Turco Bravo Strikes for Second Stymie Win

Winning Move Stable's Turco Bravo rallied from last, split rivals in midstretch, and went on to a one-length victory in the $125,000 Stymie Stakes for the second consecutive year March 13 at Aqueduct Racetrack .

 

The Chilean-bred son of Caesarion defeated Dontbetwithbruno to snap an eight-race winless streak dating from last year's edition of the Stymie, which he won by 1 1/2 lengths.

 

 

After settling in last while Stormin Monarcho towed the field of six through an opening quarter-mile in :23.44 and a half in :48.15, Turco Bravo began moving up along the inside and secured a spot just behind the leader midway through the far turn. Straightening for home, jockey Manny Franco tipped the gelding off the rail and between horses, where he proceeded to outkick Dontbetwithbruno and third-place finisher Madefromlucky to the wire.

 

His winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.96. Sent off at 20-1 odds, the longest shot in the six-horse field, Turco Bravo returned $42.40.

 

"(Trainer Gary Contessa) said just to watch what they were going to do in the beginning of the race and I saw a couple of horses go to the lead," Franco said. "So I thought I'd give (Turco Bravo) a chance and go with him little by little from the half-mile and get to the wire. He responded really good. He was perfect behind (horses) and I just tried to get my horse to kick and he did."

 

The victory was the 13th in 49 lifetime starts for the 7-year-old Turco Bravo, who was a multiple stakes winner in Chile before being sent to the United States late in 2014. With the winner's purse of $75,000, his lifetime earnings now stand at $436,968.

 

"He trained (really) well heading into the race," said John Campo, assistant to Contessa. "We took a shot and it all worked out."

 

Mulitple grade II winner Madefromlucky, who represented trainer Todd Pletcher's final shot of the day at reaching the 4,000-win milestone, was a length back in third.