Cugino enters Saturday’s Grade 3 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park in razor-sharp form, coming off a Grade 2 victory in the Red Smith Stakes at Aqueduct in his most recent start. The 5-year-old son of Twirling Candy has been remarkably consistent this season, winning four of his last five races while steadily climbing the class ladder.

Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Cugino has developed into a dependable, professional turf performer who continues to move forward with maturity. His recent string of victories includes stakes wins at Monmouth and Belmont, along with a listed triumph in the Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream last winter. With Flavien Prat aboard and a projected honest tempo, the Fort Lauderdale sets up as another opportunity for him to showcase his tactical adaptability against a deep field that includes defending champion Major Dude.

West Point also has a turf stakes chance on Saturday in New Orleans with Legalize, who wheels back after a victory at Fair Grounds on Thanksgiving Day in his grass debut.

Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Legalize for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The chestnut already is a stakes winner in NOLA on the main track.