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Trainer Dale Capuano Retires

Dale Capuano will conclude his 41-year training career with the ending of the year, transferring his 35-horse stable over to his nephew Phillip Capuano.

“I've been thinking about it the last couple of years. This business, for me anyway, it's all I do,” Capuano, one of the leading trainers in Maryland history, said. “I've reached a point in my life where I want to do some other things besides get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and work six or seven days a week. It's time for me to do something else and enjoy myself.”

The 60-year-old Capuano is 22nd on the all-time wins list among trainers with 3,661 and his horses have earned more than $68 million in purses. He has topped the $1-million mark in season earnings 34 times, including each of the past 30 years.

Over his distinguished career Capuano led all Maryland trainers in annual wins eight times (1991, 1997-98, 2001-04) and won a total of 31 meet championships at its major tracks, Laurel and Pimlico Race Course.

His first winner was Who's Lucky at old Bowie Race Course Feb. 21, 1981.

An eight-time graded-stakes winner, Capuano extended his record as the most successful trainer in Maryland Million history to 15 wins when 2-year-old Johnyz From Albany captured the Nursery S. Oct. 22.

“I don't look at it like I've really done all that much. I've never won a Grade I, I never won a Classic-type race. Those things never happened,” he said. “We've had some pretty nice horses. Racing's been good to me and I've had a good career where I've been able to make a decent living doing it and doing what I really love to do. Those are all great things.”

Capuano was born into the family business, a son of late longtime owner and breeder Phil Capuano. He and his brother, Gary, were raised on the family's farm in the Prince George's County town of Upper Marlboro and began attending races at an early age.

Among his best horses have been 1990 GIII Trenton H. winner Wind Splitter, a horse he considers among the best he's ever trained, who ran 11th in the 1989 GI Kentucky Derby. Heros Reward was a two-time Maryland Horse of the Year who won or placed in 13 stakes, captured three graded-stakes and earned $1.3 million from 2005 to 2013. Others include Grade II winners Prized Stamp and Miss Mischief and multiple stakes winners Just Call Me Carl and In the Curl, the latter finishing in the money in 64 of 85 lifetime starts with nearly $750,000 in purse earnings.

“What's really kept me going is I've had great clients pretty much my entire career. That makes life so much easier,” Capuano said. “People like Lou Ulman, we've been together over 30 years. Steve Newby, Neil Glasser. Unfortunately some of them have passed away that were with me in the beginning–Harvey Linden was really helpful for me in the beginning of my career.

“There's so many I could name. Now we have Mopo Racing with Maury Povich, just great, great people to work with. Super C Racing. I don't want to leave anybody out,” he added. “It just makes my job so much easier when you have great people to work with.”

Phillip Capuano, son of trainer Gary Capuano, is more than ready to take over the stable, his uncle said.

“He's been with me in the barn every day since Delaware closed, and he's worked for me before, so he kind of knows my routine and he knows the horses,” Capuano said. “He always handles the horses for Gary at Delaware every year. When we shipped to Delaware he always took care of everything there for us. We usually kept a couple horses with him up there each season, so he knows my owners and he knows the horses. I think he'll just step right in on Jan. 1. Like I told my employees, it'll just be a different person behind the desk. Phil's a great kid. He's a hard-worker, honest, and he'll do just fine. I have no doubts about that.”

As for his retirement plans, Capuano said, “Just rest a little bit, because I haven't had a vacation in about five years. I'll probably take some trips around different places and start to live a little bit. Get myself back in the gym and get back in shape like I need to be, and work on myself a little bit.”

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Un Ojo Out of Preakness

Un Ojo (Laoban), upset winner of the GII Rebel S. earlier this year, will not be running in Saturday's GI Preakness S. as he continues to deal with a foot bruise which kept him out of the GI Kentucky Derby.

“This morning his foot was a little warm again,” trainer Ricky Courville told the Preakness media team. “The vets went over him, and he's not 100%. I'm dealing with the same thing. I guess the work [Saturday] kind of re-aggravated it.”

In addition to the defection of Un Ojo, Pimlico officials announced the possible addition of Villa Rosa Farm and Harlo Stable's Fenwick (Curlin) to the Preakness field. Trained by Kevin McKathan, the colt was a maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs before finishing 11th in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S.

