Fight On Gino-- The Naming of a Race Horse for Gino Fighting Cancer--

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing the good side of racing when I learned that an unnamed race horse in the Doug O'Neill barn had been named for a new friend, fighting cancer.

In recent months many of us had learned of the story of Gino Buccola and have attended fundraisers to help with his medical expenses. Including the owners of a three year old chestnut, Mark Verge of WestsideRentals.com and his breeder/owner Jack Sisterson. "Team Gino" had a new member, Fight On Gino.






Gino was born with the race track in his blood. "My Dad and Grandpa used to own horses with Walter Greenman years ago, Bright Orphan was one of their bigger horses they owned. My Dad was a general contractor so he was done with work everyday with time to go to the races at age 23. My Mom worked out in front of Santa Anita selling the digests, so everyday my Dad would ask her out on a date, and everyday she would nicely decline. One day my dad had a huge tip on a horse that he had been waiting to run, so he bet a $ 20 ticket to win on the horse and walked down and gave it to my Mom telling her "when this horse wins, I'm gonna make a lot of money today, and your gonna go out on a date with me later." Sure enough, it won, and my Mom went out later with my Dad, the rest being history".

Gino remembers trips to Santa Anita as early as 9 years of age including sneaking out as a senior in high school to make trips to the track and bet and be back to class by the afternoon. "It made sense to me (the racing form and sheets) My thing is that its like taking a test, the more I examine and study the form and figures, the better I do, something will pop out at me that I didn't see before, that's where I find the 10-1 or 20-1 horse".

If your in Southern California USC is a staple and the name jumped out at me as a life long USC fan. The name Fight On Gino, has a double meaning as it turns out the USC cry "Fight On" means alot to Gino too. "When my Grandpa was in high school he was a very good football player for Lincoln High in Los Angeles and he was being recruited by USC. USC was one of the only schools that recruited him, but he ended up going to war, and when he came back from Korea he never ended up making it back to USC but he was always a big fan of them for giving him a chance. He loved USC forever, and it was passed down to my Dad and his brothers and then to me, we have been HUGE Trojan fans for 60+ years, and for me my entire life from day one".

Gino went to work at TVG and I remember him during the 2010 Del Mar meet, he had an energy that was infectious, and he mixed well with the other on air personalities. Gino started at TVG by being invited by a friend to come to the studio in Santa Monica and hang out, make some bets and have fun. "After talking to a few other producers, they offered me a job right away as a producer's assistant, working behind the scenes doing race replays and getting background information for our (the producers) shows". "The month of March was one of my biggest and best months as far as betting goes, and soon after hearing how well I was doing, TVG would have me do little spots from the studio where I would talk about the horses I liked. The show Gate Crashers is where I really started to make myself as a main-stay so I would come on once a week and mention a horse I liked for each race".

I remember watching Friday Night Fights, it was a lot of fun and there was always Gino pitted against a veteran handicapper at the track. A weekly battle with the young upstart and a seasoned guy. The stipulation was that if Gino lost more weeks than he won, he would shave off his hair on air. The segment extended to Del Mar. "The best memory I had was the last week of my show when my hair was on the line. I received $ 400 to bet on the last race of the day. My horse won and I went crazy happy on TV (keeping my hair), that was one of the best days of my entire life, when the pressure was on I nailed it. The horse was Dearly Concerned and I will never forget that day".

All was perfect in Gino's world when in the fall of 2010 he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and began undergoing chemo treatment and battling cancer. Gino's prognosis is good. He has many people behind him, and with the joyous way he tackles each day, he is truly an inspiration for many.

That same inspiration led to the naming of the chestnut for Gino. Jack Sisterson said "We named the horse after Gino because we wanted to show support for Gino and thank him for everything he has done considering what he has been through and going through at the moment. He is a role model in life and should be proud of himself. So far, Gino the horse shows great fighting spirits and if the horse has even the half the characteristics, determination, energy, and will that Gino has, he will be a winner!"

