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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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Stronach 5: 16 Winning Tickets Each Return $6,382

There were 16 winning tickets in Friday's popular Stronach 5, each returning $6,382.70.

The largest payoff in the five-race sequence featuring races from Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park and an industry-low 12-percent takeout was $9.20.

Friday's sequence kicked off with Wonderwall, a 3-year-old filly from the barn of leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, winning Laurel's eighth race followed by Candygramformongo winning Laurel's ninth race.

The Stronach 5 moved to Santa Anita Park for its third race. Reddam Racing LLC's That Corey, a 3-year-old son of Square Eddie who finished second at Del Mar last time out, ran away from nine others on a mile turf course to break his maiden.

The last two legs were both contested at Gulfstream over the turf. Star Weaver, a lightly-raced 4-year-old by Dialed In, led gate-to-wire to win the ninth race for his second victory in his last three starts. The sequence concluded with Gulfstream's 10th race and Golovkin holding off Lord of War by a nose.

Friday's races and sequence

· Leg One – Laurel Park 8th Race: Wonderwall $9

· Leg Two –Laurel Park 9th Race: Candygramformongo $9

· Leg Three –Santa Anita 3rd Race: That Corey $6.20

· Leg Four –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: Star Weaver $9.20

· Leg Five –Gulfstream West 10th Race: Golovkin $9

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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Q B One, Beholder’s First Foal, Approaches Debut Start

After a bit of a delay, Q B One, the first foal out of multiple Eclipse Award winner Beholder, is on track to make his first start in the coming weeks, Daily Racing Form reports.

Trainer Richard Mandella told DRF's Brad Free that 3-year-old Uncle Mo colt was “three or four weeks away from a race.”

A homebred for Spendthrift Farm, which also campaigned Beholder, Q B One was set to debut last year as a 2-year-old, but Mandella stopped on the colt after a July workout at Del Mar. The colt remains based in Southern California, where he most recently breezed five furlongs in 1:01.80 on Friday at Santa Anita.

‘He Surprises Me Every Day’: Maryland-Bred Harpers First Ride Headed To Pegasus World Cup

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, a four-time stakes winner in 2020 including the historic Pimlico Special (G3), is set to launch his 5-year-old season in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Saturday, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Based at Laurel Park with trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride was among the invitees to the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up, being held for the fifth consecutive year. Also on the list is another Maryland-bred, 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Knicks Go.

Harpers First Ride ended 2020 with back-to-back stakes victories at Laurel in the 1 1/16-mile Richard W. Small Nov. 28 and 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer Dec. 26.

“He came back really good after the last race, that's why we try to go to the Pegasus,” Gonzalez said. “It's a big race. It all depends. If he continues like how he's doing, we're going to go.”

The Pegasus will be the third time in graded-stakes company and first against Grade 1 competition for Harpers First Ride, who Gonzalez claimed for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs.

“The first time he ran over there he ran good, and he was a Maryland-bred. Why not bring him here?” Gonzalez said of the reason behind claiming the gelded son of Grade 1 winner Paynter. “What's he doing over there? So, we decide to claim the horse.”

Harpers First Ride won seven of 11 races in 2020 with two seconds, one third and $495,623 in purse earnings, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He won the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 5 at Laurel as a prep for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, where he dueled up front with favored Owendale to win by two lengths.

“He surprises me every day. Every day he goes better,” Gonzalez said. “He comes back from the races like nothing. He's easy to train. He's a classy horse. He does everything right.”

Gonzalez said the plans call for Harpers First Ride to breeze at Gulfstream and have regular rider Angel Cruz aboard for the Pegasus. Cruz has been up for each of Harpers First Ride's last five wins and all four stakes.

“He knows the horse really good. And for me it's better that he rides, and I think that he will,” Gonzalez said. “The plan is to go 10 days before the race to give him a breeze over there and let him get to know the racetrack and get used to the weather change. Here it's cold and over there it's going to be hot. That's why we plan that. It gives him a couple of days to adjust.”

Claimed by Gonzalez for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs, MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride won for the seventh time in 11 starts in 2020, four of those wins coming in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer at Laurel and Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course.

A gelded 4-year-old son of Grade 1 winner Paynter, Harpers First Ride has earned $495,623 this year, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He will figure in the conversation for Maryland-bred Horse of the Year along with Knicks Go, who went three-for-three in the Midwest this year topped by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

“The horse surprises me every race he runs. Every race he runs better and better. He walked today and he walked like he knows he won. It's really good when you see that,” Gonzalez said. “He won four stakes, he won the Pimlico Special, and all the stakes he won he won good. It's the first time I've had a horse like that. With Harpers, every day is special. From the day we claimed him, he started doing good.”

Among the early 2021 stakes for 4-year-olds and up going a route of ground at Laurel are the $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-bred/sired horses at one mile Jan. 16, the $100,000 John B. Campbell at about 1 1/16 miles Feb. 13 and $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at 1 1/8 miles March 13. Gonzalez said the connections will keep all their options open for the soon-to-be 5-year-old.

“He proved that he won his races easy and maybe he has to take the next step and race with the big guys and see how he does,” he said.

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