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Gary Sciacca Saddles 1,000th Career Winner Thursday At Aqueduct

Trainer Gary Sciacca earned his 1,000th career victory when Caumsett wired the first race on Opening Day of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“I'm just real happy to get it done,” Sciacca said. “I would have loved to have got it done at Belmont, but I got my start here at Aqueduct so this is great.”

Sciacca, a 61-year-old native of Brooklyn, New York, captured his first career victory with Proud Northern in October 1981 at the Big A. Through four decades of conditioning thoroughbreds, Sciacca has won two training titles at Belmont Park, leading the way at the 1993 spring meet and 1997 fall meet.

Caumsett, with Hall of Famer Javier Castellano in the irons, led through splits of 24.22 seconds, 48.80 and 1:13.50 in the one-mile inner turf event for New York-bred maiden fillies and mares. The sophomore daughter of The Factor opened up a 3 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and coasted home a 1 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:36.55 over the firm going.

Castellano, who guided Caumsett to a narrow head loss with a similar pacesetting effort on September 19 at Belmont Park, said he felt confident throughout.

“That's the trip I was looking for today,” Castellano said. “Last time, she went to the lead and got caught in the last jump. It seemed to me that today there wasn't much speed in the race. I dictated the pace and they let me go easy. She rolled the whole way and finished really well.”

The Hall of Fame rider tipped his cap to the veteran conditioner for his milestone achievement.

“I'm very happy for him. It's a great achievement to win 1,000 races,” Castellano said. “I've known Gary for a long time and he's a dedicated horseman and been in the game a long time. I'm lucky and blessed to be a part of his success.”

Bred in the Empire State by Milfer Farm, Caumsett was sent to post at odds of 9-2, and returned $11.60 for a $2 win bet.

“It feels great. We needed to get it done and get it over with,” Sciacca said. “I thought she was going to win last time [September 19], but she got nailed right at the wire. Bobby, my son is here, so that's great.”

Sciacca trained 1992 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Saratoga Dew, who captured that year's Grade 1 Beldame and Grade 1 Gazelle Handicap, both at Belmont Park, en route to becoming the first New York-bred to earn an Eclipse Award.

He also conditioned eight-time graded stakes-winning millionaire Subordination, who captured the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in 1997 at Hollywood Park and the following year's Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar.

Other prominent graded stakes winners to come up under Sciacca's care include Dr. Kiernan, Debonair Dan, Dominant Prospect, Inside the Beltway, Gold Princess and Dawn of the Condor.

“The Grade 1 wins with Saratoga Dew and Subordination were huge,” Sciacca said. “The business has been so great to me and all the hard work is paying off. It's taken me all over and has been really good.”

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‘It’s A Great Feeling’: Rodney Prescott Rides 4,000th Winner Thursday At Indiana Grand

Rodney Prescott, Indiana's all-time leading jockey in wins, hit another milestone in his career Thursday by recording his 4,000th career victory aboard We All See It at Indiana Grand.

Prescott came into the day needing one win to achieve the 4,000-milestone. He was scheduled to ride in five of the nine races, but it was a late pick-up that brought him the special win aboard We All See It for trainer Eddie Kenneally in the $34,000 2-year-old maiden in the fourth race of the day.

Starting from post seven, We All See It made his presence known early and was in contention for the lead in the one-mile event. Heading into the final turn, Prescott was able to take over and was on top of the field by more than four lengths at the head of the stretch. He extended his lead to over 11 lengths at the wire for the win over Ronnie's Vice and Emmanuel Esquivel and Rowley's Dream and Fernando De La Cruz for second and third respectively.

We All See It is owned by Rick and Ron Rashinski's Homewrecker Racing and Brad Anderson's Anderson Stables. It was the third career start for the freshman son of Street Sense, who was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig Tipton Select Yearling Sale last fall.

“They didn't give me many instructions,” said Prescott, who has competed in more than 31,000 career races. “They said to let him break and put him where he's comfortable and set off the pace if we could. I knew we were in front quite a ways in the stretch before I uncocked my stick. I just wanted to keep his attention in case someone came flying up at us late.”

Prescott is currently among the top 10 riders this season at Indiana Grand. He has won three leading jockey titles at the track (2004, 2005, 2018) and has been among the top 10 in all 19 seasons of racing. A native of Portland, Ind., he began riding in 1994 and has competed in all 27 years of pari-mutuel racing in the state of Indiana. In all, he has won more than 1,150 career races at Indiana Grand and purse earnings in excess of $23.8 million. He also has several leading rider titles to his credit at River Downs and Turfway Park.

“When I started off in 1994, I had no idea how long I would be riding and if you'd told me I'd still be riding 26 years later, I wouldn't have believed it,” added Prescott, who is 47. “It's a great feeling to have the career I've had. I plan on riding a few more years.”

Prescott was greeted in the winner's circle by many of his fellow jockeys for the celebration. He was presented with a big sign to commemorate the 4,000-win milestone.

Prescott recently purchased a farm in nearby Franklin, Ind. Earlier in the day, his Rottweiler had 12 puppies at the farm, so adding his 4,000th win to the afternoon completed a good day for Prescott.

The 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing concludes Thursday, Nov. 11. Live racing is conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 11. First post all other Thursdays leading up to the end of the meet begin at 3:25 p.m. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.caesars.com/indiana-grand.

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Mr Jefferson Gives Trainer Mike Trombetta His 2,000th Career Victory

R. Larry Johnson's homebred 2-year-old colt Mr Jefferson slipped through an opening along the rail in mid-stretch and outran stablemate Bold Leader to give trainer Mike Trombetta his 2,000th career victory in Thursday's featured eighth race at Laurel Park.

