Churchill Downs saw Giocoso surge to millionaire status Saturday with a dramatic late rally to capture the GIII Commonwealth Turf Stakes.
The Keith Desormeaux trainee entered the race with earnings just shy of seven figures and a graded stakes victory already on his resume from the GII Secretariat Stakes at Colonial Downs in August.
Giocoso, a son of red-hot sire Not This Time, had been consistently competitive in recent starts, finishing second in Kentucky Downs’ Gun Runner Stakes in September and third in Keeneland’s GIII Bryan Station Stakes behind GISW Troubleshooting last month.
Under jockey Jose Ortiz, Giocoso settled in eighth position for much of the race, avoiding the traffic issues that compromised several rivals including race favorite Troubleshooting and King’s Plate winner Mansetti.
Still well off the pace after six furlongs in 1:11.67, Ortiz navigated Giocoso six-wide into the stretch to find running room. The colt responded with a relentless drive, catching Chapman’s Peak in the final strides to win by a head. Outrunner finished third, a length behind the runner-up.
“It was a little anxious moment down the stretch but the good horses know how to get the job done,” Desormeaux said. “Jose was able to get him to relax down the backside and I was blessed to have a jockey that used his skills to do that and we got the job done.”
Ortiz praised the consistent performer: “He’s a horse that comes to run every time and always gives you his best. I couldn’t have gotten the job done today without Keith and his team back at the barn to get him ready to run. He broke well and I got him to settle going into the first turn. I asked him to go little by little and at the quarter pole when I tipped out, I could tell I had a ton of horse left.”
GIOCOSO ($9.48) soars home in the $300,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3) with @jose93_ortiz in the irons. The son of @TMStallions Not This Time is trained by Keith Desormeaux. pic.twitter.com/YJkH2DkQaJ
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing)
GIOCOSO ($9.48) soars home in the $300,000 Commonwealth Turf Stakes (G3) with November 22, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Giocoso stands as the most accomplished offspring from his dam Nutcracker Suite (Ire), representing her only black-type runner to date. The dam has produced three winners overall, with two siblings finding success in Japan and Argentina.
Nutcracker Suite, a half-sister to multiple group producer GSW-Ire Beauty Bright (Ire), had a stillborn McKinzie foal in 2024 but delivered a 2025 Up to the Mark filly and was bred to Cogburn for 2026.
The dam’s extended family includes MSW-Aus & G1SP-Eng Aloft (Ire), a five-time winner and the only elite-placed runner for second dam Dietrich. Another sister, Marquesa, has produced multiple stakes performers in Japan.
Giocoso returned $9.48 for the win and pushed his career earnings to $1,119,971 with a record of 4-2-2 from 13 starts.
Chapman’s Peak, a Godolphin homebred by Quality Road, earned his first black-type and first graded black-type with the second-place finish for trainer Brad Cox.
Troubleshooting, who entered as the 5-2 favorite, encountered repeated checking in the early stages and faded to ninth in the stretch.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf was 1:41.47.