The post position draw for the Preakness will be held Monday afternoon.

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Max Player to Preakness

George Hall and SportsBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.’s Max Player (Honor Code) will contest the Oct. 3 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico.

“I’m very excited because I haven’t been in the Preakness yet,” said Hall, who won the 2011 Belmont with 24-1 shot Ruler On Ice. “After the Kentucky Derby, he looked like he wanted to keep running. Steve watched him closely, and he was in great shape. He’s galloped well. He’s breezed well. We felt the horse was at the peak of his game and is ready to run.”

Winner of the GIII Withers S. for Linda Rice in February, Max Player finished third in the June 20 GI Belmont S before filling the same position in the GI Travers S. Aug. 8. Transferred to Steve Asmussen, he was fifth in his latest start in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby. Asmussen previously won the Preakness with Curlin (Smart Strike) in 2007 and again in 2009 with the filly Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro).

“I really feel like we will be competitive,” said Hall. “If you look at the Belmont S., where we were third, he didn’t have such a great trip. We got really caught behind a lot of horses and had to move around a lot and still wound up being third because he came on so strong at the end. In the Travers, he again came on strong to be third. It’s no shame to lose to Tiz the Law, as everybody knows. We feel like he’s a really good horse. When we started to look at the Preakness, I think the view is that he’s in perfectly good health. He’s in good shape, and he needs to develop. Reviewing the Kentucky Derby, he really came out of the gate slow [from post 1] and was far behind in the first jump. If we can get a little better trip out of the gate, maybe get a better post position and not fall so far behind and give him so much work to do at the end, we think that we can be competitive.”

According to Hall, jockey Paco Lopez will partner the colt for the first time in the Preakness.

“Obviously, we want to stay in the race, but we have to be careful because he is going to be a closer, no matter what,” said Hall. “I’m sure Steve will give Paco the correct instructions.”

Looking farther down the road, Hall added, “He had a long layoff before the Belmont, but then he’s had a robust campaign since,” Hall said. “What’s most important to us is that he stays healthy and has a good 4-year-old and, hopefully, 5-year-old career. We didn’t really think there was negative toward running in the Preakness that would affect his long-term prospects as a 4-year-old. We’re pretty excited about what he’s going to do be doing in the future, too.”

Hall bred Max Player through his K & G Stables, named for his children Katherine and George, with the colt raised on his Annestes Farm in Versailles, Ky. Hall owns 86% of Max Player, with SportBLX Thoroughbreds owning the other 14%. Co-founded by Hall and Joe De Perio, SportBLX Thoroughbreds offers micro-shares in racehorses. More micro-shares in Max Player, which will come out of his majority interest, likely will be available for purchase next week, Hall said.

Asmussen will also run Monmouth Park’s Pegasus S. winner Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) in the Preakness. Joe Bravo will have the mount.

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‘Maryland, My Maryland” Won’t Be Played at Preakness

The Stronach Group, which operates Pimlico, has confirmed that the song “Maryland, My Maryland” will no longer be played before the running of the GI Preakness S. The story was first reported by the racingbiz.com.

The song, which has been played at Pimlico since 1909, has stirred up controversy because its lyrics are meant to encourage Maryland to join the Confederacy. The sixth verse includes the following lines; “Dear Mother! burst the tyrant’s chain, Maryland! Virginia should not call in vain, Maryland! She meets her sisters on the plain-‘Sic semper!’ ’tis the proud refrain.”

The song was adapted from a poem by James Ryder Randal, which called the Union “Northern scum.”

At the Preakness, only the third verse, one that is not particularly controversial, is usually played.

In the aftermath of the George Floyd death, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) announced she would lead an effort to remove Maryland, My Maryland as the state’s official song.

“The Maryland Jockey Club is respectful and supportive of Speaker Jones’ move to remove ‘Maryland My Maryland’ as the state song, and we look forward to starting a new tradition for Preakness 145,” the Stronach Group said in a statement.

In another sign of the times, Pimlico has changed the name of the GII Dixie S. It will now be known by its original name, the Dinner Party S. The race has been run since 1870.

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