Former major leaguer Napoli leading owner at Gulfstream

Mike Napoli’s major league baseball career got off to an auspicious beginning when he hit a home run in his first at bat for the Los Angeles Angels off no less an opponent than future Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander.

Napoli’s career as a racehorse owner has gotten off to a pretty fast start as well. The Florida native got into the business shortly after announcing his retirement from baseball last December, and is already celebrating his first owners’ title after registering 16 victories during Gulfstream Park’s recently concluded spring meet.

“To win the title in what was really our first full meet is extremely exciting,” said Napoli, who also celebrated a World Series championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. “I really never gave winning the owners’ title much thought until we began to pick up momentum and things really started going our way during the middle of the meet. The whole experience has been great. I’m having the time of my life.”

Napoli said the philosophy for his stable has been to run the horses where they can win, regardless of the price.

“Whether we drop them below what we claimed them for or raise them up, the primary goal is just to do what’s necessary to win races,” said Napoli.

Napoli said he has 25 horses split between Gulfstream Park and Monmouth Park, spread out among a handful of different trainers.

“Thus far we’re concentrating strictly on claiming horses – we haven’t bought anything at the sales – and our main goal at the moment is to look for less cheap stock and try to improve the quality of our stable,” said Napoli. “For the time being we’ll race in Florida, New Jersey, and New York with plans to be here full time next winter at Gulfstream Park.”

Napoli was quick to praise his advisor and stable manager Joseph Girardi for a lot of the success he has had.

“Joe does all the chart work and helps pick out all the claims that we make,” said Napoli.

Other spring meet leaders include Edgard Zayas, leading jockey; Saffie Joseph Jr., leading trainer; and Arindel, leading money-winning owner.

Zayas rode 70 winners during the 54-day meeting, and Emisael Jaramillo finished second with 57 victories.

Zayas’s championship came six months after he suffered a serious leg injury in a riding mishap that ended his Championship meeting last December.

“It feels awesome, especially coming back off the injury,” said Zayas. “It’s been the most special one so far. To be able to come back and come back strong to win the meet is amazing and something to celebrate – especially after a leg injury. I had to come back and prove to everyone that I was the same jockey, even better this time than after I left. We look forward to just keep on going from here.”

Agent Tito Fuentes represents Zayas, winner of the 2014 Gulfstream Park summer riding title.

Joseph captured the spring training title with 20 wins, five more than runners-up Ralph Nicks and Antonio Sano. Joseph, 30, is a third-generation horseman from Barbados.

“We’re just blessed and thankful for all the owners who give us their support,” said Joseph. “To win titles you need good owners as well as good horses, and you have to have numbers. We have all three, as well as a hard-working team.”

Joseph’s top horse is Math Wizard, who finished second in his last start in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby. The former claimer is stabled at Keeneland and likely to make his next start in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 13.

Joseph will send out So Long Chuck as one of the favorites in Friday’s $48,000 optional-claiming feature at a mile on the main track.

So Long Chuck has won twice in six starts this season, both wire-to-wire tallies against statebred optional-claiming opposition. So Long Chuck, who finished far back over a sloppy track in the Soldier’s Dancer Stakes in his last start, may have his hands full securing a clear lead in the main event with the presence of the speedy Aequor in the lineup.

Red Crescent, Eye of the Jedi, and Aequor finished first, second and third under similar conditions over a sloppy track May 5, and the trio will meet again Friday. Red Crescent rallied to an easy 2 1/2-length triumph in May, but must prove he can duplicate that performance over a fast track in the rematch.