'Heart to Perform'
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021 BLOODHORSE.COM/DAILY COGLIANESE PHOTOS/CHELSEA DURAND COGLIANESE PHOTOS/CHELSEA ‘HEART TO PERFORM’ Liberto Beating the Odds with Capo Kane See page 4 IN THIS ISSUE 13 Breeders’ Cup Winning Trainer Julio Canani Dies At 83 17 Hidden Stash Won’t Go Unnoticed in Sam F. Davis Stakes 20 Maiden Winners Dominate San Vicente Field BLOODHORSE DAILY Download the FREE smartphone app PAGE 1 OF 39 ❝a brilliant, gifted athlete.❞ ERIC MITCHELL, BLOOD-HORSE DAILY, 01/18/21 First past the post in 5 Grade 1’s Cigar Mile H.-Gr.1, Aqueduct Florida Derby-Gr.1, Gulfstream Park Haskell Invitational Stakes-Gr.1, Monmouth Park Kentucky Derby-Gr.1, Churchill Downs Pacific Classic S.-Gr.1, Del Mar As well as the world’s richest race, the $20 million Saudi Cup 11 triple-digit Beyer figures in 14 starts, winning over distances from 6 to 10f. Defeated 26 individual Gr.1 winners of 48 Gr.1 races By a son of Street Cry, out of a ¾-sister to triple G1 winner Flat Out. New for 2021 - Fee: $20,000 Aisling Duignan, Dermot Ryan, Charlie O’Connor, Adrian Wallace, Robyn Murray or Blaise Benjamin. Tel: 859-873-7088 Email: [email protected] Web: www.coolmore.com CONTENTS 4 Liberto Beating the Odds With Capo Kane 20 Maiden Winners Dominate San Vicente Field 9 Leading Sires of Turf 3-Year-Olds 22 Round Two For Moraz, Moonlight d’Oro in Las Virgenes 11 On Racing: Taking a Ride Down Racing’s Historical Highway 23 Acclimate Aims to Return to Graded Stakes Success 13 Breeders’ Cup Winning Trainer Julio Canani Dies At 83 24 Miller Sends Out Tough Older Pair in Thunder Road 14 Federal Case Could Test Horsemen’s 25 Half to Code of Honor Faces Loaded Field in Debut Ability to Negotiate 26 Charlatan, Knicks Go Matchup Likely in Saudi Cup 16 Champion Swiss Skydiver Breezes at Gulfstream Park 28 Virtual Tattersalls February Sale Wraps Up 17 Hidden Stash Won’t Go Unnoticed in Sam F. Davis Stakes 32 Results & Entries 18 Get Smokin to Start Year in Tampa Bay Stakes RICK SAMUELS TAA a ccreditation: The G o l d S t a n d a r d in aftercare. A publication of The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc. and TOBA Media Properties, Inc. ON THE COVER Editorial Director General Manager Capo Kane wins the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack Evan Hammonds Scott Carling Visuals Director Managing Editor Anne M. Eberhardt Claire Crosby Bloodstock Editor Digital Media Manager Eric Mitchell Erin Morgan Sales Editor Senior Web Producer Meredith Daugherty Christine Wittmer Assistant Editor Digital Content Coordinator Molly Rollins Michelle Benson Associate Editors Asst. Editor/NSCB Editor Debbie Tuska Byron King Regional Sales Managers Christine Oser Kristi Heasley Features Editor Catherine Johnston Frank Angst Ellen Lambertus Senior Correspondent Amanda Ramey Bob Ehalt Director of Technology Senior Columnist Courtney Bearse Jay Hovdey Pedigree Analyst Alan Porter Contact Us: BENOIT PHOTO Editor: [email protected] • Advertising: [email protected] Moonlight d’Oro, who broke her maiden in dazzling fashion Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos Race Course, faces familiar rival Moraz in the Feb. 6 Las Virgenes Stakes. See Page 22 for more BLOODHORSE DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021 PAGE 3 OF 39 LIBERTO BEATING THE ODDS WITH CAPO KANE By Bob Ehalt t @BobEhalt o one can fault Leonard NLiberto for running at top speed for cover at the slightest hint of lightning. As much as the odds of being struck by a bolt from the sky are about 500,000-1, Liberto has probably exceeded those odds lately during his involvement as an owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Consider the odds of this: You have a small stable of between zero and three horses for the last 22 years. Your last stakes GARAGUSO COGLIANESE PHOTOS/JANET win was in 2010. Capo Kane wins the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack Then, all of sudden, in a span of a little more than a year, into your life comes a horse who That's also the backstory behind the California-bred runs in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Capo Kane, who has stirred Kentucky Derby dreams for Reserve (G1) and places in major grade 1 and grade Liberto and his ownership partner, Anthony Como of 2 stakes for 3-year-olds, followed months later by Bing Cherry Racing, heading into the Feb. 6 $250,000 the winner of a New York prep race for the Kentucky Withers Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Derby. Racetrack. Plus, the