Bravazo

After a disappointing debut in August 2017 at Saratoga Race Course, Bravazo improved when stretching out to a mile at Churchill Downs in September, surging clear to win by 4 ¾ lengths.

The dark bay or brown colt made his stakes debut in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and finished second to highly regarded Free Drop Billy. He followed with a third-place finish in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill before a head-scratching 10^th-place finish in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

Bravazo returned in January 2018 and won an allowance/optional claiming race by a neck in a prep race for the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. He was at his best in the Risen Star, pulling away from  Leconte Stakes winner Instilled Regard before reeling in determined runner-up Snapper Sinclair to prevail. The Risen Star earned 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, virtually guaranteeing him a spot in the run for the roses on May 5. He was unplaced in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby in his final prep for the Kentucky Derby, but continued on to the May 5 classic and outran his 66.90-1 odds there, finishing sixth.

In the Preakness Stakes, Bravazo was even better. He closed powerfully in the stretch and nearly caught Kentucky Derby winner Justify in the closing stides settled for second, edging Tenfold and champion Good Magic for the runner-up spot. He then wheeled back in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, joining Justify as the only horses to compete in all three Triple Crown races, but finished a non-threatening sixth while Justify became the 13th Triple Crown winner.

Bravazo made his next start in the July 29 Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park, and finished a clear second behind Good Magic. He then closed willingly for third in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets on Aug. 25 at Saratoga Race Course.

Bravazo finished a disappointing seventh in the Pennsylvania Derby, beaten by 18 ¾ lengths, but responded with two good efforts at his favorite track, Churchill Downs, finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and then a close second to Leofric in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare.

A true throwback, Bravazo made 11 starts as a 3-year-old in 2018.