Marzo

Marzo, a 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding, broke his maiden in his third career start, taking a one-mile turf event at Ellis Park in September 2018 after nearly a year’s absence from racing. That fall, he finished third in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs but by spring 2019 was competing in dirt races at Oaklawn Park for owner Steve Landers and trainer Brad Cox.

Cox moved Marzo back to turf in the summer with some success, and the gelding was claimed by trainer Mike Maker for owner Three Diamonds Farm out of a third-place effort in an allowance optional claiming race at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 31.

Marzo finished second by a head in a one-mile Churchill Downs turf race in his first start for Maker, but then was extended to a mile and a half for his second career graded stakes try, the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 17. Under a patient ride from Ricardo Santana, Jr., the gelding drew clear in midstretch to score a breakthrough 1 ¼-length win at odds of 14.50-1.