mucho gusto | Horse Racing Free Tips

Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Third Straight Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey

It's Irad Ortiz, Jr.'s world and we're all just living in it. The 28-year-old from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico who has grown up into a superstar before the racing world's eyes continued his dominance in 2020, leading to a third consecutive Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. While his total earnings dipped over $10 million from his 2020 sum, that can be almost entirely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the cancellation of much of the racing calendar through March and April and dramatic purse cuts that plagued the entire year, Ortiz was particularly cautious about the coronavirus, spending more than a month out of the saddle from Mar. 19 to Apr. 25. Nevertheless, he still paced all jockeys last year by banking over $23 million and once again proved his tireless work ethic by riding 1,271 horses despite his five-week break, a number that trailed just Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez among riders in the top 25 in earnings. Yet again leading the country in total wins, he also racked up 27 graded stakes wins–just one behind Flavien Prat for top billing–from 100 mounts and clearly led all jockeys with 52 stakes scores.

Following up on capturing his first GI Breeders' Cup Classic victory toward the end of 2019, Ortiz started 2020 off with a bang by piloting home Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. He added top-level triumphs in the GI Whitney S. aboard Champion Older Dirt Male Improbable (City Zip), GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Happy Saver (Super Saver), GI Breeders' Cup Sprint with Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) and GI Hollywood Derby on Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}). In addition to Whitmore, he also scored with Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) in the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to bring his career World Championships wins to an even dozen.

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Mucho Gusto Retired Due To Soft Tissue Injury; Stud Plans Pending

Mucho Gusto, the winner of the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (Grade 1), has been retired from racing after suffering a soft tissue injury training toward a defense of his title.

Trainer Bob Baffert said the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man came up with the injury Tuesday morning. News of the retirement was first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News.

“He galloped this morning, and afterwards we noticed some heat in the pastern,” said Baffert. “Ultrasound showed a small issue in the ligament in the pastern area. With soft tissue problems like this it takes months of rest and you don't know if they're going to be the same when they come back. The good thing is we caught it early.”

Mucho Gusto retires with six wins in 13 starts for earnings of $3,953,800. After winning on debut at Los Alamitos' Thoroughbred meet, the horse won the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, then finished second to Improbable in the G1 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity to finish his juvenile season.

He started his 3-year-old campaign on a winning note in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, then ran third in the G3 Sunland Park Derby. Mucho Gusto skipped the Triple Crown races, instead going on to win the G3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes and G3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita before shipping east to finish second in the G1 Haskell Invitational Stakes to Maximum Security and third to Code of Honor in the G1 Travers Stakes. His season finished with a victory in the G3 Oklahoma Derby.

Mucho Gusto spent his first two seasons racing for owner Michael Lund Petersen, who purchased him for $625,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. Petersen sold the horse privately to Saudi Prince Faisal Bin Khaled following his Oklahoma Derby score.

Mucho Gusto kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a 4 1/2-length triumph in the Pegasus World Cup, then tested the Saudi Cup, where he finished fourth. After a 10-month layoff, Mucho Gusto made his final career start in the G2 San Antonio Stakes, where he once again finished fourth.

“I gave him all that time off to have him fresh for these races (the Pegasus and Saudi Cup),” said Baffert. “He really likes that track (Gulfstream). He ran huge in the Haskell, but his biggest race was the Pegasus. And I thought for a second he was going to win the Saudi Cup. He's sort of been the barn favorite.”

Bred in Kentucky by Teneri Farm Inc. and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon, Mucho Gusto is out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Itsagiantcauseway.

Stud plans for Mucho Gusto are still to be determined.

Stablemate Charlatan, winner of the G1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, is also on the Pegasus invitation list, but Baffert is undecided on whether the 4-year-old Speightstown colt would run. “The door is still open for the Pegasus but we haven't figured anything out yet,” he said.

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Mucho Gusto Retired

Mucho Gusto (Mucho Macho Man–Itsagiantcauseway, by Giant’s Causeway), winner of last year’s GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, has been retired due to a soft-tissue injury, according to his trainer, Bob Baffert.

