Richard and Karen Papiese’s Midwest Thoroughbreds operation
Their homebred charge, The Pizza Man, is the poster gelding for such a campaign.
“He’s training better than ever,” Papiese reported.
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The American St. Leger — at the obscure distance of 1
11/16-miles — is a marathon beyond the scope of many American horses’ breeding
and collective ability and the likes of which those who do compete at it will
probably never see again. Still, such a challenge does not bother The Pizza
Man’s connections. A maternal son of Lear Fan, the five-year-old will be making his third start at a marathon distance and second
consecutive since establishing his new niche.
“We feel like he can run all day,” Papiese continued. “Obviously the
competition will be a different level, but you just go there and run your race.
He won’t embarrass us; he’ll show up and run. And, as an owner, you just want a
horse to run his race.”
Last out, in the $150,000 Stars and Stripes at
1 1/2 miles, The Pizza Man took advantage of a lack of pace and led wire-to-wire
for the first time in his 16-race, four-season career.
“I don’t think we’ll see
him on the front,” Papiese forecasted. “That was just how the race unfolded last
time with no pace. He just loped up to the front and (jockey) Florent (Geroux)
was able to get the most out of him.”
Geroux has the return call in the American
St Leger.
A gelding who has won his last four starts — all stakes — by a
combined 1 1/2 lengths, The Pizza Man has done just enough to get the job done.
“He
steps his game up to where it needs to be in each race,” Papiese continued.
“He’s not going to blow anybody away, but he’s a very good horse. If he fits and
runs his race, then we’ll let him take us to other big races down the road. It’s
a question of how he comes out and how he performs. The thing about him is that
he knows where the wire is.”
If The Pizza Man defeats what is projected to be a very
talented field, including defending champion Dandino, speedy San Juan
Capistrano winner Big Kick and local rival Suntracer, it will mean a lot to his
connections.
“Obviously I want to win that race for a lot of reasons,” Papiese
said soberly. “But, mostly I want to win for the horse. He loves to compete, he
loves to run and he’s special to us.”
In other American St Leger news:
Admiral Kitten is now expected
to compete in the American St Leger for trainer Mike Maker. Originally reported to be aimed at the Sky Classic at Woodbine in lieu of the International Festival of
Racing, the son of Kitten’s Joy is now expected to run at the Chicagoland oval.
Excellent over Arlington’s lawn, the four-year-old colt
was last seen finishing a nose second in the Arlington Handicap behind
expected Arlington Million starter Finnegans Wake. Last
year, Admiral Kitten won the Secretariat — the marquee victory of
his 15-race career — on Million Day. Though unsuccessful in his only try at a
marathon distance in the Pan American at Gulfstream Park in
March, he does have a sterling record at Arlington — finishing first or second
in all four starts — all in graded stakes.
“Mr. (Ken) Ramsey had Charming Kitten in the St. Leger, but he got hurt
— so they wanted to run (Admiral Kitten),” Maker reported Saturday morning.
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