Cruz missile: Horse that shares name with Adam Sandler movie character wins on Derby Day

In the hit sports comedy-drama film “Hustle,” Adam Sandler stars as Stanley Sugerman, an international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who travels the world in search of the next professional basketball star.

While in Spain, he finds Bo Cruz, a temperamental, yet prodigious talent (played by actual NBA player Juancho Hernangomez), whom Sugerman takes under his wing and eventually guides to the NBA.

Sandler wasn’t at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, but a callback to the movie was.

And he won.

Bo Cruz, a 3-year-old gray or roan horse trained by Albert Stall Jr. and ridden by Joel Rosario, bested the field in the 13th of 14 races on Saturday’s Derby Day card.

The win came by a comfortable 3 lengths, as Bo Cruz set the pace and easily pulled away from the field for good in the frontstretch.

The victory came in a 1 1/16-mile race on the fast dirt track at Churchill Downs, and finished just before the skies opened up and lightning caused a weather delay before the final race of the night.

The allowance optional claiming race triumph gave Bo Cruz his second win in three career starts. It was also the second win of his racing career.

Sired by Creative Cause — who was also the father of Kentucky Derby participant King Russell (15th) — Bo Cruz ran his first-ever race in Kentucky on Saturday.

His previous two starts — a second-place effort in February and a victory in March — both came at Fair Grounds in Louisiana.

Bo Cruz won $112,960 for his Saturday night victory.

It’s unclear how that would stack up against the professional basketball earnings of his fictional namesake.