Kentucky Derby starter was purchased for The son of Street Sense is the 3-1 second-choice in $22,000 and was bred in New York. The 2021 hopeful a field of nine and is coming off an auspicious stakes was acquired for $26,000 and is a California-bred. debut when he captured the one-mile Jan. 1 Jerome "Succeeding at the highest level of this sport is not Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths and picked up 10 qualifying easy, especially when you have only a few horses. It can points for the Kentucky Derby. be nearly impossible, but it can be done," Liberto said. "It's a very exciting endeavor," said the 68-year- "But above all, we're having fun. That's the key, and old Liberto, an original owner of the aforementioned we're not spending a lot of money doing it. It can be an Kentucky Derby starter Ny Traffic. "It's a little stressful, expensive hobby." too. Along with the excitement comes some stress. You Oh, and each time, Liberto originally passed on hope you're doing the right thing by running him in buying into the horse, but then relented after some these races, but we're confident we are. He belongs in arm-twisting by a friend. the Withers." What are the odds of all that happening? The morning line paints Capo Kane as one of the Maybe 500,000-1, or more? horses to beat in the Withers, but in reality he's much Perhaps now it's clear why Liberto would be wise closer to a David than a Goliath in the 1 1/8-mile to adopt such a cautious attitude when he hears stakes. rumblings in the sky. (continued on page 5) BLOODHORSE DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021 PAGE 4 OF 39 LIBERTO BEATING THE ODDS WITH CAPO KANE (continued from page 4) Capo Kane was first spotted by Como as part of the Paul Sharp consignment at the 2020 Fasig- Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Como approached Liberto about buying him in a 50-50 partnership. Liberto said thanks, but no thanks. "I told Anthony I had enough horses," Liberto said. As it turned out, fortunately for Liberto, Como continued to push Liberto to join him and the New Jersey resident finally agreed. A winning $26,000 bid later, they had a colt who was sent to trainer Harold Wyner at Parx Racing and broke his maiden Nov. 25 at Parx by 4 1/2 lengths at one mile and 70 yards. In his next start, he romped in front-running fashion in the Jerome to ignite Kentucky LEONARD LIBERTO COURTESY Derby dreams that could be fanned even higher in the Withers. It’s nice when you can spend $1 million "Horse racing can be like a chess match," Liberto or $3 million on a horse and try to get to the said. "You sometimes have to know your next two moves Kentucky Derby, but it doesn’t happen every in advance. We could have shipped to Florida because day with a $26,000 horse. You never know the weather is so much better, but we both wanted to what can happen in this game. It’s all about a stay here in New York and give Harry a chance to show horse having a heart to perform.” his true colors as a Kentucky Derby trainer. Everybody — LEONARD LIBERTO thinks it's an easy path going through New York, but, hey, I'll take any path. The path of least resistance works for me to get to the Kentucky Derby. If it means shipping to California or Louisiana, we'll do it. Right now it's the Withers for us, but we have a long way to go even though the Kentucky Derby isn't that far away." In Wyner's eyes, Capo Kane is coming into the Withers on edge for another strong effort. "The Jerome didn't seem to take anything out of him. He went right back on his feed, and he seems fresh and ready," said Wyner, who, like Como and Liberto, will try to notch his first graded stakes win Saturday. "He's gotten stronger and stronger. When he won the Jerome I was very impressed. BILL DENVER/EQUI-PHOTO Ny Traffic strikes a pose prior to his runner-up finish in the 2020 Haskell (continued on page 6) Invitational at Monmouth Park BLOODHORSE DAILY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2021 PAGE 5 OF 39 LIBERTO BEATING THE ODDS WITH CAPO KANE (continued from page 5) I was very confident going into the race, but I didn't expect him to win by 6 1/4 lengths like he did. The two turns Saturday won't bother him. He's bred for it with Street Sense and a Hard Spun mare (Twirl Me)." In tackling graded stakes company for the first time, Team Capo Kane will find themselves up against a higher level of competition, the likes of which they will not find at Parx on a regular basis.