The Toscanos
January 5th, 2004by Chad Summers
Sinister G – Paul Toscano Up
For hundreds of years Thoroughbred racing has been called the “sport of kings.” When the sport first began, only kings and princes could afford to own racing stables. Gradually, with the passing of time, the faces and bank accounts of racing’s participants have changed. While there is still a major presence played by wealthy owners these days, for every Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Khalid Abdullah, there is a Sackatoga Stable and Toscano family.
If ever a family in racing symbolized the Olive Garden slogan, “When you’re here, you’re family,” the Toscanos would be it.
It all began with John Toscano, Jr., who introduced his children to racing at a young age, and continues to train the horses his sons purchase. Next comes the oldest son, 37-year-old John Toscano, III, who was the first son to begin purchasing horses. He is followed by his brother Robert, 36, who also owns a majority interest in the Toscano horses. Finally there is the baby boy of the family, Paul, 30, who rides the horses for his brothers and father.
John Toscano, III recalls being around his father’s barn since he was four years old. After graduating from Elmont High School in Elmont, New York, just five minutes from Belmont Park, he decided to buy a horse. At age 18, he purchased his first horse. Toscano, III claimed the horse for $25,000 and by the time the horse retired, he had earned over $250,000.
“From then on, I was hooked,” Toscano, III remarked Monday morning in his father’s Belmont shedrow, just outside the stall where his Grade 2 winner Sinister G is preparing to possibly makes a run for the roses on the first Saturday in May.
Toscano, III and his brother Robert experienced tremendous success with Florida-bred Love That Mac. On September 20, 1985 the Toscanos found the then four-time winning, three-year-old son of Great Above, in a $50,000 claiming race at Belmont Park. Within one year, the Toscanos had their first graded stakes winner, when Love That Mac won the Carter Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park. He was eventually retired with over $800,000 in earnings.
Another successful Toscano runner was Miss Unnameable who became a Grade 2 winner for the brother team before being sold to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Currently John Toscano III and his brother Robert have seven horses in training with their father and three two-year-olds that are still in Florida learning to be racehorses. They also own one broodmare, Decadent Designer. A half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bonapaw. They own the mare and her first two foals, the first of which is a yearling by Mr. Greeley who will most likely be sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
“We’re not really looking to do a whole breeding operation,” Toscano III said. “It’s too expensive for us, but we just fell in love with this mare when she ran and we couldn’t let her go, plus her brother had quite the career on the track, so we figured we should give her a chance.”
Another form of Thoroughbred owning the Toscanos incorporate into their operation is pinhooking. In their case, buying a horse as a yearling and selling it as a two-year-old at another sale. The play is to improve the horse or improve the pedigree or improve the marketability of the horse. It’s easier said than done. And sometimes, you can sell too cheap.
“We purchased Disco Rico for $45,000 as a yearling,” Toscano, III griped. “And sold him for $82,000 as a two-year-old, which is good, but he ended up being a graded stakes winner and earned ($532,244) at the track. It makes us feel good that we can find a nice yearling to pinhook, but were upset that we didn?t get the opportunity to race him.”
Of all the horses that have donned the yellow, black triangular panel, yellow and black diagonal quartered sleeves, and black stripes on yellow cap, perhaps Sinister G is the most talented. Nicknamed “Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde” by trainer John Toscano Jr. for the colt’s inconsistent running style, he won the $500,000 Lane’s End Stakes (G2) by 1-½ lengths.
“That’s the biggest purse we’ve ever won,” Robert Toscano said shortly after the thrilling victory. “And now for a full year at Turfway Park, there will be a statue of our silks in the front of the racetrack. How cool is that?”
Following the race, the Toscanos entertained offers from different buyers, but decided that Sinister G was worth more than the bids that were offered, so they will run the horse next in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct, with the possibility of a Kentucky Derby (G1) start to follow. If he were to win the Derby would he still be for sale?
“No, definitely not,” Toscano Jr. said. “Then we can retire him and syndicate him and give him a great life.”
The story of how Sinister G actually landed in the Toscano’s hands is a story that goes back to the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company Spring Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.
“We were at the sale and we were actually there to buy another horse,” John Toscano III reminisced. “Then Robert came up to us and asked us if we wanted to see the best horse in the sale. Even though we knew there would be no chance we could afford him, we jumped at the opportunity to watch the video. He had a workout of: 21.3 and he just jumped off the screen at us. He was awesome. We knew we had to buy him.”
That two-year-old was Sinister G, and the Toscano brothers bought him for $67,000. Later, the brothers sold shares in the son of Matty G. to Kim Corrado and Yamile Carlat.
“They are really good friends of the family,” said John Toscano Jr. “All of the partners in any of my son’s horses are all good friends.”
Whether their horse is winning a Grade 2 stakes or dueling for a $15,000 claiming tag, the Toscano family is sure to be there, cheering their horse home.
“You will never experience anything like being a new owner and watching your horse coming down the stretch in a race,” the eldest Toscano brother said. “It is the most exciting feeling you’ll ever have. Watching a horse race with a jockey of your choice, wearing your silks, that you designed. It never gets old. This is the greatest game. Period.”
