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A New Jersey race-horse owner was so grateful for the Verrazano Bridge in helping him win over his fiancée, he named his prized colt after it — and now the horse is one of the betting favorites in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby.
Kevin Scatuorchio, 31, said he hopes the love story behind 3-year-old “Verrazano,” a 4-1 choice, will inspire the undefeated horse to win the Run for the Roses.
Scatuorchio was dating Meghan Ehmann, 31, in 2010, when she flew here from Chicago to run in the New York Marathon, which begins on the Verrazano.
Scatuorchio, who lives in Red Bank, snapped a shot of the bridge and sent it to his new love interest with a note to impress her.
“It was a beautiful day and I took this great picture. I sent it to her and said, ‘Can’t wait to see you,’ ” he told The Post.
The next week, she framed the photo and gave it to him for his birthday. They got engaged soon after.
“The Verrazano Bridge is iconic of my relationship with my fiancée,” Scatuorchio said.
One month later, he was on a ferry — passing under the bridge — when he looked up.
“I happened to be leaning against the window — and I [thought] ‘Verrazano’ is a cool name. It’s iconic for New York” and a symbol of his love for Ehmann, he said.
His partners loved it and the horse, which is trained at Let’s Go Stables in Rumson, got its name.
Groomer Billy Goodman said Verrazano has a temperament fit for a New Yorker, and has a great shot at winning the first jewel of the Triple Crown.