By Tracy Egan
While the bettors didn’t show much support for Cicciobello in Saturday’s New York Stallion Stakes Series Thunder Rumble Division, his trainer Derek Ryan was not surprised by the gelding’s last-to-first effort. “He had been working really good. The last time I wanted him on or close to the lead ̶ you can’t take a hold of him. He likes to be up there and they took a hold of him, but she [jockey Maddy Olver] didn’t do anything wrong. He worked super with Javier [Castellano], who usually rides him, but he worked last week with Jose Lezcano and Javier had a call, so I just said to [Jose], ‘leave him alone and let him run his race. He is fine.’”
As it turns out, the son of retired NY stallion Bellamy Road missed the break, but Lezcano didn’t panic and his mount made steady progress, running wide to beat second-choice General Banker by a neck in a final time of 1:23.84 for the seven furlongs, paying $43.60 to win.
Favorite Antonio of Venice finished last after being bumped at the start, gunned to the front, dueling and then tiring.
Cicciobello was bred by My Way Stable and is owned by Massimino Rapuano, who will receive an owner’s award as the Stallion Stakes Series races are not restricted to NY-breds ̶ runners can be foaled anywhere provided that they are by a NY stallion that has been nominated to the series.
The NYS Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYBreds.com) will be paying out a total of $48,125 in award money: a $27,500 breeder award, a $6,875 stallion owner award and a $13,750 owner award based on the winner’s first-place purse earnings of $68,750.
Trainer Ryan describes his charge as a 17.2-hand “big gentle giant.” He expects to give the horse a break over the winter and then “start back over again.”
Ryan may have a busy schedule over the next few months, as he plans to run Book’em Danno in the Cigar Mile and, if the son of NY stallion Bucchero runs well there, he may send him to Saudi Arabia to run in the 1 1/8-mile Saudi Cup (G1) at King Abdulazi Racecourse on February 22nd. Right now, Book ‘em Danno is invited to the sprint but if he performs well in the Cigar Mile, Ryan expects to be invited for the marquee $20 million Saudi Cup.
Cicciobello’s earnings are none too shabby: he’s made $248,410 and appears in good health to return to racing after his winter break. What a nice NY-bred.