“He came up with a minor soft tissue injury that will knock him out of the Pegasus and Saudi Cup,” said Baffert.

The trainer said that the issue had just arisen today and that no stallion deal had been discussed yet.

The Pegasus was one of five graded races won by the 5-year-old chestnut, who also captured the GIII Robert B. Lewis S., GIII Lazaro Barrera S., GIII Affirmed S., and GIII Bob Hope S. He was second in the GI TVG Haskell Invitational and the GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity and third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. He was a graded stakes winner at two, three and four.

Mucho Gusto, purchased by Michael Lund Petersen for $625,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, was acquired privately by Prince Faisal Bin Khaled following the 2019 Oklahoma Derby and captured last year’s Pegasus in his first start for his new owner. He followed that victory with a fourth-place effort in the inaugural Saudi Cup last February. Most recently fourth in the Dec. 26 GII San Antonio S., he earned just shy of $4 million on the racetrack, finishing up his career with earnings of $3,953,800.

“We are disappointed because he was a barn favorite,” said Baffert. “He ran in some exciting races, and winning the Pegasus was incredible. Turning for home, he looked like he was going to win the Saudi Cup,” said Baffert. “He gave Michael Lund Petersen one of his biggest thrills when he ran second in the Haskell. We freshened him up, gave him the whole summer off to have him ready for the Pegasus and the Saudi Cup and then this thing happened. It was really disappointing, because I was really excited about him this year. He put up some huge performances.”

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Mucho Gusto, Charlatan Top Pegasus World Cup Invitation List

Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto and Charlatan are among a dozen Grade 1 and Grade 2 winners on a list of 16 horses invited Sunday to the $3-million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The fifth running of the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus, won previously by Longines World's Best Racehorse Arrogate (2017), Horse of the Year Gun Runner (2018), Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner City of Light and Mucho Gusto (2020), will be run Saturday, Jan. 23, along with the $1-million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1).

Limited seating is available and tickets can be purchased at Pegasusworldcup.com.

Fans can watch and wager on the Pegasus World Cup at 1stbet.com and xpressbet.com.

The Pegasus World Cup and Pegasus World Cup Turf will be part of an extraordinary program featuring seven graded stakes, four contested on the turf. Stakes on Pegasus Day will also include the $200,000 Inside Information (G2), $125,000 William L. McKnight (G3), $125,000 Marshua's River (G3), $125,000 La Prevoyante (G3) and $125,000 Fred Hooper (G3).

The 12 horses given first preference for the Pegasus World Cup were (in alphabetical order):

Charlatan – Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Frederick Hertrich III, John Fielding, Golconda Stables. Trained by Bob Baffert
Code of Honor – Owned by W.S. Farish. Trained by Shug McGaughey
Harper's First Ride – Owned by MCA Racing Stable LLC. Trained by Claudio Gonzalez
Jesus' Team – Owned by Grupo 7C Racing Stable. Trained by Jose D'Angelo
Kiss Today Goodbye – Owned by John Sondereker. Trained by J. Eric Kruljac
Knicks Go – Owned by Korea Racing Authority. Trained by Brad Cox
Mr Freeze – Owned by Jim Bakke, Gerald Isbister. Trained by Dale Romans
Mucho Gusto – Owned by HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled. Trained by Bob Baffert
Sharp Samurai – Owned by Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC, Mark Glatt. Trained by Mark Glatt
Sleepy Eyes Todd – Owned by Thumbs Up Racing, LLC. Trained by Miguel Angel Silva
Tax – Owned by R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Hugh Lynch. Trained by Danny Gargan
True Timber – Owned by Calumet Farm. Trained by Jack Sisterson.

The also eligibles are (in order of preference)

Anothertwistafate – Owned by Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd. Trained by Peter Miller
Math Wizard – Owned by John Fanelli, Khalid Mishref, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Collarmele Vitelli Stables LLC, Ioannis, Zouas, Bassett Stables. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.
King Guillermo – Owned by Victoria's Ranch. Trained by Juan Carlos Avila
Idol – Owned by Calvin Nguyen. Trained by Richard Baltas

Baffert, who won the Pegasus last year with Mucho Gusto and the inaugural running with Arrogate, has two chances for a hat trick with his defending champion and Charlatan.

