Trainer Antonio Sano becomes U.S. citizen

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Just in time for the Pegasus, trainer Antonio Sano got something he has really been wanting for some time: U.S. citizenship. The 56-year-old Sano became a citizen during naturalization ceremonies Friday in Miami.

“I’m so happy, so proud,” said Sano, who will saddle Gunnevera as the third program choice behind Accelerate and City of Light for the $9 million Pegasus on dirt.

Sano, a native of Venezuela, has been training in the U.S. since 2010. His travails in his home country, where he was a perennial leading trainer, have been well documented: He was kidnapped for ransom on two occasions and was fortunate to escape with his life.

Gunnevera, most recently second to Accelerate in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, is easily the most accomplished horse trained by Sano. The 5-year-old horse is a four-time winner at Gulfstream and has earned more than $4.1 million from 19 starts.