Commitment to Disco Rico paying off for Generazios

Frank and Patricia Generazio were longtime supporters of the late Mid-Atlantic stallion Disco Rico, and have a chance to enjoy the dividends of that commitment with a pair of high-profile runners in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Disco Partner, who won the Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational Stakes on Saturday and holds the world-record time for six furlongs over the turf, is a homebred son of Disco Rico.

Pure Sensation, who enters the Breeders’ Cup off a win in the Grade 3 Turf Monster Handicap, is out of the stakes-winning Disco Rico mare Pure Disco. Both Pure Sensation and Pure Disco are products of the Generazio racing and breeding program.

Disco Partner and Pure Sensation are both trained by Christophe Clement.

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Disco Rico began his stud career at Murmur Farm in Maryland, then relocated to Keane Stud in New York. He died in December 2014 at age 17, following a years-long battle with laminitis. He was owned by Joseph DiRico, a friend of the Generazios.

“I always liked the horse,” Frank Generazio said. “I knew he could run and I liked his breeding, and we went overboard breeding to him. Then I bred so many, I said, ‘If these things can’t run, we’re in trouble.’

“I stopped breeding to him, like a dolt, and they all started running and then he died. I could have had four or five from the same crop. Still, we can’t complain. He’s been a great sire for us. We did very well with Disco Rico, and I think they’re going to make great broodmares. We have three or four nice mares and we’re breeding them now.”

Disco Rico, a son of Citidancer, sired 13 crops, with 163 winners and combined progeny earnings in excess of $16.7 million. Disco Partner is his highest earner and only graded stakes winner, with his record-setting performance in the Grade 3 Jaipur Invitational Stakes helping his earnings total $823,810.

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