unveiling last December at Gulfstream Park, returning to the South Florida track with an impressive six-length maiden triumph four weeks later. He exited that race with a minor injury that needed time, and he went unraced until finishing second by a neck to fellow Travers aspirant Country Grammer in the Grade 2 Peter Pan on Saratoga's opening day July 16.

For the first time this year, the Travers will offer 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, postponed from May 2 to September 5. Caracaro earned 20 points for his Peter Pan effort, and Delgado is looking to ensure the son of champion Uncle Mo's spot in the Run for the Roses.

“We have the chance to run in the Derby. He came here to win,” Delgado said. “It's only three weeks back from the Peter Pan but we have to take the chance. The horse is doing very good. He came back very good, and he likes the track. The horse is very talented, but we need to have good luck.”

Delgado's 31-year-old son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado, Jr., has been with Caracaro since they arrived in Saratoga from South Florida last month. His father, one of Venezuela's most successful trainers who won his country's Triple Crown a remarkable four times before moving to the U.S. in 2014, joined him this week.

Delgado Jr. said the turnaround from the Peter Pan to the Travers is a concern, particularly with their main goal, the Derby, looming in another four weeks. The final leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Preakness, will be run October 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

“He's doing really good, actually. After the last race we were concerned about running him back after three weeks, but we went easy on him. We only made him gallop,” Delgado, Jr. said. “We did a couple open gallops, nothing with time, and he seems to have accepted that. I think he's ready to run a nice race. We like what we see. The last couple of days he's doing really good. We always wanted to get the points. The horse is good, we're here in Saratoga and he likes the track, so let's do it.”

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, aboard in the Peter Pan, gets the return call in the 1 ¼-mile Travers, a race the fellow Venezuelan has won a record six times, most recently with Catholic Boy in 2018. They will break from post 7 in a field of eight led by even-money program favorite Tiz the Law.

The Delgados were entered to run once before in the Travers, but Majesto had to be scratched after spiking a fever the morning before the 2016 race. They have been to the Derby twice, running 18th with Majesto and 13th with Bodexpress in 2019, and are looking forward to making a third trip.

“The only good thing about the virus is that we have a shot now to make the Derby,” Delgado, Jr. said. “Since he got in the barn last year, we always considered him a nice horse. We're not a big barn where we get a quantity of nice babies every year. We went to the Derby with Majesto and Bodexpress, and you can tell this horse is doing things that the other two didn't do. He's in another category than them.”

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Delgados Derby Dreaming With Late-Blooming Caracaro

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – This summer, the road to Churchill Downs runs through upstate New York and has brought Caracaro (Uncle Mo) from South Florida for the historic GI Runhappy Travers S. Saturday.

Though the Travers is often the late-August goal for the owners and trainers of talented 3-year-olds, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced a serious rewrite of the schedule for elite races and briefly changed its status. Long ago dubbed the “Midsummer Derby,” the 2020 Travers at Saratoga Race Course is a stepping stone to the GI Kentucky Derby Sept. 5.

In their quest for Derby points, trainer Gustavo Delgado and his son and assistant Gustavo Delgado, Jr. shipped lightly raced Caracaro to Saratoga Race Course last month. Caracaro earned 20 points with his narrow second-place finish to Country Grammer (Tonalist) in the GIII Peter Pan S. on opening day, July 16. Those Peter Pan points have him in 25th place, close, but still outside the safety zone to secure one of the 20 berths. The Travers, with 100-40-20-10 points available, is their last chance.

“We’re thinking about qualifying for the Derby,” Delgado, Jr. said. “If he runs in the top three and he comes out good, hopefully we will make the Derby.

Caracaro is making his fourth career start for co-owners Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing and drew post seven in the eight-horse Travers. He will be ridden by Javier Castellano, who holds a record six victories in this event.

Delgado, a hugely successful trainer in his native Venezuela, laughed as he said that the colt–who was injured after his maiden victory Jan. 11 and had six months between starts this year–might make it to the Derby after all.

