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

We are very sorry to learn this – but are super proud of him and look forward to his babies!
by  | 01.05.2021 | 9:52pm

Mucho Gusto, under Irad Ortiz Jr., in the Gulfstream Park winner’s circle after the 2020 Pegasus World Cup

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.

MSP JUS LIVELY adds win #5

JUS LIVELY (Paddy O’Prado) won his 5th race in allowance company at the Fair Ground. Recently he added his third stakes placing, running 3rd in the $150,000 LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S. at the Fair Grounds. Last out he just missed the win by a head in the B-Connected Stakes run a 7 furlongs at Delta Downs. Last year he ran 2nd in the Cresent City Derby at the Fair Grounds.  The newly turned 5 year old colt is a homebred for Pine Knoll Farm and is trained by Steven M. Asmussen. He has won 50% percent of his starts + 3 stakes placings.
Lifetime: MSP, 10-5-2-1, $174,900.

Stakes placed IRISH HUSTLE wins again #6 – reclaimed from an AOC by Tom Amoss

IRISH HUSTLE  (Data Link) was a member of the Gallop Group at Fasig Tipton Gulfstream. She broke her maiden in February at the Fair Grounds. After some time off, she ran 2nd in allowance company at Evangeline Downs. Next again at Evangeline and racing a mile, she was unhurried early and then cleared the field for win # 2. Next she has added black type to her pedigree page running third in the Elge Rasberry S. She rallied to annex win # 5 – this one an AOC race at the Fair Grounds. She was claimed  away from Tom Amoss out of this race but was reclaimed  by Tom Amos following this win – her 2nd in a row. She is owned again by  Larry J. Romer.

JUS LIVELY adds more black type in the LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S.

JUS LIVELY (Paddy O’Prado) added his third stakes placing, running 3rd in the $150,000 LOUISIANA CHAMPIONS DAY CLASSIC S. at the Fair Grounds. Last out he just missed the win by a head in the B-Connected Stakes run a 7 furlongs at Delta Downs. Last year he ran 2nd in the Cresent City Derby at the Fair Grounds.  The 4 year old colt is a homebred for Pine Knoll Farm and is trained by Steven M. Asmussen. He has won 50% percent of his starts + 3 stakes placings.
Lifetime:9 4 2 1 $143,100

 

2 year old GOLDEN GULLEY graduates at Laurel

2 year old GOLDEN GULLEY (Goldencents) came 4 wide from off the pace and got up to graduate sprinting at LaurelPark . He was consigned at the FasigTipton  2 year old in training sale at Timonium this May. GOLDEN GIULLEY was purchased for $40,000 by his trainer Gary Capuano for owners Foard J Wilgis, and D Z Stable, LLC.