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  CUBA winner of the Maryland Millions..  

 

    Come Race With us in South Florida.

Cuba, ridden by Pedro Cotto Jr., had an easy time of it against four overmatched rivals as he powered to a four-length victory in the $279,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park.

 

MASSCAP RECEIVES GRADE III STATUS FROM AMERICAN GRADED STAKES COMMITTEE
 

Cuba is the third choice at odds of 6-1. Since being claimed for $18,000 earlier this year, trainer Bobby Dibona has saddled the seven-year-old for five victories. He finished a close fifth in his most recent start in the Iselin Handicap (Grade III) at Monmouth Park.

 

"World Class Operation"

Trainer: Bobby DiBona

The Maryland Million features 12 races for runners sired by Maryland-based stallions with combined purses totaling $1.68 million. The 23rd annual event drew a crowd of 24,442, the fifth largest in the history of the event, on a picture perfect fall afternoon.

McKay, a Hall of Fame TV broadcaster, is credited with originally proposing the Maryland Million concept and remained the chairman of the board until his death on June 7. Earlier on the card a special tribute was paid to McKay in the winners circle, which included a package from HRTV's Jim McKay's Maryland, a 30-minute retrospective on McKay's legendary career.

I think Dad would have been a little overwhelmed, said Mary McManus Guba, McKay's daughter. He was a modest man but he would have been thrilled beyond words.

Claimed this winter at Gulfstream Park for just $18,000, the 7-year-old Cuba, a son of Not For Love, has been transformed in the care of trainer Bobby Dibona into a graded stakes performer. Before this start he finished fifth in the Iselin (gr. III) at Monmouth Park and third in the $500,000 Mass Cap at Suffolk Downs two weeks ago. He has won six of 10 since changing hands with nine in-the-money finishes.

He has never run a bad race since Leo-Sag Stables and I claimed him, said Dibona. It is tough not to have confidence. When this race came up on the light side I thought we had to take a shot. He has run well on short rest so it worked out beautiful. He is the coolest horse. He is great to be around; he does everything push button like a champ. Don't you think he didn't know for one minute what was going on today.

Cotto, Cuba's regular rider, sat chilly on his mount, racing in third as Diamond David and Blues Baby Boy raced in first and second respectively through the opening mile of the 1 3/16-mile test. Cotto signaled for Cuba ($4.40) to go as they rounded the far turn and was content to remain a passenger as they galloped by the leaders at the top of the lane. They drew away down the stretch while ridden out. Cuba's winning time was 1:57.78.

Cotto said, I took him back a little early on. It played right for us. We waited, then when I asked him he went. He did a real good job. I'm supposed to ride at The Meadowlands tonight but I think I'm going to call off.

In the claiming game, it's all about value and finding the hidden value in a horse that someone else has missed. We were able to do that with our program with horses such as Cuba Actingood, Yes Master, Precisely That and we are now on the lookout to do that again this Fall at Gulfstream Racing and Casino.

 

 

2007 Statistics

Starts    Win       Place   Show      Earnings

 99          26        21         26       $647,911  

 

2008 Statistics

Starts    Win    Place    Show       Earnings

 149         29       26         30      $858,939  

 

 

 

 

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We have opened up a new claiming group that will operate in the Florida & Jersey area this winter.  This year was a success running at Monmouth Park and Saratoga with our  7-year old gelding named Cuba.  Cuba was in the money in 8 of 10 starts including 6 wins! Cuba is taking some well deserved R&R for 60 days and will be back at Gulfstream Park this winter.

 

Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you.

 

ACTINGOOD Pegasus "07"

When trainer Bobby Dibona saddled Actin Good for the $250,000 Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) on the Breeders Cup undercard at Monmouth Park Oct. 7, he respected the horse more than the bettors who sent him off at odds of 10-1. Actin Good rewarded Dibona's faith with a gutsy front running performance, fighting through a head-and-head stretch duel with Now A Victor to take the 1 1/8-mile event by a neck.

As they hit the far turn, Now A Victor made a bid for the lead and claimed it momentarily, but Actin Good fought back on the inside and reclaimed his position for a final time of 1:51.54.

The 3-year-old gelding came off a 3 3/4-length win in an allowance race at Suffolk Downs Sept. 2 for owners Leo-Sag Stables, G. Goldsmith and Greg and Jerrich Stable. Before that, his last start was in January, when he finished 14th in the Sunshine Millions Dash at Gulfstream Park as a colt. Dibona took Actin Good out of training to geld him and brought him back slowly. He is unbeaten since his return.

I always thought he was one of the top 3-year-olds, said Dibona. He was having problems and mentally just couldn't get it right, so I gelded him and he just really settled down and got all business-like. It was all by design, and he just showed the kind of horse he is I always knew I had a very good one. We loved him all week; I really thought I was gonna win this race.

A 3-year-old bred in Florida by Johnson Hollow Farm by Yes Its True out of the Colonial Affair mare Hollow Design, Actingood now has a 3-2-2 record from nine starts. The Pegasus was his first graded win.

 

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