Ridden by Mychel Sanchez, Mr Jefferson ($14.20) completed about 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.43 over a fast main track to win the optional claiming allowance for juveniles by 1 ½ lengths. Street Hustle was third with pacesetting 3-5 favorite Mr. Mox fourth.

“It's really, really cool,” Trombetta said. “I didn't expect to be one-two in the race, by any means. I was hoping just to hit the board, honestly, but it was nice to get this kind of result.”

Trombetta, who turned 55 last week, is the second Maryland-based trainer to reach a career milestone at Laurel this fall. Claudio Gonzalez, the state's annual leading trainer since 2017, earned his 1,000th win with He's a Shooter Oct. 14.

A Baltimore native that maintains strings at both Laurel and the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., Trombetta had 1,993 wins heading into the month of October. He earned No. 1,999 with Conclusive Oct. 31 at Laurel and was off the board with his only other starter Thursday, U S Constitution, in Race 5.

“I was hoping it'd happen this year, by the way things were going,” Trombetta joked. “It's all good.”

Mr Jefferson, by Constitution, was making his fourth career start and first with blinkers. He is 2-0 on the dirt, having broken his maiden Aug. 25 at Colonial Downs, and finished off the board in a pair of turf starts.

Perennially one of the top trainers in Maryland who is also a player on the national stage, Trombetta has topped $1 million in purse earnings every year since 2005 and at least $3 million since 2007, with a career bankroll of more than $68.4 million.

Introduced to horses through his father, Trombetta began walking hots as a teenager and steadily worked his way up the ladder to becoming a trainer. His first winner came with Amant De Cour in 1986 at defunct Atlantic City Race Course in New Jersey.

The MTHA Trainer of the Year in 2005, Trombetta burst on the national scene with Sweetnorthernsaint, an ex-claimer turned Grade 2 winner who went off as the Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite in 2006 and ran second to champion Bernardini in the Preakness (G1). Among his local stakes wins were the 2006 Miracle Wood and 2007 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at Laurel.

Other stakes horses for Trombetta include 2020 Forego (G1) winner Win Win Win, 2019 Highlander (G1) winner Wet Your Whistle, 2012 Nearctic (G1) winner Next Question, 2009 Commonwealth (G3) winner Eternal Star, 2009 Carry Back (G2) winner Not for Silver and Grade 3 winners Weigelia, Control System, Jimanator, Despite the Odds, Street Magician, Souper Escape, Global Access, Independence Hall.

Trombetta won Laurel's 2019 spring stand and shared the 2015 winter meet title with Claudio Gonzalez, to whom he has finished second in annual Maryland wins each of the past two years. He also ranks among the all-time leading trainers in Maryland Million history with eight wins.

On Friday, Trombetta has three horses entered in two of nine races at Laurel as well as a pair of stakes out of town – Biz Biz Buzz in the Atlantic Beach at Belmont Park and Can't Buy Love in the Cellars Shiraz at Gulfstream Park.

“I have a horse in the stake in New York tomorrow we're real excited about. He broke his maiden here,” Trombetta said. “Maybe we can get started with 2,001 tomorrow.”

Notes: Jockey Mychel Sanchez doubled Thursday aboard Askin for a Baskin ($2.40) in Race 3 and Mr Jefferson ($14.20) in Race 8. J.D. Acosta also had two winners, Gentleman Joe ($12.60) in Race 5 and Beneath the Stars ($19.60) in Race 9 … There will be carryovers of $3,940.62 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 and $1,050.94 in the $1 Super Hi-5 for Friday's nine-race card. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

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Big Weekend, Milestone Net Flavien Prat Jockey Of The Week Honors

Jockey Flavien Prat had a very good week. In addition to winning all three stakes races at Santa Anita he also registered his 1,000th North American victory. The accomplishments earned Prat the Jockey of the Week award for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the Wishing Well Stakes, the feature on Presidents' Day, Prat guided Superstition to a 1-1/2 furlong victory in 1:14.22 over 6-1/2 furlongs on the turf.

On Saturday, trainer Phil D'Amato tapped Prat to ride Charmaine's Mia for the first time in the Grade 2 Buena Vista a one mile turf test. Stretching out for the first time, Charmaine's Mia got the distance in 1:33.93.

“She broke sharp,” said Prat. “She's really fast out of the gate and I wanted to be on the lead, but the inside horse (Bohemian Bourbon) was pulling very hard, so we were in second, which was a good place to be. When we made the lead at the quarter pole, she got a good breather and from there, she finished really well.”

Prat was given a leg up on Bella Vita by trainer Simon Callaghan in the Spring Fever Stakes on Sunday. Heavily favored in the field of six, Bella Vita was in control the entire trip making short work of her rivals as she powered to a 4-1/2 length win.

“I thought I was on the best horse and I was,” said Prat. She broke well and we got a good position up close. She was push button and she did it on her own.”

French-born Prat, Santa Anita's reigning Winter/Spring Champion Jockey and current meet leader, registered his 1,000th North American victory on Feb. 19. In a remarkable span of about six years, he has collected 11 Southern California riding titles and is currently tied for 13th with retired Hall of Famer Donald Pierce on Santa Anita's all-time Winter/Spring stakes won list with 99 to date.

“It means a lot, it's a big achievement,” said Prat. “(Looking to the future) I hope to do as good as I have done. I don't want to be satisfied with what I've done, I want to try to improve. I've been lucky to have been on a lot of good horses…They all have a place in my heart.”

Prat's weekly stats included 12 wins from 26 mounts for a win percentage of 46% and 73% in-the-money percentage. He led all jockeys in purses won with $553,440.

He out polled fellow jockeys Eric Cancel with a stakes victory, Isaias Enriquez with two stakes victories, Horacio Karamanos with a graded stakes win and Sheldon Russell with two stakes victories.

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