Connections make right moves for BC Dirt Mile qualifier Ginobili

The colt by Munnings was a $35,000 purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2018, a find that Richard Baltas first offered for purchase to the Slam Dunk Racing partnership headed by former jockey agent and basketball aficionado Nick Cosato.

“I loved him because even as an early 2-year-old he looked like a 3-year-old,” Cosato said Sunday morning of the horse that produced a 1¾-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar. “So, we were in right away, and some other partners eventually came in as well.”

Cosato did the naming honors, coming up with the surname of Manu Ginobili, the native of Argentina who was a four-time NBA champion while starring with the San Antonio Spurs.

Unlike his namesake, Ginobili the horse was not a consistent winner. He came into the Pat O’Brien with two wins from 12 lifetime starts, a maiden score here in August 2019 and a mile allowance tally July 17, the second day of the current meeting, by an impressive 9¾ lengths.

“The Munnings line is kind of curious,” Cosato said. “He throws a variety (of runners). They tend to be good on the turf but that’s not true for all of them.”

Finding the right surface and distance took some doing. But input from jockey Joe Bravo following a fourth-place finish in a 6½-furlong race at Santa Anita on June 19 led to a 9¾-length victory in a mile event here July 17 that generated thoughts of bigger things.

“Did the mile wake him up? Possibly, but I think adding blinkers and a couple other things contributed too,” Cosato said.

Following the July 17 race, the partnership was ready for a step up to stakes, but not unified on which one and where. The Pacific Classic (G1), the Charles Town Classic (G2) and the Pat O’Brien were discussed before settling on the last named, a “win-and-you’re-in” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 6.

With Bravo committed to riding Flagstaff for trainer John Sadler, jockey Drayden Van Dyke got the call on Ginobili and executed a best-case scenario, positioning outside front-runner Brickyard Ride for the first half-mile, opening up 3½ lengths at the top of the stretch and holding on nicely from there.

Craig Lewis, trainer of Brickyard Ride, was disappointed that the stall gate, which should have been shut, was left open and his horse bolted through before the start. Brickyard Ride was reined in and deemed still worthy to race, but the premature exertion probably contributed to his tiring after a half-mile and finishing last.

“These are things we don’t have any control over, and you wish wouldn’t happen,” Lewis said.

Ginobili reportedly came out of the race in fine fettle as did runner-up and 2-1 favorite C Z Rocket and third-place Flagstaff.

“The horse ran great, I have no fault with the horse or the rider,” said Peter Miller, trainer of C Z Rocket. “Hats off to the winner.

“But I’d like to have seen what they could have done on a (different) racetrack. Hopefully we get that for the Sprint Championship (Stakes, G2) at Santa Anita and for the Breeders’ Cup. More importantly for the Breeders’ Cup.”

Sadler on Flagstaff: “We thought he ran a good race. He didn’t win but he ran a good race. Props to the winner, who ran a great race. (Flagstaff) might run again at Santa Anita and then come back for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.”