“Right now, with the pandemic there is a chance,” he said. “If there is no pandemic there is no chance.”

Delgado, Jr. stepped in and translated the rest of his father’s words: “I would say that the only good thing about the virus is that we have a shot in the Derby again.”

If Caracaro delivers a big performance in the 151st Travers, he would take the Delgados to their third Derby. Since emigrating from Venezuela in 2014 and opening a stable in Florida, they have had Majesto (Tiznow), 18th in 2016, and Bodexpress (Bodemeister), 13th last year. Delgado, Jr. said they did everything to get to Louisville with Majesto and Bodexpress.

“There is no comparison to this horse,” Delgado Jr. said. “This horse is way more talented than the last two.”

Caracaro showed that ability in his six-length win in the one-mile maiden score at Gulfstream, the second start of his career. The performance made him a Derby prospect and Rafael Celis of Global Thoroughbreds and his partner Lucas Noriego, who competes as Top Racing, had offers to buy the colt. During the vetting process, he was found to have a bone issue in is hind end that scuttled the sale. Caracaro did not need surgery, but required a three-month layoff.

“After the maiden race, there was a big group interested,” Delgado, Jr. said. “When we were doing the X-ray for the sale, that’s when he found out he had that. We did the right thing and gave him time. Our guess is that he was running with that problem before. He always showed something behind, nothing major, but that’s when we found out. Then we did the right thing and gave him time. We always considered him a good horse.”

Caracaro stayed with the Delgados at Gulstream Park West and returned to light training after his three-month hiatus. He had five breezes before making the trek to Saratoga to try to earn his way into the Derby. He moved to the lead of the Peter Pan in the stretch, but was collared by Country Grammer and lost by a neck. Delgado said he would have skipped the Travers if Caracaro had won the 1 1/8 miles Peter Pan and earned 50 points.

“We would go seven weeks [to the Kentucky Derby] not three weeks [to the Travers],” he said. “Seven weeks is very good. For the horse. For me. Every owner in the world likes to get to the Kentucky Derby.”

Delgado, Jr. picked up the translation for his father: “Normally, we would like to have more time between races, but right now we don’t have any more options.”

After the Peter Pan, Celis and Noriega–who also are partners in Bodexpress–heard from interested buyers, but they have retained ownership.

This weekend Caracaro will try again in the Travers, first run in 1864 and the marquee event of the Saratoga season. It was moved ahead a few weeks from its usual spot in late August to make it a Derby prep. This will be the earliest running of the race since 1916.

“We are here. The horse really likes the track,” Delgado, Jr. said. “He ran second and he ran a helluva race. The Travers is close to the Derby, but it will be hard for us telling the owners we don’t want to run in the Travers. Javier Castellano is open for us and the horse is doing good. So, a lot is going on from the owner’s standpoint. Everybody wants to try. If you have the horse now. It’s not like you are going to save time and see and then something happens after. You have the horse now and the horse is doing good now.”

Though his work tab shows two breezes since the Peter Pan, Delgado said he really could not work Caracaro between races.

“Everything is good. No problem,” he said. “He has only been galloping because he only had three weeks. It was six months, no races. Now it’s very difficult. We considered only galloping, to the Travers. It’s possible that we have good luck.”

The Delgados said they think the mile and a quarter distance of the Travers will suit their colt.

“The horse is going to be relaxed, he’s going to be on his own gallop,” Delgado, Jr. said. “We will feel better in the 10 furlongs. The 10 furlongs will be even better for our horse, that’s what we think. He’s a galloper. You can tell the way he strides he covers a lot of ground. We think he can go even better in the 10 furlongs than in a mile or a mile and an eighth.”

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‘Really? I Did That?’ Castellano Hoping To Add To Record Six Travers Wins

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Grade 3 Peter Pan runner-up Caracaro, trained by Gustavo Delgado, worked six furlongs under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in 1:15.99 Saturday morning on the Saratoga main track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., shortly after the renovation break.

