KINGSTON, Jamaica - In his third career race, Richard Azan's Matuso hit his stride, donning blinkers and taking Lasix for the first time, leading him to a comfortable victory in the Andrew HB Aguilar Memorial Cup. The race, held on Saturday, December 16, 2023, boasts a prize of $1.01 million and is a one-mile (800m) event.
Bred from Casual Trick and the Adore The Gold Classic-winning mare Puddy Pooh, Matuso seized victory in the maiden special weight event for native-bred two-year-olds. He won by a length and a quarter, clocking a time of 1:42.2 (24.4 x 47.3 x 1:13.2).
Matuso started strong, settling into second place behind Rosetta (Jerome Innis), reaching the 7-furlong (1,400m) mark with jockey Tevin Foster. Down the backstretch, Matuso kept his steady pace before taking the lead as they neared the half-mile (800m) turn.
Approaching the finish line, Matuso extended his lead. Despite showing signs of fatigue in the home stretch, the bay colt proved unbeatable, securing a comfortable win.
Blu Sensation (Raddesh Roman) secured second place, while Rosetta took third. Initially, Rosetta was in second place but was disqualified due to interference with Blu Sensation.
Azan, in his post-race interview, acknowledged Matuso's fatigue towards the end of the race, but emphasized the win as the most important outcome. "Matuso seemed to tire a bit in the straight, but it's only his third run. He won, and that's what counts. He's improving with each race, having placed third twice before, and now he has a win to his name," Azan said.
Azan also expressed optimism for Matuso's future, saying, "We're excited to watch him continue to develop, and we hope he'll become an impressive colt."
