Tales from the Crib: The Puma

Apr 18, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The Puma with mom Eve of War

The Puma with mom Eve of War (Photo courtesy of Hidden Brook Farm)

In the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1), trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. scored an upset victory with Mage. Now the Venezuelan-born horseman, nicknamed “The Puma,” returns to Churchill Downs with his namesake colt, who has several points in common with Mage.

Mage raced for a partnership of several entities, including OGMA Investments, operated by Gustavo Jr., and Ramiro Restrepo, who sourced the colt (in the name of his Marquee Bloodstock) for $290,000 as a two-year-old in training.

Restrepo’s Marquee Bloodstock likewise purchased The Puma at a two-year-olds in training sale, in his case OBS April, for $150,000. OGMA Investments spearheads his ownership group that embraces JR Ranch and High Step Racing, whose principals were also involved with Mage in another entity.

Both chestnut colts were from the first crops of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champions who went on to compete in Triple Crown races. While Mage is by Good Magic, runner-up to Triple Crown sweeper Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, The Puma is by Essential Quality, who reigned as a champion at three as well. Promoted to third in the 2021 Derby, Essential Quality later captured the Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1).

The Puma was bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Brian Kahn in the Bluegrass. His mother, Eve of War, was herself born and raised at the same Paris, Kentucky, nursery for her breeder, Jeff Treadway.

Interestingly, Mage’s mother, Broodmare of the Year Puca, also originally hailed from Hidden Brook. Moreover, Puca is by 2008 Derby and Preakness (G1) champion Big Brown, whom Hidden Brook bought as a two-year-old in training, as agent for Paul Pompa Jr.

In another commonality, both Puca and Eve of War were versatile performers who won on turf and dirt.

Eve of War, a flashy debut winner for Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park, was a sometime workmate for stablemate Spice Is Nice – now better known as the dam (mother) of Derby favorite Renegade! Although Eve of War did not win a stakes in her seven-race career, she did place third in the 2020 Monmouth Oaks (G3).

Eve of War’s sire, Declaration of War, was a high-caliber operator on all surfaces. When based with legendary Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, he scored in the 2013 Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot as well as the Juddmonte International (G1). Trying dirt in that fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita, he was beaten just a short neck in third.

Eve of War was produced by Special Thanks, a homebred top and bottom for the late Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak Stud. Both of Special Thanks’ parents were Pin Oak homebreds, Broken Vow and the multiple Grade 3-winning turf mare Bedanken.

The 2026 Derby offers a poignant postscript to Abercrombie’s legacy in more ways than one. Aside from the fact that The Puma is a grandson of Special Thanks, Pin Oak itself is now thriving for its current owners, the Bernhard family. Dana Bernhard, who purchased the Pin Oak property with her late husband, Jim, and maintained Abercrombie’s iconic silks, has a pair of Derby contenders in Incredibolt and Albus.

Special Thanks had an intriguing pedigree pattern. Both of her grandmothers were bred on similar lines, crossing Nijinsky II, the last English Triple Crown winner, with Blushing Groom. Both of those key sires also turn up in the maternal side of Declaration of War’s pedigree, potentially amplifying their influence (among other duplications) in Eve of War.

The Puma’s bloodlines double down on a more recent classic influence, 1990 Derby champion Unbridled. Yet both times Unbridled appears in his pedigree, his mate was a Nijinsky mare. Essential Quality’s sire, Tapit, is out of a mare bred on the Unbridled/Nijinsky cross, and Broken Vow sports the exact same cross.

When Eve of War was carrying The Puma, her first foal, she was offered at the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. The top bid of $245,000 did not reach her reserve price, however, and Eve of War went back home to Hidden Brook.

Her colt was born on Feb. 7, 2023, and he made a favorable impression on Hidden Brook’s managing partner, Sergio de Sousa.

“The horse was a straightforward kind of colt, very strong and good-minded.

“His way of moving always reminded me of his mother as a young horse at the farm,” de Sousa added. “She was also born and raised at Hidden Brook.”

As a yearling, the colt toured the ring at Keeneland September, but was led out unsold for $95,000. He was then sent to Hidden Brook’s Florida division, where another of the farm’s partners, Mark Roberts, supervises the youngsters’ early education and training.

The colt was prepared for the OBS April Sale, as part of the Hidden Brook consignment that also featured future Saratoga Special (G2) hero Ewing. While Ewing ended up bringing a flashier price of $585,000, the Essential Quality-Eve of War colt proved a relative bargain at $150,000.

His new connections decided to name him The Puma, in homage to Delgado. But where did the successful trainer pick up that nickname?

As Chris McGrath revealed in a Thoroughbred Daily News article, the original bearer of that sobriquet is another Venezuelan, the singer/actor Jose Luis Rodriguez. Delgado resembled him so much that, by extension, he too became “The Puma.”

“Gustavo Sr. is just his doppelganger,” Restrepo told McGrath. “He had the same ladies’ man flair in his younger days, too. So we affectionately call him the Puma.”

The equine version of The Puma has been brought along patiently. Like Mage, he did not race as a juvenile, but debuted over the winter at Gulfstream Park.

Although The Puma was unable to win first time out, as Mage did, he faced a much tougher opponent in Chief Wallabee. The Puma also had a more challenging trip in his seven-furlong premiere. Off a beat slow, he hustled to join the early fray, grabbed the lead, and just got outkicked by Chief Wallabee, who had the luxury of coming from off the pace.

The Puma was well regarded enough to jump onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby as a maiden. Next seen in the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs, he didn’t have the smoothest passage among horses in his stakes and two-turn debut. But he still finished with interest in third behind Renegade.

Back over the same track and 1 1/16-mile trip for the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), The Puma put it all together in a maiden-breaking coup. This time, the 7-1 chance was anchored at the rear of the field, and he responded with a sustained move. Despite fanning widest of all into the stretch, The Puma outfinished the better-fancied Further Ado and Canaletto.

The Puma nearly made it two straight in the Florida Derby (G1), only to be nipped by Commandment on the wire. The duo initially raced together at the back of the pack, until The Puma moved first, and Commandment waited to strike.

Three years ago, Mage had also run a bang-up second in the Florida Derby, when he made a big move to beat everyone except champion Forte. The lightly-raced colt continued his progress at Churchill Downs.

Might lightning strike twice with The Puma? He even shares the same Hall of Fame rider, Javier Castellano. Yet there are not only parallels with Mage; The Puma has a couple of extra points in his favor. He has one more start to his credit, as well as a stakes win that Mage lacked going into the first Saturday in May.

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