A Facebook page has been created for "Fight On Gino", follow his progress as he trains for his first race and carries the hopes of many.



The Second Race wishes both Gino and Fight On Gino well....see you both in the Winners Circle!



To view horses no longer headed to the winners circle, that are looking for a new home or career, go to our website www.thesecondrace.com or visit our Facebook page.

Photos by Cecilia Felix

A Full Circle Day

Monday started out as any other day with planned activities and horse work to be accomplished. What I didn't know at the time was that the day would be a "full circle day" for me and would be profoundly moving as well.

I arrived at Santa Anita and went to see a trainer regarding a filly that had been injured the day prior during morning works. I had been told about her injury the night before and was following up on her prognosis and if our services were going to be needed. At that time, it was still up in the air, the owner didn't want the horse anymore of course, and the trainer wasn't sure how badly she was hurt. I told them to keep me posted. While at the track enjoying the morning works, I was called by another trainer to take in a filly that too had been injured during the morning. She had a fracture that was beyond the scope of what The Second Race was able to adequately care for, there was a possibility that surgery would be required. It haunted me for the rest of the morning that I said "no" to a horse. I felt bad that we couldn't provide the necessary care for her. Logically, we won't be able to say "yes" to all, but emotionally for some reason it was difficult. Perhaps because the other pretty grey filly didn't look like she was going to be able to be helped as well.

After leaving the track, I proceeded to the January mixed sale at Barrett's. The sale features yearlings, racing prospects, race horses and broodmares. Its a mixed bag of horses, that some cynically say are the ones that are basically a "fire sale" of horses.

I went to the Bloodstock agents that were expecting me, having been contacted that there may be a couple horses that would need homes, should they not sell. After leaving some brochures for a few other farms and agents represented in the sale I proceeded to the pavilion to watch the sale. The year prior it was distressing to The Second Race that there didn't' seem to be much of a market for the broodmares; visibly pregnant and under some stress. Many did not have bids, and we had vowed this year to be prepared to provide homes for them should the same happen this year. We were prepared with vans and caring folks to have room for up to ten horses.

This sale felt a bit different, and it seemed there were enough buyers. The horses weren't selling for much, but at least they were garnering bids. When to my surprise a beautiful horse appeared before me, I soon learned it was E Z Warrior that was being sold as part of the Zayat holdings. E Z Warrior had been a $ 1.2 million dollar purchase as a two year old at Barrett's. He had 15 starts and earned $238,448 winning the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes at two, and won the San Miguel States at three. He entered stud in 2010. Now here he was 5 years after bringing a large sale price, being offered for sale. It just struck me as ironic. He sold for $ 5,700 my friend and I stepped outside the pavilion to snap a few photos of him that the handler graciously allowed us. E Z Warrior was clearly not comfortable being in the environment.




In the meantime the trainer with the grey filly, came up to me to tell me he wouldn't be sleeping tonight, as he had made the decision that she needed to be put down. He walked away, a weight on his shoulder.

Soon a very handsome gelding went through the sale and did not have a bid. He looked to be perfect for the show ring and I went to the bloodstock agent and introduced myself and our services. I said that if he didn't have a home to go to, or if there weren't other plans for him, I would be happy to take him. I was assured that he would have a home by one of the grooms that works for the agent. But she had a lovely grey open mare that if she did not have any bids, she would call me and give me the mare. I asked a friend to track her, and received a call two or three hours later that she had sold for $ 1,000-- she had a home.

It was time to leave and go to Hollywood Park, I was taking a friend to LAX with a short visit beforehand to see Lava Man. I hadn't visited with him since Santa Anita had re-opened and was hoping he would remember me. I was happily greeted with his tongue shooting out of his mouth as he does when he sees me with a small nicker and lots of head shaking to hurry up and see him. It was the salve that I needed for a hurting heart. The filly that I had said "no" to, was still on my mind. I decided to take a look at her.

