‘He Looked At Me Like I Was Crazy’: Gatsas Looks Back At Shadow Caster’s Forego Upset

When owner Mike Gatsas runs four-time stakes winner Funny Guy in Saturday's Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing, he will be reminded of his first graded stakes triumph 20 years ago when Shadow Caster pulled a 50-1 upset in the prestigious sprint at Saratoga.

The native of Manchester, New Hampshire, who operates under the moniker Gatsas Thoroughbreds alongside his brother Ted, had only owned horses for about five years and had just made the transition from former trainer Charlie Assinakopolous to John Terranova, who also conditions Funny Guy.

Shadow Caster arrived at the Forego with 28 starts under his belt but still appeared to be overmatched against the likes of multiple graded stakes winners Richter Scale and Successful Appeal.

“I remember saying to John, 'Let's get into the Forego' and he looked at me like I was crazy,” Gatsas recalled. “We took a leap of faith. I had just moved my horses to Terranova's barn at the time a month and a half prior to the Forego. But he went in there and outraced himself for sure and beat a very, very good field.”

Shadow Caster recorded a 113 Beyer for his upset victory in the Forego, which was a Grade 2 contested at 6 1/2 furlongs in 2000.

“That was a good field of sprinters and he had never faced anything quite like that, but he pulled it off,” Terranova said. “The following year, they changed it to a Grade 1, otherwise that would have been [my first Grade 1 win].”

Funny Guy won't be arriving at the Forego as quite as big an underdog as Shadow Caster, but the 4-year-old Big Brown bay has still yet to prove himself against open graded stakes company. However, the versatile New York-bred has defeated some of the best the Empire State-bred program has to offer, like multiple stakes-winner Mr. Buff, who was second to Funny Guy twice this year in the Commentator and John Morrissey.

“He's another good New York bred coming up. He's certainly in top form right now and the best of his life so far,” Terranova said. “We'll see how he goes from here. It seems as if he looks to be running the better races of his career whereas some of the top ones have maybe run a little bit less than what they've run before, but it's hard to say for sure.”

Funny Guy, who Gatsas owns in partnership with R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable, has displayed versatility from several different standpoints. In addition to winning stakes races at distances ranging from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, he also has found the winner's circle when demonstrating different running styles.

In the Commentator, he came from off the pace under a well-timed ride by Rosario to record a 101 Beyer and followed up with a stalk-and-pounce triumph in the Morrissey, where he tracked just a length off the pace to draw off to a two-length win.

Jockey Joel Rosario was aboard for both efforts and Gatsas praised the jockey for executing well-timed rides in his last two starts.

“He has multiple gears and if you get into a little traffic, Joel can take hold and let him out a bit and he responds to Joel when he does that,” Gatsas said. “He's a very smart horse. On days of the race, he rests because he knows he's going to war. But he has those multiple gears and we've seen that in the morning with him, too.”

Gatsas also owned multiple New York-bred champion Gander, who finished a game second to Lemon Drop Kid in the Woodward just two weeks after Shadow Caster won the Forego. He also currently co-owns Vekoma, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter and Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile, with R. A. Hill Stable.

Despite having not yet won a graded stakes race, Gatsas still holds Funny Guy in high regard and said that he is already one of the best horses that he has owned.

“We've had some real nice horses and it looks like Funny Guy might rise to the top of the list,” Gatsas said. “We had Shadow Caster and Gander with John as well. I think Funny Guy is going to surprise a lot of people. It's a bigger and tougher field but no bigger or tougher than Shadow Caster's field. He's doing great now and Joel staying on shows how much confidence he really has. We're lucky to have such a jockey on him as Joel, he has tremendous confidence in this horse.”

For the past two decades, Terranova has been one of the go-to trainers for Gatsas, who also has horses with George Weaver.

