A New "Giant Killer"
Feb 9, 2014 21:23:03 GMT -5
Post by hesnotmypres on Feb 9, 2014 21:23:03 GMT -5
Score one for the "Little Guys" . Stories like this is why I love this game. Per the Paulick Report.
Breeder, owner, and restaurant aficionado Carlo Vaccarezza earned the first win of his young training career when his Little Alexis won the fifth race, a 5 1/2 furlong maiden event for three-year-old fillies, at 23-1 over the Todd Pletcher trained My Miss Sophia.
Vaccarezza has been in the racing business for quite some time, having bred and owned successful runners such as 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf Champion Little Mike. He’s also owned multiple eateries, including the “Frank & Dino’s,” located in Deerfield Beach. But in the past year, Vaccarezza decided to sell most of his restaurants and try his hand at training his own racing stable.
“I had so much time to spare, and I had all these horses with Dale (Romans), who is one of my best friends and greatest supporters,” Vaccarezza said, “so I decided to do it. I live here in Parkland and I stay here year-round, so everything just fell into place.”
It took Vaccarezza less than 10 starts to get his first win, and Little Alexis more than impressed as a first-time starter, winning by 1 ¾ lengths and almost breaking the 1:02.34 track record set by Discreet Dancer in 2011. The bay filly by Mr. Greeley out of a Giants Causeway mare stopped the clock in 1:02.85.
“It’s fantastic,” Vaccarezza said. “I think this makes it well worth it. To beat these kind of fillies, it’s very rewarding.”
Little Alexis’ journey to the races has been long in the works. After Vaccarezza’s partnership Little Dreams Racing purchased her last year at a sale in Keeneland, the group had high hopes for her. In fact, they targeted the Grade 1 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs as the filly’s first start. But an injury sustained while training in the gate set her back, and she did not race as a two year old. Instead, she was sent to WinStar Farm in Lexington to recover before Vaccarezza brought her with him to Gulfstream.
“It took me a long time to get her healthy,” Vaccarezza said. “But finally she was breezing well in the morning. She’s a very smart filly.”
Vaccarezza is unsure of where Little Alexis will run next, but he believes he and his filly are headed for bigger and better things.
“When I saw the overnight (entries) and found out I was racing against Todd (Pletcher) and (Kiaran) McLaughlin and Chad Brown and all these big fillies, I said, ‘God, I can’t believe I can’t get a break.’ But she spoke for herself, and I think she’s a very good filly with a future in front of her. I think she’s a stakes-caliber filly. I’m going to enjoy this moment and we’ll see what happens.”
Breeder, owner, and restaurant aficionado Carlo Vaccarezza earned the first win of his young training career when his Little Alexis won the fifth race, a 5 1/2 furlong maiden event for three-year-old fillies, at 23-1 over the Todd Pletcher trained My Miss Sophia.
Vaccarezza has been in the racing business for quite some time, having bred and owned successful runners such as 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf Champion Little Mike. He’s also owned multiple eateries, including the “Frank & Dino’s,” located in Deerfield Beach. But in the past year, Vaccarezza decided to sell most of his restaurants and try his hand at training his own racing stable.
“I had so much time to spare, and I had all these horses with Dale (Romans), who is one of my best friends and greatest supporters,” Vaccarezza said, “so I decided to do it. I live here in Parkland and I stay here year-round, so everything just fell into place.”
It took Vaccarezza less than 10 starts to get his first win, and Little Alexis more than impressed as a first-time starter, winning by 1 ¾ lengths and almost breaking the 1:02.34 track record set by Discreet Dancer in 2011. The bay filly by Mr. Greeley out of a Giants Causeway mare stopped the clock in 1:02.85.
“It’s fantastic,” Vaccarezza said. “I think this makes it well worth it. To beat these kind of fillies, it’s very rewarding.”
Little Alexis’ journey to the races has been long in the works. After Vaccarezza’s partnership Little Dreams Racing purchased her last year at a sale in Keeneland, the group had high hopes for her. In fact, they targeted the Grade 1 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs as the filly’s first start. But an injury sustained while training in the gate set her back, and she did not race as a two year old. Instead, she was sent to WinStar Farm in Lexington to recover before Vaccarezza brought her with him to Gulfstream.
“It took me a long time to get her healthy,” Vaccarezza said. “But finally she was breezing well in the morning. She’s a very smart filly.”
Vaccarezza is unsure of where Little Alexis will run next, but he believes he and his filly are headed for bigger and better things.
“When I saw the overnight (entries) and found out I was racing against Todd (Pletcher) and (Kiaran) McLaughlin and Chad Brown and all these big fillies, I said, ‘God, I can’t believe I can’t get a break.’ But she spoke for herself, and I think she’s a very good filly with a future in front of her. I think she’s a stakes-caliber filly. I’m going to enjoy this moment and we’ll see what happens.”