After his victory in the Pegasus last year Mucho Gusto finished fourth Feb. 29 in the Saudi Cup before Baffert gave the 5-year-old son of Mucho Macho Man time off. He returned Dec. 26 to finish fourth of six in the San Antonio (G2).

Charlatan was regarded as one of the country's top 3-year-olds after his performance in the May 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) but he was sidelined with an ankle injury before returning off a seven-month layoff to win the Dec. 26 Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Knicks Go enters the Pegasus off three consecutive victories since being moved to the stable of Brad Cox. The 5-year-old Maryland-bred son of Paynter was an impressive winner last time out of the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1).

Jesus' Team, second in the Breeders' Cup Mile and beaten less than a length by Knicks Go, sold for $30,000 as a yearling and has earned $508,940. The Jose D'Angelo-trained 4-year-old finished third in the Preakness (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2) last year.

Sharp Samurai was beaten a nose by Jesus' Team for the place in the Breeders' Cup Mile. The 7-year-old gelding, based at Santa Anita with trainer Mark Glatt, was second last year in the Pacific Classic (G1), Eddie Read (G2) and City of Hope (G2). His last victory was the 2018 City of Hope. Sharp Samurai is also on the invitation list for the Pegasus Turf.

W.S. Farish's homebred Code of Honor will be making his 13th consecutive start in a graded race, his ninth in a Grade 1 event. Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor was placed second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1) and went on to win the Travers (G1) and Jockey Club (G1). Code of Honor's 4-year-old season included a victory in the Westchester (G3) and second-place finishes in the Clark (G1) and Kelso (G2).

Tax, claimed for $50,000 out of his second career start by trainer Danny Gargan for co-owner Hugh Lynch, will run in his second consecutive Pegasus. The 5-year-old, an impressive winner of the Harlan's Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Dec. 12 off a seven-month layoff, was fourth in the 2019 Belmont (G1) and won that year's Jim Dandy (G2). The son of Arch finished ninth in last year's Pegasus after stumbling at the start.

Mr Freeze finished second in last year's Pegasus World Cup, 4 ½ lengths behind winner Mucho Gusto. Trained by Dale Romans, Mr Freeze went on to win the Fayette Stakes (G2) before wide trips resulted in a sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Mile and fifth-place finish in the Clark last time out.

Calumet Farm is hoping the third time is the charm for True Timber. Seventh in the 2019 edition of the Pegasus and eighth last year, the 7-year-old enters this year's $3 million edition off a popular victory in the Cigar Mile (G1) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct. It was his first win in 13 starts, since September of 2018.

Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 19. The 5-year-old son of Paddy O'Prado, who won the Charles Town Classic (G2) in August, has been a model of consistency, winning eight of 15 races while racing at 11 different tracks for trainer Miguel Angel Silva.

John Sondereker's Kiss Today Goodbye, a lightly-raced 4-year-old, upset Mucho Gusto and four others Dec. 26 in the Malibu when he closed from last. Trained by J. Eric Kruljak, Kiss Today Goodbye had finished fifth in the Del Mar Derby (G2) and fourth in the Twilight Derby (G2) earlier in the year.

Harper's First Ride, a 5-year-old Maryland-bred, enters the Pegasus having won four of his last five starts including a victory in the Pimlico Special (G3). Maryland's perennial leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez will saddle the son of Paynter.

Anothertwistafate, winner of the Jan. 2 San Gabriel (G2) at Santa Anita and Sept. 10 Longacres Mile (G3), is No. 1 on the also eligible list. The son of Scat Daddy is also on the invitation list for the Pegasus Turf. Locally-based Math Wizard, a Grade 1 winner who finished second last summer to Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) show finisher Global Campaign in the Monmouth Cup, is second on the AE list while King Guillermo, owned by former Major League Baseball all-star Victor Martinez, and Idol, second in the San Antonio, round out the list.

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