Carlo Vaccarezza | Horse Racing Free Tips

Navratilova Gives Humphrey Milestone Win In Keeneland’s Valley View

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s homebred Navratilova dug down deep for a front-running one-length victory in Friday's featured $150,000 Rubicon Valley View (G3) on the penultimate day of Keeneland's 17-day Fall Meet in Lexington, Ky. The win marked the eighth graded stakes victory for Humphrey and earned for him a Keeneland Tray, part of Keeneland's unique Milestone Trophy Program.

Humphrey is the 23^rd owner to receive the Keeneland Tray, first awarded to Hasty House Farm during the 1955 Spring Meet. On Oct. 23, Godolphin earned the Keeneland Tray following Caramel Swirl's win in the Lexus Raven Run (G2).

Navratilova, trained by Rusty Arnold and ridden by Colby Hernandez, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.57 over a turf course listed as yielding.

She and Hernandez broke sharply and secured the early lead heading into the first turn through an opening quarter-mile fraction of :23.82. Crazy Beautiful and Brian Hernandez Jr. broke sharply but settled in second up the backstretch while favored Toby's Heart and Joel Rosario kept to the inside in fourth behind Arm Candy and Ricardo Santana Jr.

Following a half-mile time in :49.06 and 6-furlong mark of 1:14.02, Navratilova continued to cruise on the lead while Crazy Beautiful and Tobys Heart maintained second and third, respectively. Inside the eighth pole, Navratilova was able to hold off Crazy Beautiful for the victory.

Sent off at odds of 25-1, Navratilova returned $53.80, $20.60 and $10.20. Crazy Beautiful paid $8.40 and $5.40 while Adventuring and Florent Geroux closed late for third and returned $5.60.

Navratilova is a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro out of the Grade 1-winning mare Centre Court, by Smart Strike. With today's win, the Kentucky-bred earned $90,000 to increase her career earnings to $241,465 with a record of 9-3-0-3.

Tobys Heart was able to hold fourth and was followed by Core Values, Breaker of Chains, Oliviaofthedesert, Saranya, Queenship (IRE), Arm Candy and Princess Theorem. Oyster Box, Lady Speightspeare, Flown, Gam's Mission and Wait for Nairobi were scratched from the over-subscribed field.

Sweet Dani Girl Wins Myrtlewood
J & J Stables and Nicholas Vaccarezza's Sweet Dani Girl made a bold three-wide rally to win the $150,000 Myrtlewood, named for the Hall of Famer and influential broodmare who won three races during Keeneland's nine-day opening meet in October 1936, in the race before the Rubicon Valley View.

Trained by Vaccarezza's father, Carlo Vaccarezza, and ridden by Martin Garcia, Sweet Dani Girl covered 6 furlongs in 1:10.36 over the track rated fast.

Kant Believe It and Verylittlecents dueled on the lead throughout much of the Myrtlewood through a quarter-mile fraction of :22.16 and half-mile time of :46.14. Garcia and Sweet Dani Girl tracked just to the outside of the pacesetting duo and was able to surge to the lead in the final strides for a three-quarter-length victory.

Sweet Dani Girl, the 2-1 favorite, paid $6, $4.20 and $3.40. Kant Believe It held second to return $7.20 and $5 under Jose Ortiz, while Verylittlecents finished third under Joe Talamo and returned $6.40.

Chi Town Lady finished fourth and was followed by Jester Calls Nojoy, Jumeirah, Towser, Majestic d'Oro, She's Pure Silver and You Look Cold. Blazing Summer was scratched.

Sweet Dani Girl Martin Garcia up, wins the Myrtlewood Stakes

With Sweet Dani Girl's victory in the Myrtlewood, she earned $90,000 and remained perfect in two career starts. The daughter of Jess's Dream out of the Scat Daddy mare My Sweet Dani Girl was bred in Florida by her owners.

