LUGAMO, 2018 colt by Baoma Corp stallion CHITU is confirmed entered in the UAE Derby to be run on Dubai World Cup day, March 27, 2021 at Meydan Racecourse, United Arab Emirates.
LUGAMO is currently trained by Antonio Sano at Gulfstream Park, though the horse’s races to date have been in Maryland with Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon. After a brief layoff since his third place finish in the James F. Lewis III Stakes at Laurel Park, Nov. 14, 2020, LUGAMO has been training exceptionally well in the mornings per Racing Manager, Alassandro Sano. Sano and the horse’s owner, Louis Gavignano/Lugamo Racing Stable, LLC are taking a shot at putting the colt on the Kentucky Derby trail with the rich reward points the UAE Derby offers for a potential berth at Churchill Downs, May 1st.
Because of last year’s cancellation of the Dubai World Cup due to the Covid pandemic, U.S. representative Stephen Nagler confirmed that the UAE Derby purse was reduced to U.S. $750,000 for the 2021 edition. Road to the Kentucky Derby points for the race are 100-40-20-10. The UAE Derby is carded as race #5 and remains a Grade II event at 1900 meters, approximately 1 mile and 3/16.
Baoma Corp, all Chitu breeders, and many others extend best wishes to LUGAMO and his team for a safe and rewarding trip!