The Pizza Man Knows Where The Wire Is

Richard and Karen Papiese’s Midwest Thoroughbreds operation has spent a great deal of its meteoric rise developing horses in the claiming ranks and winning at a high percentage in abundance.  That is all in the process of changing - evolving, rather - in all the right ways as the husband and wife team hone their focus on the quality of their stock, as opposed to the quantity.  Their homebred charge, The Pizza Man, is the poster gelding for such a campaign.  A strapping son of Turf champion English Channel, The Pizza Man heads into next Saturday’s Listed $400,000 American St. Leger in the best shape of his career, while riding a four-stakes win streak under four different jockeys.

“He’s training better than ever,” Papiese reported.  “(Trainer) Roger (Brueggemann) feels that he has never been better.  I don’t know if that results in a win, but I’m not going to worry about the competition.  We’ll just worry about our horse.”

The American St. Leger - at the obscure distance of 1 11/16-miles - is a marathon beyond the scope of many American horses’ breeding and collective ability and the likes of which those who do compete at it will probably never see again.  Still, such a challenge does not bother The Pizza Man’s connections.  A maternal son of stamina-laden Lear Fan, the tall bay 5-year-old will be making his third start at a marathon distance and second consecutive since establishing his new niche.

“We feel like he can run all day,” Papiese continued.  “Obviously the competition will be a different level, but you just go there and run your race.  He won’t embarrass us; he’ll show up and run.  And, as an owner, you just want a horse to run his race.”

Last out, in the Grade III $150,000 Stars and Stripes at 1½-miles, The Pizza Man took advantage of a lack of pace and led wire-to-wire for the first time in his 16-race, four-season career.  “I don’t think we’ll see him on the front,” Papiese forecasted.  “That was just how the race unfolded last time with no pace. He just loped up to the front and (jockey) Florent (Geroux) was able to get the most out of him.”  Geroux has the return call in the American St. Leger.

A gelding who has won his four aforementioned stakes by a combined 1½ lengths, The Pizza Man has done just enough to get the job done.  “He steps his game up to where it needs to be in each race,” Papiese continued.  “He’s not going to blow anybody away, but he’s a very good horse.  If he fits and runs his race, then we’ll let him take us to other big races down the road.  It’s a question of how he comes out and how he performs.  The thing about him is that he knows where the wire is.”

If The Pizza Man defeats what is projected to be a very talented field, including defending champion Dandino, speedy Grade II San Juan Capistrano winner Big Kick and local rival Suntracer, it will mean a lot to his connections.  “Obviously I want to win that race for a lot of reasons,” Papiese said soberly.  “But, mostly I want to win for the horse.  He loves to compete, he loves to run and he’s special to us.”

Papiese also took the time to update about his other stable star, reigning Illinois Horse of the Year Work All Week.  A multiple stakes-winning sprinter who exits a rare loss (in which he carred 130 pounds and gave 11 of those to the winner) in the Addison Cammack Handicap, Work All Week has been given a brief breather.

“He’s good right now.  I’m giving him a little bit of time and we’re looking at Keeneland and Belmont (for his next race),” he reported.  “He’s a solid horse and one of the best in Midwest.  I would also say he is one of the best five or six sprinters in the country; I’m being realistic - he just fits.”  Not one to bluff his confidence, nor duck a challenge, Papiese confirmed he has an eye on the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint for the son of City Zip at the end of the season.

“I never thought we would have two homebreds performing so well,” he concluded with an air of satisfaction. “We’re very proud of them.”