Tomcito Has Big Shoes To Fill
March 26th, 2008By Jude T. Feld
Canonero II returning to the Churchill Downs winners’ circle amid his happy connections.
A small, wormy Kentucky-bred yearling with a quarter crack attracted few lookers at the 1969 Keeneland Fall Sale, but Venezuelan bloodstock agent Edgar Caibett saw something in the colt and bid him to a paltry $1,200. Shipped off to Caracas, Caibett sold him to wealthy horseman Pedro Baptista for six grand, barely eking out a profit.
Nursed back to health, the son of Pretendre showed an exceptionally long stride and competitive nature, reeling off three consecutive victories in his new South American home before being shipped to Del Mar for the Futurity, where he ran out of the money.
Entered in the Kentucky Derby by trainer Juan Arias, he was said to be, “Hopelessly outclassed†by Venezuelan turf writers and called a “Ragamuffin†by members of the press in the U.S. The three-year-old was so disregarded, he was made a part of the mutuel field on Derby day – because it was thought, he had virtually no shot.
The horse shocked everyone by looping the field from 18th place under jockey Gustavo Avila, to take the lead at the top of Churchill Downs’ long stretch, easily drawing away from his 19 rivals, to win the 97th Kentucky Derby by 3 3/4 lengths, in one of the biggest upsets in the great race’s history.
The race was considered a fluke by almost every racing pundit in North America, but winning the Preakness, in track record time, put an end to that discussion and stamped Canonero II’s place in Triple Crown lore.
Florida Derby contender Tomcito’s story is a mirror of his famous counterpart. Another Kentucky-bred, he was a modest $7,500 purchase at the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, ignored by most agents because of his wide-set front legs. Trainer Dante Zanelli recognized the talent in him and purchased him for casino owners Polo and Omar Monti, long time clients from Peru.
Under Zanelli’s care, the colt has grown to a similar size as Canonero – around 16 hands, and he too has a very long stride that covers a lot of ground.
A son of Darley Stallion Street Cry, Tomcito distinguished himself in South America, winning Peru’s Derby Nacional at 1 1/2 miles on November 17 of last year and he brings a record of four victories in five starts to the Florida Derby, with his only loss a second-place finish in the Peruvian 2,000 Guineas.
It’s been 37 years since Canonero’s Derby and the road to Louisville from Hallendale is long and arduous. The great philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.†With Tomcito’s long stride he can follow in the hoofprints of Canonero, but he will need his predecessor’s heart and an awful lot of luck.
