Under the guidance of rider Javier Castellano, The Puma executed a massive surge around the final turn, establishing a three-length advantage down the stretch, and successfully resisted a closing threat from Further Ado to capture the $1 million, Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby by a margin of a half-length on Sept. 19 at Parx Racing.
Although it required half a year, The Puma has at last pulled level with the elite competitors of the 3-year-old male category. On March 28, the offspring of Essential Quality endured a devastating loss by a mere nose in the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby, an effort that nonetheless established his status as a premier contender in his class.
Following that, a leg abscess forced conditioning expert Gustavo Delgado to withdraw The Puma from the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.
Subsequently, The Puma made his comeback in the July 18 running of the Grade 1 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes, where he came in a distant fourth on a wet, sealed track surface. In August, he displayed some late-running momentum but ultimately ended up fourth once more in the Grade 1 DraftKings Travers Stakes on Aug. 29.
At last, in the Pennsylvania Derby, The Puma secured his long-awaited Grade 1 triumph.
“It has been quite a journey. Having to withdraw him on Derby morning was discouraging, but it turned out to be the right decision. His performances in his prior two outings were truly solid. I realize he ended up fourth in the Haskell. As for the Travers, that was an exceptionally tough lineup, yet he still performed well,” commented co-owner Randy Guy representing High Step Racing. “I arrived here with high confidence. Not to the point of being overly confident, but I was certain he was capable of delivering this kind of effort,”
Sporting blinkers for this race, The Puma settled into eighth position early on during the Pennsylvania Derby while the front-runners set tempos of :23.27 and :47.69. When the pacesetters began to fade, The Puma initiated a rapid, six-wide charge to join the leaders and swept to the front as they entered the homestretch.
“The moment Javier launched his run, I knew he would win. He moved with incredible speed,” remarked Delgado.
Returning $7.40 to win, The Puma possessed enough reserves to hold off Further Ado, who angled out from the rail and squeezed between rivals to make a late run from fourth to secure second place. The victorious colt completed the 1 1/8-mile test in a time of 1:49.10.
Further Ado, who had been the disappointed favorite in the Kentucky Derby, took the runner-up spot by 1 ½ lengths ahead of Sassmaster in third.
This triumph marked only the second win in seven lifetime outings for The Puma. Crucially, both of his successes have come at the graded stakes level, having secured his maiden stakes victory earlier this season in the Grade 3 ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby.
Delgado indicated that he would evaluate entering The Puma in the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic depending on how well the horse bounces back from his Saturday performance.
Bodacious Bay claimed victory in the $1 million Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes for sophomore fillies on Sept. 19, which served as a featured event on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard at Parx Racing.
Bodacious Bay had previously demonstrated her talent this season by taking a maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in her third career outing, followed by a placing in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks on July 25. These performances, combined with her breeding and future potential, prompted an ownership group consisting of C2 Racing Stable, Miller Racing, St Elias Stable, Mathis Stable, BAG Racing Stables, Carr Legacy Racing, and Steve Taub to acquire her via a private purchase for what her new trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., characterized as a substantial sum.
That investment turned out to be highly worthwhile.
Bodacious Bay immediately rewarded her new owners by defeating the post-time favorite Always a Runner, who took second, and Measure, who came home in third. Her lifetime record now stands at two wins and three seconds from five outings, boosting her career earnings to $708,496. She returned a win payout of $12.20.
“Honestly, this was a massive win,” Joseph commented regarding the Saturday performance.
Making his first appearance aboard Bodacious Bay, Florida-based rider Micah Husbands settled her into an ideal position. He kept her relaxed in second place during the opening half of the 1 1/16-mile contest, while stablemate My Miss Mo—who had previously bested her in the Monmouth Oaks—set moderate fractions of :23.81 and :47.99. Bodacious Bay launched her attack along the far turn, seizing control as six furlongs went in 1:11.94, and kept up her stride all the way to the wire to stop the clock in 1:43.60.
“I had plenty of horse under me the entire time,” Husbands reflected. “I was just sitting comfortably with a ton of run. Approaching the half-mile pole, she showed a desire to advance a bit sooner than I anticipated, and rather than fighting her, I let her move forward smoothly while trying to wait as long as possible. She finished the race like an absolute machine.”
The triumph represented the fourth Grade 1 victory that Husbands and Joseph have captured as a team during the 2026 racing season.
“He has not even reached 1,000 career rides yet, but he repeatedly excels on the biggest stages and displays incredible calmness,” Joseph noted.
Longines Kentucky Oaks champion Always a Runner found herself blocked behind rivals along the backstretch and into the early part of the final turn, but she eventually found racing room to launch a challenge under Jose Ortiz, though her bid eventually stalled. She crossed the wire 3 1/4 lengths behind the victor, just lasting by a neck over a closing Measure to secure second place.
The rise of Bodacious Bay adds intrigue to an unpredictable 3-year-old filly division, especially after My Gun’s Loaded—who captured the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes presented by Keeneland Sales at Saratoga—was sidelined for the remainder of 2026 with an injury. Counting Stars, a winner of consecutive Grade 1 races in June and July and the likely frontrunner for divisional honors, had finished third behind My Gun’s Loaded and Measure in the Alabama.
“As a result, we believe she has the potential to progress into perhaps the top filly of next season,” Joseph stated. — Byron King