Saturday is closing day of the Fall Meet with 10 races beginning at 1 p.m. ET. The card includes three stakes: Race 7 (4:12 p.m.) — $150,000 Bowman Mill, Race 8 (4:44 p.m.) – Bryan Station and Race 9 (5:16 p.m.) – Hagyard Fayette (G2).

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Hay Jude, Dam Of Breeders’ Cup Winner Little Mike, Dies At Age 26

Hay Jude, the dam of 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Little Mike, died of an apparent heart attack at Old Friends Equine Retirement's annex farm, the farm announced Monday. She was 26.

The Illinois-bred daughter of Wavering Monarch raced as a homebred for Long Meadow Stables, competing exclusively in her home state and becoming a multiple allowance winner. She retired with five wins in 30 starts over five seasons of racing for earnings of $113,152.

After her racing career, Hay Jude entered the Florida broodmare band of horseman Carlo Vaccarezza, and her second foal was the Tiger Ridge gelding Little Nick, who became a three-time stakes winner in Florida and New York.

Her most notable work as a broodmare came with her fourth foal, the Spanish Steps gelding Little Mike, who earned over $3.5 million on the racetrack, with Grade 1 wins in the Breeders' Cup Turf, Arlington Million, and Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes in 2012, and another top-shelf victory in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes a year later.

Like Hay Jude, Little Mike was retired to Old Friends, and he currently resides at the farm.

After the success of Little Mike's 2013 campaign, Hay Jude was offered at that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale in foal to Distorted Humor, but she was kept by Vaccarezza, finishing under her reserve with a final bid of $235,000.

Hay Jude was pensioned from her broodmare career after delivering the Liam's Map filly Little Jewel in 2016. In total, she produced 12 foals, with eight winners from 10 starters.

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Santa Anita’s Sunshine Bonus Incentive Helps Convince Vaccarezza To Test West Coast Waters

Carlo Vaccarezza is a new name among trainers in Southern California but he's not a racing novice. He is far from it.

The 68-year-old native of Italy who immigrated to the United States in the 1960s sent out longshot King Theo to a ninth-place finish in Friday's seventh race at one mile on turf, a course over which Vaccarezza has had success in the past, although not as a trainer.

He was the breeder and his wife, Priscilla, the owner of Florida-bred gelding Little Mike who posted a 17-1 upset in the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita in 2012, when trained by Dale Romans.

Vaccarezza currently has six head at Santa Anita and another six due in this Wednesday from Keeneland, two of them related to Little Mike, a 4-year-old filly (Little Jewel) and a 3-year-old colt (Militarist), both sired by Liam's Map. Vaccarezza, who will have a string of horses at Santa Anita for the first time, has been training since 2014 but he is not a one-trick pony.

“I've been in the restaurant business all my life,” he said. “I own restaurants in New York City and I'm building one in Lexington, Kentucky. I have a couple in South Florida, and I'm involved in an olive oil company in La Mirada, California, but my passion was always horse racing.”

All his restaurants are named Frank and Dino's, after Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

“They are high-end Italian restaurants and we play the Rat Pack music and rock and roll,” Carlos said. “I used to cook for Frank.”

How high-end are they? Spaghetti primavera is 26 bucks and a dish called Fagottini Sinatra goes for $30.50, but it's worth visiting Frank and Dino's website to ogle the mouth-watering fare on the expansive menu.

But back to racing.

“In 2007 I got lucky and bred a mare (Hay Jude) that actually was a giveaway, to Spanish Steps and the rest is history,” Carlo said. “The foal was Little Mike (named for Carlo's 18-year-old son; Carlo's 21-year-old son Nicholas, who earned his spurs as a foreman and assistant to Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, now assists with his Dad's business).”

Both sons miraculously survived the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history on Feb. 14, 2018, when a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 15 miles from Vaccarezza's Frank and Dino's restaurant in Boca, where on Feb. 25, Carlo raised $182,254 in a fundraiser to benefit the school.

Little Mike, who had a 14-2-1 record from 30 starts with earnings of $3,543,392, was Hay Jude's second foal. Spanish Steps was an unraced son of Unbridled who had a modest stud fee of $5,000.