The lightly-raced colt moved easily through splits of 26.2, 50.1 with a long gallop out past the wire.

“He's a good mover. Today, it wasn't about looking for time, it was more like a two-minute lick starting from the three-quarters and letting him gallop out,” said Castellano. “He just ran three weeks ago, so today was a good maintenance work. He galloped out beautiful past the wire but I didn't let him overdo it. He handled the track well. He did everything the right way today.”

The Uncle Mo bay, a $95,000 Keeneland November Sale purchase, followed up his January 11 maiden win at Gulfstream with a strong second off the layoff in the July 16 Grade 3 Peter Pan, earning 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Castellano has won the Runhappy Travers a record six times having captured the Mid-Summer Derby with Bernardini [2006; 2-5, $2.70*], Afleet Express [2010; 7-1, $16], Stay Thirsty [2011; 5-2, $6.80*], V.E. Day [2014; 19-1, $40], Keen Ice [2015; 16-1, $34] and Catholic Boy [2018; 7-1, $16.20].

“I really love this race. To me, it's one of the best races in the country. It always has the best 3-year-olds,” said Castellano. “All jockeys and trainers are all trying to win a race like the Travers. I'm very fortunate to be a part of its history winning with six horses. Even myself, when I say that number, I say, 'Really? I did that?' I've been so lucky and I've had a lot of support from my agent, the trainers and owners who put me on horses with opportunities to win these big races.”

While Bernardini and Stay Thirsty were favorites, Castellano has also found Travers success with longshots including V.E. Day, who nosed out Wicked Strong in 2010, and Keen Ice, who upset 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah to end his eight-race win streak.

“You have to be patient and confident in both yourself and the horse to put everything together and have a good result,” said Castellano. “Some of the winners were favorites like Bernardini and Stay Thirsty, but Afleet Express was a longshot and V.E. Day was a longshot that paid big. And then American Pharoah came and we won with Keen Ice.”

To add to his Runhappy Travers ledger, Castellano and Caracaro will have to topple another strong favorite in Grade 1 Belmont Stakes hero Tiz the Law, but the Hall of Fame rider said he is cautiously optimistic.

“It's not an easy race to win,” said Castellano. “You need to time it right and you don't want to overdo it early because it's not going to pay off. You have to be patient and ride like they are the best horse in the race.

“Tiz the Law is the horse to beat, but you never know,” added Castellano. “American Pharoah was supposed to be unbeatable that day, but this is horse racing and you just never know.”

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McGaughey ‘Looking Forward’ To Running Code Of Honor In Saturday’s Whitney

Two-time Grade 1-winner Code of Honor breezed a half-mile in 49.04 seconds at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning over the Oklahoma training track in his final work for Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by W.S. Farish and trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the 4-year-old chestnut son of Noble Mission worked solo under regular exercise rider Lexi Peaden through splits of 25.1, 49 and out in 1:01.3.

“That's exactly what we wanted. I just wanted him to have a little bit of work and that's what I asked for him to go in,” said McGaughey. “I always breeze him on the Monday before he runs on Saturday. That seems to put him on his game. He's had two good works up here and he seems to be doing fine.”

McGaughey credited Peaden for her professionalism in piloting Code of Honor through his morning training.

“She does a great job on him. She doesn't miss a beat and I have confidence that he'll go out and do what we want him to do,” said McGaughey. “He's a pretty push-button horse. If I put a jock on him, he might go a little bit faster than what I want him to. This way, we'll leave a little something in there.”

Code of Honor enjoyed a tremendous sophomore season winning four of eight starts, including Grade 1 wins in the Runhappy Travers at Saratoga and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. He launched his 4-year-old campaign with two starts at Belmont Park led by a win in the Grade 3 Westchester in June and a closing third last out in the Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile on July 4 when traveling one turn.

McGaughey will hand the reins to Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a four-time Whitney winner, when Code of Honor stretches back out to nine furlongs in the Whitney.

