The Puma Finds The Magic In Pennsylvania Derby

OGMA Investments LLC, High Step Racing, TCC Stables LLC, YNG Stables LLC, and JR Ranch’s The Puma earned the first Grade 1 of his career in Saturday’s $1 million Pennsylvania Derby. The Essential Quality colt made a sweeping three-wide bid into the stretch to grab the lead under Javier Castellano and fended off a late bid from favorite Further Ado to win by a half-length on the wire. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, The Puma’s final time for nine furlongs over the Parx Racing fast main track was 1:49.10.

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Castellano, Delgado, and co-owner OGMA Investments teamed up with Mage to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby. The Puma also earned a spot in the Run for the Roses earlier this year, but didn’t make the starting gate when a minor skin infection caused swelling in the colt’s leg on the morning of the race.

The Puma took two months away from the races, returning for the G1 Haskell in July, where he finished fourth behind Baby Vino. Connections brought him back in the G1 Travers, where The Puma again finished fourth.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t make it to the Derby,” Castellano said, “then he made a huge effort to finish fourth in the Travers. He put it all together today.”

The Puma, second choice at 5-2, broke from near the middle of the 10-horse Pennsylvania Derby field, settling back in third-last down the backstretch while saving all the ground early. Meanwhile, Talk To Me Jimmy and Ponder and Dream set the early fractions of :23.27 and :47.69, followed by 2-1 favorite Further Ado in joint third with Sassmaster.

Rounding the far turn, Castellano found a seam and got the first jump on the closers with a three-wide bid at the quarter pole, with The Puma grabbing the lead at the top of the stretch. Sassmaster and Further Ado were the closest pursuers, but The Puma had the advantage.

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Further Ado was able to close the gap to a half-length at the wire, but The Puma was the clear winner. Sassmaster finished third, while Our Moneyman checked in fourth.

Castellano credited the addition of blinkers for The Puma’s improved showing in Pennsylvania: “He was more in the bridle, more focused today. I really like the way he did it.”

Bred in Kentucky by Hidden Brook Farm and Brian Kahn, The Puma is out of the graded stakes-placed Declaration of War mare Eve of War. Connections purchased the colt for $150,000 at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training.

The Puma, named for the Venezuelan singer “The Puma,” José Luis Rodríguez (whose hair bears a striking resemblance to that of trainer Gustavo Degaldo), debuted in January of 2026. The colt found the winner’s circle in his third career start, the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, then followed that up with a second-place finish in the G1 Florida Derby.

Overall, The Puma has won two of his seven lifetime starts, with three thirds, earning over $1.1 million.

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This story was originally published September 19, 2026 at 6:39 PM.