Big Cuddle wraps up Delaware Derby triumph
Moves to 2-for-2 around two turns
Frank Vespe
June 13, 2026
All it took was time.
Well, time and blinkers.
Well, time and blinkers and added ground.
Whatever the precise admixture, the alchemy trainer Gary Capuano is performing on Big Cuddle has turned a nice enough local horse into something else altogether.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no extra charge to you.
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
Pocket 3s Racing’s Big Cuddle delivered his biggest performance yet in Saturday’s second running of the $300,000 Delaware Derby, biding his time early under jockey Yedsit Hazlewood before erupting to a four-length win over well-regarded shippers Out of the Woods and Sovereign Law.
Running time for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track was 1:44.27.
“It’s awesome. He’s unbelievable, the horse,” said Pocket 3s principle John Madden. “Gary’s unbelievable, so patient with the horse. He did right by the horse, and now the horse is doing right by us, so it’s a great feeling.”
Big Cuddle, a Maryland-bred son of Great Notion, won his first two starts at two, rallying stoutly in both. The second, by three parts of a length, made him a stakes winner in the Maryland Million Nursery.
And then his connections put him away; he didn’t race between October and early April. A long time, perhaps, but a minor issue, Madden said.
“We could have run him, but he was so talented, it wasn’t worth pushing something that wasn’t there,” the owner recalled.
Brought back after six months, he was a closing second in a 5 ½-furlong allowance before Capuano pointed him to the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard.
What did Madden think?
“Let’s try the Preakness,” he joked.
The 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton is restricted to sophomores that had not previously won an open stake but attracted the well-regarded Brad Cox trainee Final Story.
Donning blinkers and trying two turns, both for the first time, Big Cuddle endured a bit of a challenging trip, but once he found clean air, he wore down Final Story to win narrowly while the two of them sprinted clear of the rest.
His second try around two turns – today – was even better.
Speedsters Ponder and Dream and Out of the Woods established early supremacy, the two of them trading the lead through a quarter-mile in 24.30 seconds and a half in 48.29. Big Cuddle was lurking about four back at that point and beginning to rev his engine.
Big Cuddle made his move while three wide on the turn and had a head in front after three quarters in 1:12.48, and he widened from there.
“I was happy that once he took the lead, he didn’t go back,” Madden said.
Out of the Woods held second, while Sovereign Law was third. Big Cuddle paid $4.60 to win as the favorite. Litmus Test was scratched.
Big Cuddle, bred by Two Legends Farm, now has four wins and a second from five career starts. The winner’s share pushed his bankroll to $340,020.
What next? After this dominant performance, a graded stake – the Grade 1 Haskell would be the preference for New Jersey native Madden – might be in the offing.
“It looks like he can make that jump,” Capuano said. “It’s always another level up, but we’re thinking he can and we’re gradually moving to that.”
Pick up reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!
LATEST NEWS
