SHUDACUDAWUDYA TRIUMPHS IN GOLDEN NUGGET STAKES
Shudacudawudya overcame an eventful trip to capture the $62,900 Golden Nugget Stakes at Golden Gate Fields Saturday.
Ridden by Francisco Duran, Shudacudawudya won the six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds despite clipping heels on the turn and stumbling badly. Shrugging off the incident like a seasoned racehorse, Shudacudawudya rallied to take the lead from pacesetter Tiny Woods in midstretch and then held off 3-to-2 favorite Sourdough Sam to prevail by three-quarters of a length.
Shudacudawudya was dismissed at 9-to-1 in the field of eight and paid $21.40 after stopping the timer in 1:09.46. Sourdough Sam took second by 1 1/4 lengths over Tiny Woods, the 2-to-1 second choice in the betting.
“He’s a nice colt,” said Duran of Shudacudawudya, who has three wins and two seconds in five career starts. “He does whatever you ask him and today he overcame a lot. When he clipped heels, he picked himself up and then waited for us to find a hole. It was eventful but everything worked out.”
The stakes wins was especially sweet for Duran, who going into the race had just four wins from 92 mounts with 15 seconds and 14 thirds.
“That’s a nice way to get out of a slump,” said Duran. “I’ve had seconditis. That felt good.”
Shudacudawudya, a California-bred son of Marino Marini, races for his breeder, Brett Mason. The colt is trained by Lloyd Mason, Brett’s father.
“Those other horses just showed a lot of speed today, which worked out well for us,” said Lloyd Mason. “He clipped heels but he came back on.”
Shudacudawudya earned $39,000 Saturday and has banked $71,180 in his five races.
Lloyd Mason said Shudacudawudya will likely make his next start in the $50,000 Gold Rush Stakes, a one-mile race that will be run Dec. 12 at Golden Gate Fields.
Inoel Beato, who rode Sourdough Sam, and Jose Valdivia, Jr., who was aboard Tiny Woods, both were impressed with Shudacudawudya.
“He (Sourdough Sam) got himself into a couple of problem spots but it didn’t cost us the win,” said Beato. “The other horse was too much today.”
“I thought I had a great shot to win it because he was nice and relaxed and when I asked him, he quickened,” said Valdivia. “He just got a little late the last sixteenth (of a mile). The winner was impressive. He clipped heels at a crucial part of the race and still ran us down.”
Racing continues Sunday at Golden Gate Fields. Post time is 12:45 p.m. and the track is offering $1 general parking, $1 general admission, $1 hot dogs, $1 beers, $1 sodas and all the football action via the NFL Sunday Ticket.