KARAKONTIE’s Grade 3 winning son Sugoi added another stakes victory to his record on Saturday when he shipped to Sam Houston to win the John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes.
Starting 2025 going 1 ½ miles on the turf, the Mike Maker trainee closely attended the pacesetting Out of Deductions from his stalking position. Down the backstretch, he moved closer to make a challenge for the lead and had it with about a quarter left to run.
Out of Deductions started to fade once he gave up the lead, but Verstappen was ready to make sure Sugoi earned the win – even getting his head in front during their stretch duel.
Sugoi proved to be determined to get his lead back and pulled back in front to win by a nose with the third placed runner 3 ¾ lengths behind the top two.
Owned by Paradise Farms Corp and David Staudacher, Sugoi has won 11 of his 32 starts with 10 other top three finishes for $793,568 in earnings. Winning his first stakes last May, the 8-year-old now has three stakes top two finishes on his record.
The KARAKONTIE son bred in Kentucky by Normandy Farm is out of Timeless Spirit, a full sister to the stakes winning Gallant Fighter and half-sister to the dam of champion Gallant Ruler. Timeless Spirit has produced five winners from five named foals – the same number of winners as her dam.
The sire of nearly 8% stakes winners, KARAKONTIE has also seen 14.5% of his runners earn blacktype.