Delgado Holds Fond Tesio Memories with Oliver’s Twist

Nearly three decades have passed, but the memory of Oliver’s Twist winning the 1995 Federico Tesio – and nearly duplicating that success on the national stage four weeks later – are sharp as ever for Alberto Delgado.

“The Tesio is one of the major races in Maryland because it is a step up for the Preakness,” Delgado, 57, said.

Laurel Park will host the 41st running of the $125,000 Federico Tesio for 3-year-olds Saturday, April 16 as part of a Spring Stakes Spectacular program featuring four stakes worth $450,000 in purses. For the seventh straight year, it will serve as a ‘Win and In’ qualifier for Triple Crown-nominated horses to the 147th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Since it debuted in 1981, the 1 1/8-mile Tesio has served as a prep for the Preakness with Deputed Testamony the only horse to sweep both races in 1983. Oliver’s Twist, owned by Charles M. Oliver and trained by Bill Boniface, has come closest since, running second to Timber Country in the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

“Funny story about the Tesio,” Delgado said. “Mr. Boniface says, ‘Listen we don’t have much time to give you instructions on how to ride this horse, so I wrote it down for you and I want you to read them.’ He sticks his hand in his pocket and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing?’

“He gives me a blank paper,” he added. “[I said], ‘What’s this?’ He says, ‘Just ride the horse any way you want, jock.’ That really gave me a lot of confidence. It gave me the green light to just ride the horse any way it comes up, and fortunately we got the job done.”

Oliver’s Twist went undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old, all at Laurel, including stakes victories in the Rollicking and Maryland Juvenile Championship. After finishing fifth in the Florida Derby (G1) and second in the Private Terms, Oliver’s Twist was second choice in the Tesio behind Western Echo and future Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, drawing Post 5 in a field of 10, three spots inside the favorite.

Sam’s Quest, sent off at 32-1, set the pace for a half-mile before fading and effectively turning the Tesio into a match race between Western Echo and Oliver’s Twist, who hooked up on the far turn and dueled to the wire. Oliver’s Twist, on the outside of Western Echo, surged late to win by a neck. It was 4 ½ lengths back to 22-1 long shot Flying Punch in third.

“[Oliver’s Twist] didn’t break as good as I thought he would, so I just [wanted to] get a good position,” Delgado said. “I’m coming up to the favorite … we hook up at the three-eighths pole and it’s a horse race from the three-eighths pole to the wire.

“I can just remember right now it was basically who wanted it the most, like a championship fight,” he added. “Everybody was just throwing punches at each other and whoever could knock the other person out [would win]. We just went at it, me and Kent. It was a battle. You’re just trying to get your horse to max out.”

Pimlico hosted all but two of the first 35 runnings of the Tesio, including 1995, until the race was moved to Laurel in 2016. Renovations of Laurel’s main track forced the Tesio, run as a Grade 3 from 1988 to 1997, back to Pimlico last year.