Gufo

Gufo, a Declaration of War colt owned by Otter Bend Stables and trained by Christophe Clement, finished third in his career debut in November 2019 and won his second start by a nose in late December at Gulfstream Park. He remained at Gulfstream through their winter meet and into the spring, racking up two more victories.

The last of those came in the listed English Channel Stakes on May 2, giving his connections confidence to try the July 4 Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park for his next start. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Gufo got off to a poor start under Trevor McCarthy but recovered to stalk the pace before powering through the stretch en route to a half-length victory, his fourth in a row. 

Gufo ran second by a head Aug. 15 in the Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes. He regained his winning form Oct. 5 in the Grade 1, $250,000 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes as he rallied from sixth to prevail by a length and punch his expenses-paid ticket to the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf via the "Win and You're In" Challenge Series.

Gufo made his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 1 Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park on May 8, 2021. After rating well off the pace, he closed valiantly in the stretch, but lost a close photo finish to Channel Cat. After a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont on June 5, he bounced back with a one-length score in the Grand Couturier Stakes on July 5.

Gufo earned another Grade 1 win on Aug. 28 at Saratoga, when he won the Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes under Joel Rosario. For that win, Gufo earned a spot in the starting gate for the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

The Sword Dancer turned out to be Gufo’s last win of 2021, as he subsequently finished third as the favorite in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont Park and then a disappointing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Gufo came back impressively for his 5-year-old bow, however, rallying through the stretch to win the Grade 2 Pan American Stakes Presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park by two lengths on April 2.

In his next 2022 start, Gufo rallied late but came up a length short to frontrunning longshot winner Highland Chief in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes May 14 at Belmont Park. Following that, he was once again compromised by a slow pace and a runaway leader and could do no better than a late-closing third in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes June 11, also at Belmont.

Gufo is out of the Petionville mare Floy and is a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to millionaire turf sprinter Hogy.