It was a successful weekend for IRONICUS on Saturday night at Turfway Park when Claiborne homebred Cuz gave his sire a fourth winner with a victory at Turfway Park.
The John A. Hancock trainee made use of his wide draw to race down the center of the track straight to the lead in the 6 ½ furlong race. Joined by two others early on, Cuz and one other rival broke away from the pack for a brief duel before that one too dropped back. Cuz didn’t have long to wait until another challenger made his presence felt however as they entered the stretch.
A brief battle ensued but Cuz still had plenty left and opened up in the stretch to win by a length as the race favorite.
It was the third straight top three finish for Cuz, who is a third generation Claiborne homebred.
Cuz is the first foal out of the Arch mare Lope, a half-sister to WAR FRONT’s stakes-placed Waging War. The pair are out of Sidle, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Stroll and multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Patrol in addition to the stakes-placed Tromp.
Cuz comes from a prolific family with his Group 3-placed third dam Maid For Walking out of the winning Sharpen Up mare Stinging Nettle. Among those who descend from that mare are Claiborne’s own Grade 1 winner and sire LEA and 17 other stakes winners listed under Stinging Nettle’s name.
Lope had a colt by MASTERY last February and visited RUNHAPPY for her 2021 foal.