Notes & Quotes From the Colonel E.R. Bradley Memorial Stakes: Kupuna

NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 17, 2026) – Flying P Stable’s Kupuna uncorked a powerful stretch rally to win the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Memorial at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, adding his first turf stakes victory to the 6-year-old’s resume.

Trained by Norm Casse, Luis Saez piloted Kupuna to a 1 1/4-length victory over Lagynos, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.37.

“We know there was a little speed in the race,” Saez said. “He’s a horse who has proven to come from behind. We just broke from there, sat in the perfect spot, came on at the top of the stretch, swung out, and he got going. He finished very strong, and we feel like he’s a pretty nice horse.”

After getting shuffled back in the early going, Kupuna was ninth early in the field of 11, as Theismann set the tempo. After advancing on the leaders, Kupuna swung six wide at the top of the stretch, edged clear of Lagynos in the final sixteenth and held that foe at bay. Cameo Performance rallied late for third.

Kupuna paid $8.20, $3.80 and $2.80.

“I was a little apprehensive going into the first turn after he got shuffled back so much,” Casse said. “But honestly, down the backside, he looked like the winner, he was traveling well the entire time. And when Luis asked, he responded.”

A recent claim by Flying P Stable, Kupuna now has two wins from three starts on turf since joining Casse’s barn, including a runner-up finish in the Diliberto Memorial. Overall, Kupuna’s career record now stands at 29-7-9-3 with earnings of $695,778.

“I gotta give (Flying P Stables) a lot of credit for today, because when they claimed him, they looked in the form and noticed that (Kupuna) had one turf start, that it was a troubled turf start, and that’s how the decision was made. 
So obviously, he seems to be a different animal on the turf, and we’re just happy to have him in the barn.”