Kentucky Derby Trainer Kidnapped Twice

Kentucky Derby 2017 trainer Antonio Sano once left 160 horses in Venezuela. His wife, Maria Cristina, quit working as an engineering professor, and he gave up improving his impressive record of 3,338 wins as a trainer in his home country.

Sano loves his home country, but he will never go back. The violence became too much for him to bear, and he felt a duty to protect his family first, and foremost. It wasn’t just the crime around him, but it was a personal attack that put his life at risk.

Sano was kidnapped twice. The first was only for a few hours, but the second time lasted 36 days. Left with nothing but a dark room, masked men with guns, and very little food or water, Sano’s health began to decline. His family was scared for his life, hoping he would come back unharmed. Gambling rings had a history of kidnapping jockeys and poisoning horses in an attempt to fix races in Venezuela, and Sano was a well-to-do trainer that could have fallen victim.

Although Sano will not say the specific amount, his family was forced to pay a large ransom to save him. It was more money than they had, and they were still left with nothing after receiving help from the racing community. Prior to the extended kidnapping, Sano’s wife had pleaded to leave Venezuela and pursue a safer life. Sano spent 10 days recovering in the hospital before he and his family packed up and left Venezuela for good.

Sano took his wife and three kids to Italy, where his family had lived before relocating to Venezuela after World War II. His father and grandfather gave up the life of growing oranges in Sicily when the moved across the globe. In Venezuela, they took up training racehorses, a trait that was passed down to Sano.

While family roots were in Italy, Sano did not believe it was the country to rebuild his career. The family then moved to South Florida in 2010, where Sano started his stable from scratch. Once the most winning trainer in Venezuela, he was now claiming horses in order to provide for his family. His previous head count of 160 horses had diminished to two. With dedication though, the stable began to grow.

Sano may not plan on returning to Venezuela, but the country has still found a way to tie itself to him. At the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Sano purchased an unassuming chestnut colt by Dialed In and out of Unbridled Rage, by Unbridled. The price tag was a mere $16,000. Sano acted as the agent for Peacock Racing Stables, LLC, which has its own Venezuelan ties. Guillermo Guerra moved his family to South Florida two years ago because he was also concerned for their safety and well-being. Guerra’s father-in-law, Solomon Del-Valle, is also Venezuelan. The two partnered with Guerra’s business partner, Jaime Diaz from Spain, to form Peacock Racing Stables.

Ever since Sano convinced the three men to purchase the horse, the partnership has taken them on the ride of a lifetime.

The chestnut colt, later known as Gunnevera, proved to be a bargain. The price was low, but Sano was convinced before the first race that he had a great horse. Gunnevera broke his maiden third time out at two-years-old before impressing his connections with a win in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. The Saratoga Special marked the first race with jockey Javier Castellano, who also hails from Venezuela.

Gunnevera next finished fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity with Jesus Rios in the irons, the jockey aboard for his first three starts. Castellano then reunited with Gunnevera when the pair teamed up to win the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot by 5 ¾ lengths.

With a promising end to the juvenile season, Sano sent his new stable star down the Kentucky Derby trail at Gulfstream Park. Gunnevera and Castellano finished second behind front runner Irish War Cry in the Grade 2 Holy Bull and ahead of the 2016 Juvenile Champion Classic Empire, but the next race is what confirmed Gunnevera as a rising star. Back at Gulfstream Park, Gunnevera and his now regular jockey started last of 10 in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, but closed to win by 5 ¾ lengths over Practical Joke. The favorite, Irish War Cry, finished seventh.

Gunnevera was next sent off as the favorite in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. Castellano and the colt broke from the outside post and angled to the rail, waiting to make a big run, but they only accomplished third that day. Gunnevera’s record isn’t perfect, but Sano certainly found a diamond in the rough. The $16,000 colt has amassed $1,170,200 and has given Sano’s name national attention.

The Mark Casse-trained Classic Empire and Todd Pletcher-trained Always Dreaming may be the top two favorites for the Kentucky Derby, but Gunnevera is not out of the question. Sano isn’t looking to be the next top trainer or have the same number of horses he left behind in Venezuela. He’s content with nearly having 60 horses after starting over in Florida. Gunnevera and the Venezuelan connections have provided Sano with much enjoyment as they’ve travelled down the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It’s been a blessing to make it Churchill Downs, and a Kentucky Derby win would make the journey even sweeter.

By Christine Oser

- Additional information for this article were obtained from articles by TDN/Bill Finley and Miami Herald/Linda Robertson.