“Johnny knows him well and he's been in these spots many times. I'm looking forward to running him a mile and an eighth over this track,” said McGaughey.

Velazquez has previously notched Whitney wins with Left Bank [2002], Lawyer Ron [2007], Commentator [2008] and Cross Traffic [2013], while McGaughey's trio of Whitney victors include Personal Ensign [1988], Easy Goer [1989] and Honor Code [2015].

A probable field for the Whitney includes By My Standards (Bret Calhoun), Improbable (Bob Baffert), Mr. Buff (John Kimmel), Owendale (Brad Cox), and Tom's d'Etat (Al Stall, Jr.)

The Hall of Fame conditioner said he is hopeful the compact but talented field will provide some speed to chase.

“The short field doesn't bother me. He's had short fields, deep fields, it doesn't matter, but I'd like to get some pace,” said McGaughey.

Code of Honor will attempt to become the first horse to win the Travers and the Whitney since Medaglia d'Oro did so in 2002-03. A Kentucky homebred, Code of Honor is out of the graded stakes-winning Dixie Union broodmare Reunited.

Shortly following Code of Honor's impressive breeze, Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables and Allen Racing's Eclipse Award-champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou worked a half-mile in preparation for her title defense in Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign presented by NYRA Bets.

Traveling solo over the Oklahoma training track, Midnight Bisou opened up in 25.2 and was clocked a half-mile in 50.55.

The 5-year-old Midnight Lute mare has notched all 13 of her career wins in graded events. Last year, Midnight Bisou won 7-of-8 starts led by Grade 1 scores in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park, the Ogden Phipps at Belmont, and the Personal Ensign at Saratoga, which she captured in dramatic fashion by a nose over Elate.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bisou kicked off her campaign with a second in the inaugural Saudi Cup and enters Saturday's nine-furlong test off an 8 1/4-length score in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.

The probable field for the Personal Ensign includes Abounding Joy (Rodolphe Brisset), Motion Emotion (Richard Baltas), Point of Honor (George Weaver), and Vexatious (Jack Sisterson).

Ricardo Santana, Jr. will have the call aboard Midnight Bisou on Saturday.

Top Racing, Global Thoroughbred and GDS Racing Stable's Bodexpress breezed five furlongs in 1:02.12 Monday on the main track under exercise rider J.J. Delgado in preparation for the $85,000 Alydar, a nine-furlong test slated for August 9.

Trained Gustavo Delgado has a three-horse stable at Saratoga, overseen by his son Gustavo Delgado, Jr., which includes Grade 1 Runhappy Travers hopeful Caracaro and maiden winner Summer Kid.

Both father and son were trackside Monday and came away impressed with the breeze by Bodexpress.

“It was a good breeze, he went the last quarter very good,” said Delgado.

The 4-year-old Bodemeister colt was a late scratch before the start of the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 18 at Monmouth Park and was nominated to both the Grade 1 Whitney and $85,000 Alydar.

“Today was a maintenance work because he was supposed to race last week,” said Delgado, Jr. “You can tell he is feeling good. He did that today all on his own and he didn't come back too tired. The Alydar makes sense especially since it's been four months since he ran.”

Bodexpress ran second in last year's Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream as a maiden and was elevated to 13th in the Kentucky Derby before becoming an internet sensation after unseating Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez at the start of the Grade 1 Preakness and completing the course of his own accord.

He then enjoyed a successful stop at Gulfstream Park West where he graduated in October and doubled up in November with a 6 3/4-length allowance score. Bodexpress has kept good company since through four starts at Gulfstream Park, finishing third in the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday; fifth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational; off-the-board in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile; and a prominent third last out in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope on March 28.

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano is slated to ride Bodexpress in the Alydar and will also breeze Caracaro on Saturday in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers to be held August 8.

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing's Caracaro followed up on an impressive January 11 maiden win at Gulfstream with a strong second to Country Grammer in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 at the Spa, earning 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

“He likes Saratoga,” said Delgado. “He will work on Saturday with Castellano.”

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