Alabama Profile: Connie And Michael

For Anthony Bonomo Jr., assistant trainer to Dominick Schettino, Connie and Michael is more than just a talented 3-year-old filly, she’s part of the family.

Bonomo Jr. will be among the group leading the Brooklyn Boyz Stables’ trainee over for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Betfair TVG Alabama for 3-year-old fillies running 1 ¼ miles, a race in which she is expected to face the current division leaders Devil May Care and Blind Luck.

The son of Brooklyn Boyz Stables’ principal and NYRA Board Member Anthony Bonomo Sr., the younger Bonomo is simply thrilled to watch Connie and Michael run at this level.

An $80,000 purchase at the 2008 Keeneland September Sale, the daughter of Roman Ruler is named for two characters from The Godfather – siblings Connie Corleone Rizzi and Michael Corleone.

“My mother’s name is Mary Ellen and my uncle’s name is Carl,” Bonomo Jr. explained. “But their personalities are like those two characters from the Godfather.”

To Bonomo Jr., the filly’s personality most closely resembles that of another character from the film: Santino “Sonny” Corleone.

“If there is one name from all of those characters, I’d say Sonny,” he added. “She’s a filly and you really can’t name her Sonny, but she’s very hard-working, aggressive, and doesn’t take anything. If you challenge her, she’ll challenge you right back.”

Connie and Michael was transferred to Schettino after her runner-up finish to Devil May Care in the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont Park on June 26, but had been stabled in the trainer’s barn since early June, and Bonomo Jr. has worked with her closely since she arrived in New York.

“Since working on her, we tried to understand her and try to figure out what she wants to do rather than trying to have her adjust to us,” Bonomo Jr. said. “It’s a pleasure to train a filly like her. She loves being out there. You’re excited to come to the barn every day.”

The addition of a filly like Connie and Michael is a bonus, but the challenges of training racehorses attracted Bonomo Jr. to the backstretch in the first place. While attending Adelphi University, he sought a summer job that would allow him to work outdoors, and first came to work for Schettino as a hotwalker.

“I originally worked for him as a summer job because I didn’t want to intern at my father’s business,” Bonomo Jr. said. “It wasn’t what I really liked – being indoors. It just caught me with the amount of thinking involved, the skill, the equipment, and all of the work that goes into a horse. It was so interesting.”

Connie and Michael has already proven herself on both the dirt and synthetic surfaces, breaking her maiden over the Polytrack at Keeneland in October and picking up an impressive allowance score over the main track at Churchill Dows in May.  Though she did not win, Bonomo Jr. believes the filly’s best effort yet came when she was second in the Mother Goose.

“It opened my eyes to see the amount of heart this filly has,” he said. “When I saw Rajiv [Maragh, jockey] at the three-eighths pole, he started pressing on her. My immediate reaction was she was going to back up.  Then I saw her switch leads and take off. We happened to catch one of the top 3-year-old fillies in the country. She showed her heart and determination to be in front. She doesn’t care what’s going on. She’s going to try to beat you, no matter what.”

Connie and Michael was supposed to meet Devil May Care again in the Grade 1 Betfair TVG Coaching Club American Oaks at the beginning of the Saratoga meet, but an abscess in her right front hoof declared her from the race.

“It was a minor setback and it had to happen at the worst possible time,” Bonomo said. “She was training super and we schooled her in the paddock that Thursday. When she came back, she started nodding. Sure enough, we saw the abscess. It was an extremely small abscess. Even though it was small, it’s still painful for a horse. On the day of that race, she was still tender.”

With the help of specialist Ian McKinlay, Connie and Michael’s foot has recovered and she’s on target for the Alabama. As exciting as this moment has been for Bonomo Jr., he knows the Alabama will be a challenge for Connie and Michael.

 “There’s no question this will be a test for her,” he said. “This is probably, next to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, going to be the biggest test. Since Ian McKinlay has been with her and worked on her feet, she’s been a different horse. I’m excited to see what she’s going to be like. Blind Luck and Devil May Care may catch a different filly in this race – that’s what I’m hoping for.”