Owner Shapiro has high praise for trainer Rodriguez
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In his multi-decade career of owning horses, Steven Shapiro has employed Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens and the classic winning conditioner John “Butch” Lenzini.
Shapiro believes Gustavo Rodriguez is in their category and deserves to be training a large stable. Currently, Rodriguez has 16 horses.
Included in that group is Phileas Fogg, whom Shapiro owns and who on Saturday won the Grade 2 Suburban by 10 lengths. It was the second consecutive year Phileas Fogg won the Suburban, having done so in 2025 by a head.
Rodriguez claimed Phileas Fogg for $62,500 two years ago. The horse has won seven races from 13 starts and earned $1,004,850 since.
Shapiro believes Rodriguez should have more than the 16 horses he currently trains.
“This is a man who works seven days a week, he’s at the barn at 5 a.m or earlier, never misses a day,” Shapiro said. “He gets on half the horses himself every day and rotates so he knows every horse in his barn. He has a great opinion as to what’s wrong with a horse … he does everything right, tries his best, is honest.
“I have two [top] trainers, he’s as good as them, maybe better,” Shapiro said. “I have a mission in life to get him more owners.”
Rodriguez was confident Phileas Fogg was going to run a big race in the Suburban, but even he was taken aback by how well he actually did run. Phileas Fogg, under Kendrick Carmouche, earned a career-best 107 Beyer Speed Figure.
“He was training good. I told my owner he’s better than last year, he’s going to run good, but I didn’t expect him to run the way he did,” Rodriguez said. “I was very impressed with the way he ran.”
Shapiro and Rodriguez will have a difficult decision to make as far as what is next for Phileas Fogg. The Grade 1, $1 million Whitney here is on Aug. 8, but it’s run at 1 1/8 miles. The Jockey Club Gold Cup is run on Sept. 18, opening day of the new Belmont Park, at 1 1/4 miles, the distance at which he has won three stakes.
Rodriguez would prefer to run him 1 1/4 miles, but Phileas Fogg is 3 for 4 at Saratoga with two wins in the Suburban. He also finished third in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, though he was disqualified and placed seventh for interference.
“He loves Saratoga, but it’s a mile and an eighth, I’d rather see him run a mile and a quarter because he goes to the lead and he’s got the lungs to continue,” Rodriguez said.
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