Giangiulio hopes to extend win streak in Friday's Alex M. Robb Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Even a week after the best week of her fledgling training career, it was still impossible to wipe the smile from Michelle Giangiulio’s face.

From Dec. 9-19, Giangiulio won with all three of her starters at Aqueduct. Considering she has only five horses in her stable, it was quite the accomplishment.

“It was so awesome to have it rolling like that,” Giangiulio said Monday morning at her corner of Belmont Park’s Barn 36. “I’ve been telling people I was going to have a good December because they were all training well and coming along really well. I didn’t think I was going to win my next three starts, but I knew they were going to run good. . . . I couldn’t be happier right now.”

Giangiulio will look to keep the good times rolling Friday, when she sends out Sea Foam in the $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes for New York-bred males at Aqueduct. It was Sea Foam who gave Giangiulio her first career training victory when he captured the Evan Shipman Stakes at Saratoga in August.

After stints working at Parx with her uncle, Juan Carlos Guerrero, Giangiulio worked for several horsemen in New York – Joe Sharp, Chad Brown, Tom Morley, Kelly Breen, and John Terranova – before going out on her own last February. Her first starter, Parade Field, finished third and was claimed. It took four months before Giangiulio sent out her next starter, Easy Shot, who finished second and was also claimed.

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“It took me a while to get going,” Giangiulio said. “It was hard to claim and I couldn’t hang on to anything I had.”

Even now, Giangiulio said she’s tried to expand her stable via the claim box, but has lost several shakes before finally winning a three-way shake to claim Raffinity on Dec. 19.

Giangiulio, 31, has the backing of four primary clients who basically partner in some manner on the horses in her stable. Marshall Gramm (Ten Strike Racing), Anthony Trimarchi (Four Corners Racing), John Hartsel (Broadview Stables), and Cory Moelis are equal partners on Sea Foam and partner on the others Giangiulio trains.

“It’s a good group of guys. They’re really supportive, they’re always on the same page as me when I talk to them about something,” Giangiulio said. “It’s been really, really good.”

Gramm, who has horses with Guerrero at Parx, knew Giangiulio from her time working for him. Though Giangiulio was eager to go out on her own several years ago, it was Gramm who recommended that she get more experience working for other horsemen.

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“I’m glad I did it that way. I learned how to do everything, not just the horses, but business-wise,” said Giangiulio, who employs just a single groom, uses a free-lance rider, and herself gets on three horses a day. I feel like I’m very well prepared.”

Gramm told Giangiulio he would support her when she finally did go out on her own and has brought in some of his partners as well.

Though she began her time working with Thoroughbreds at Parx, Giangiulio said it was always her goal to train on the New York circuit.

“When you win races here, it’s just on a whole other level,” Giangiulio said.