California always held a special place in Vaccarezza's heart.

“(Del Mar Racing Secretary) David Jerkens had invited me to race there and I just couldn't make it, but when Chris (Merz) took over (as Director of Racing and Racing Secretary) at Santa Anita, things sort of fell into place.

“I was a board member of the HPBA (Horsemen's Protective and Benevolent Association) in South Florida, so I know The Stronach Group really well. Craig Fravel (CEO of The Stronach Group) called me and got me involved with Chris and I couldn't wait to try Santa Anita.”

A key factor is Santa Anita's Sunshine Bonus Incentive Program, which offers a guaranteed $3,000 bonus for any eligible starter in its initial Santa Anita race (stakes excluded) whose previous start was made outside California.

Also, there is an additional 35 percent bonus applied to a horse's purse earnings (first through fifth) in its initial Santa Anita race (stakes excluded) whose previous start was made outside California.

“It's an extra incentive,” Carlo said of the program, “a beautiful gift.”

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Unicorn Girl, Dam Of Grade 1 Winner Jackie’s Warrior, Supplemented to Keeneland November Sale

Keeneland announced Sunday that Unicorn Girl, dam of undefeated two-time Grade 1 winner and leading TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance candidate Jackie's Warrior, and her weanling colt by American Pharoah have been supplemented to the November Breeding Stock Sale, to be held Nov. 9-18.

Unicorn Girl, who is in foal to leading sire Into Mischief, and her weanling son both are consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock, agent, in the premier Book 1 on opening day.

Catalog pages for the two horses will be released later this week.

In Saturday's Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont, Jackie's Warrior dominated his rivals with a front-running 5 1/2-length victory. The effort solidified the colt's status as a favorite in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and set the graduate of Keeneland's 2019 September Yearling Sale on course for an Eclipse Award as division champion.

“It was a very impressive victory for Jackie's Warrior in the Champagne, and Unicorn Girl in foal to Into Mischief on one cover and carrying a colt will be well received at Keeneland November,” said Carlo Vaccarezza, who owns the mare and weanling with John Williams. “Also selling the weanling half-brother to Jackie's Warrior by American Pharoah will show what she's capable of moving forward. John and I are extremely excited for this opportunity.”

The Champagne continued Jackie's Warrior's roll this year. He won his June 19 career debut by 2 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs and next took the Aug. 7 G2 Saratoga Special Presented by Miller Light by three lengths. On Sept. 7, Jackie's Warrior captured the G1 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga by 2 1/4 lengths in stakes-record time.

Unicorn Girl, by the A.P. Indy stallion A. P. Five Hundred, is in foal to the powerhouse Into Mischief, whose stud fee recently climbed to $225,000 for 2021. His recent headliners include Kentucky Derby hero Authentic and Test Stakes winner Gamine. Into Mischief was the leading sire by gross sales at the recent Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where 19 of his sons and daughters commanded $500,000 or more. Five sold for $1 million or more, including the $1.9 million sale-topping filly.

“There is no telling what Unicorn Girl can do with a foal by Into Mischief,” Beau Lane said. “She is a powerhouse. She tried her heart out every time she raced. She's a quality mare who was an overachiever, and she passes that on to her babies. They have the same attitude. She is the kind that can give you that special horse.”

Unicorn Girl has a pedigree page loaded with quality. Out of stakes winner Horah for Bailey, she is a half-sister to eight winners, including stakes winner Bernie the Maestro, who earned $694,317, and a pair of stakes horses who banked nearly $200,000 each.

On the race track, Unicorn Girl was competitive, classy and sound. Racing on the East Coast, she won 19 races and earned $483,508 in 54 races.

“Jackie's Warrior proved his star power with his dominating performance in the Champagne, and we look forward to seeing him at Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile,” Keeneland President-Elect and Interim Head of Sales Shannon Arvin said. “Keeneland is especially excited to offer his dam, Unicorn Girl, who is in foal to the popular stallion Into Mischief, and his weanling half-brother in the November Sale.”

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