She was in fact a beautiful filly, and that only made it worse. Now I felt obligated to help her emotionally, was it a good idea that I had done this, I didn't know. She was delightful but I could see a visible difference on her back end and knew that we really couldn't help her.

While walking back to see Lava Man, I saw a plain bay horse with the sweetest doe like eyes, the kind that draw you in and make you melt. He had the perfect name in Spanish which translated to Cookie Monster. I went to him and he immediately won me over. I cupped my hands and he laid his muzzle within the palm of my hands. He just kept it there and let me kiss his whiskery dough like muzzle over and over again. How did he know that this was exactly what I needed. It was then that I realized it was a full circle moment.




The Second Race hadn't been able to help any horses that day, as much as we had tried, but the horses that evening, helped us to be okay with it too.




To see the horses that are waiting for a new home, visit our website at www.thesecondrace.com or our Facebook page.

Photo of Lava Man by Doug O'Neill Racing
Photo of E Z Warrior and Galetta Monstruo by Julie Ziek

Zenyatta-- Took Us to the Mountain Top

If you don't love horse racing, and you don't love Thoroughbred race horses, you probably won't understand what took place last night at the Eclipse Awards in Florida. The Eclipse Awards is the pinnacle, the Academy Awards or Grammy's for horse racing and breeders of these most magnificent athletes.

Zenyatta, after two previous nominations won Horse of the Year last night. A literal scream escaped my body when the words "Zenyatta" were announced. I saw Ann Moss look as if she thought she heard the words, but wasn't entirely sure, as if she was in a dream. Well the truth was she has been in a dream, we all have, the dream of seeing a once in a life time horse. At least my lifetime.

I missed Secretariat, I missed Ruffian, I missed Seattle Slew, I missed Man O'War and I missed Seabiscuit, whom I know in their time was the "horse of the year". But a horse of a life time, only perhaps Secretariat was the last that collectively took a nation on a ride. But I missed it, and so I only have Zenyatta to say--- you are the horse of my lifetime.




Everyone has their reasons why they fell in love with this particular horse, everyone has their own experience and some of us were fortunate enough to have had access to her majesty. She was magical off and on the track. Before her retirement (the first time), I had the great pleasure of meeting Zenyatta. I remember just looking at her and soaking in every single minute of it. I didn't touch her, didn't even ask if I could, if I did perhaps I thought it won't be real. But she was, and on subsequent visits to her, often I would just sit back and soak her in again. I would enjoy the reaction of others, and relive my own first time experience. I had the opportunity to take my friends to see her, and it was always a joy, as if giving something that didn't belong to me, but was more precious than a Tiffany blue box.




When Zenyatta narrowly missed the Breeders Cup Classic in 2010, she returned to Hollywood Park, her kingdom, her special place where her adoring fans lined up every single day and were allowed access to her. She accepted each and every gift, every tear that filled an eye, and every awe struck race fan with a grace that was human like. Always knowing she had taken us to the mountain top, to the pinnacle and last night, she received the award she deserved.




Race horse retirement received its due as well. The Second Race wants to thank Jerry Moss of mentioning Tranquility Farms, race horse retirement in general and how the public and industry have the responsibility to embrace and support the work that many of us do across the United States.

Mary Lou Whitney, eloquently stated that there was a responsibility to the horses, that no horse should ever go to slaughter again. Both gave the necessary attention to the plight of race horses and our hope is that in the afterglow of Zenyatta's win, that the public will donate to their favorite race horse charity in the name of Zenyatta.




For those that were not able to see the Eclipse Awards here are the words so perfectly written. Thank you Team Zenyatta, thank you the voters for getting it right. Your choice was tonic for this soul.


http://uservideos.smashits.com/video/gDf8ZmdSm2E/zenyatta-poem-by-priscilla-clark.html

To see the horses that The Second Race has for adoption or are available for sponsorship visit www.thesecondrace.com

Photos by Cecilia Felix, Julie Ziek and Zoe Metz