Former trainer Vaccarezza cashing in as pinhooker

Carlo Vaccarezza said earlier this year that he would disband his training stable but would still be involved in the Thoroughbred industry.

“I’ve just got too many other things going,” Vaccarezza told Daily Racing Form in March. “It’s taking a toll on me. I’ll still be around racing, just in different ways. I love horses too much to get out completely.”

Vaccarezza is proving successful in his latest venture, pinhooking quality 2-year-olds. Vaccarezza, working with an unnamed partner from Canada who he said is new to racing, purchased seven yearlings for a total of $1.68 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale before landing 11 for a total of $1.88 million at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Several of those have already turned up in 2-year-old sales this season, and this week’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale proved the right fit for a pair of high-ticket youngsters.

Vaccarezza, working with Jim and Tori Gladwell’s Top Line Sales as consignor, sold an Into Mischief colt for $710,000 to Bradley Thoroughbreds. Vaccarezza had purchased the New York-bred colt for $265,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. He wheeled him back in the Midlantic sale after he was a $575,000 buyback at Fasig’s Gulfstream Park sale in March. The colt had worked a quarter-mile in 21 3/5 seconds to tie for the best time at that distance at the under-tack preview at the Maryland State Fairgrounds.

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“Proud of the Into Mischief,” the Gladwells wrote on the Top Line Twitter account. “He was a star today. Extremely happy for our clients and excited for his new connections.”

Vaccarezza and his team also sold a Street Sense colt for $500,000 to trainer Ken McPeek, as agent for Fern Circle Stables, to lead the opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. The colt, from the family of Epsom Oaks winner Casual Look, had been a $280,000 Keeneland September yearling. He was scratched from the Gulfstream sale to await the May auction.

Although the Gulfstream sale wasn’t the right fit for either of Vaccarezza’s Midlantic colts, he did sell one high-ticket colt at that boutique auction. A colt from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $775,000 after Vaccarezza selected him for $235,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.

Yoshida purchased two other juveniles from Vaccarezza at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of 2-year-olds in training. He purchased a $525,000 Uncle Mo filly whom Vaccarezza had selected for $410,000 at Keeneland September and bought a $200,000 Cairo Prince colt whom Vaccarezza purchased for $105,000 at Keeneland September.