“I've been in the business almost 25 years and all trainers have been gentleman and excellent horsemen. I brought a bunch of horses to John and [wife] Tonja and we've become family,” Gatsas said. “My daughter and son and John and his whole family have become friends. We've done a lot together and had some real good horses. We had [Grade 1 winner] Negligee, who was owned by my son [Matthew Gatsas of Sovereign Stables] and went to the Breeders Cup with her.

“We've done quite well over the years with he and Tonja; they are hard-working, great people. They care about their horses and they care about their owners. To have a relationship this long is pretty unique.”

A big run from Funny Guy could mean a trip to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

“I'm not faint of heart to run in the Breeders' Cup,” Gatsas said. “I supplemented Gander for a lot of money to go to the Breeders' Cup in 2000. If he comes out great and John says 'Hey let's take a shot' I'm sure we'll be in Kentucky. I'm thinking he'll run really well on Saturday. He's that good right now.”

Terranova also would be in favor of taking a shot in the Breeders' Cup.

“If he were to show up and everything went well, it would be something for sure we would give great consideration to,” Terranova said.

The post ‘He Looked At Me Like I Was Crazy’: Gatsas Looks Back At Shadow Caster’s Forego Upset appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Vekoma’s Partners Hoping Thrill Ride Continues In Runhappy Met Mile

After running the race of his life with an emphatic 7 1/4-length romp in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter, R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma tackles an even tougher field assembled for Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Runhappy Met Mile at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The recent eye-popping victory under Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano, which garnered a 110 Beyer, was a second start of the year for the Candy Ride chestnut colt who made his 2020 bow a winning one in the Sir Shackleton on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. Last year, Vekoma earned accolades heading into the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby after drawing away to victory in the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland for trainer George Weaver.

To earn a second Grade 1 victory, Vekoma will have to topple a field that includes last year's Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup-victor Code of Honor and McKinzie, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga.

Already a winner going a one-turn mile during his 2-year-old campaign in the Grade 3 Nashua, Vekoma will be stretching back out to a mile from the seven-furlong Carter.

“He's got so much talent it's unreal,” said co-owner Mike Gatsas. “I think he can handle it. Javier knows the horse very well and he can get the distance without a problem. They have a great rapport with one another, so we'll let him decide on a trip.”

In both of his 4-year-old starts, Vekoma has displayed tactical speed sitting just off of the pacesetters before making a winning bid at the top of the stretch.

Gatsas anticipates that Vekoma will display a similar running style on Saturday.

“He has some early speed, so he'll help set the pace somewhat,” Gatsas said. “He won't be on the lead, but he should be forwardly placed. Javier rides him extremely well and understands him well, so he knows what he's doing.”

Vekoma, named after a Dutch manufacturing company of roller coasters as a nod to his champion-producing sire's name, has taken his connections on an exciting ride. Hill and Gatsas also partnered with graded stakes-placed Our Country, who ran eighth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf last November at Santa Anita as well as New York-bred stakes winner Funny Guy.

“It's such a great partnership, but what's really good about it is that it's also a great friendship,” Gatsas said. “We've had a lot of fun over the years. We've gone to the Derby, the Breeders' Cup together and we just won the Carter so it's been such a fun experience.”

Vekoma, bred in Kentucky by Alpha Delta Stables, is out of the Speightstown broodmare Mona de Momma who also is a Grade 1 winner going seven furlongs.

Being a Grade 1 winner with a Grade 1-winning sire and dam makes Vekoma quite enticing as a stallion prospect, but Gatsas said a triumph in the Runhappy Met Mile, which is known for being a “stallion making race”, could make his breeding value even more appealing.

“Hopefully this adds to his resume,” Gatsas said. “He also won the Blue Grass last year so I'm sure a lot of Kentucky farms would be interested in that. He took down that field real well, too.

“He's just such a special horse,” Gatsas added. “He's not a big, strapping colt, but he is really well-built.”

The post Vekoma’s Partners Hoping Thrill Ride Continues In Runhappy Met Mile appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights