Vaccarezza to hold fundraiser for families of students killed in Florida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Carlo Vaccarezza is eternally thankful that his two sons, Nick and Mike, escaped the wrath of a deranged gunman last week when 17 of their schoolmates were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. That’s a major reason why Vaccarezza is reaching into his own pocket to host a major fundraiser Sunday at the Boca Raton, Fla., restaurant he co-owns, Frank and Dino’s.

Vaccarezza, a longtime Thoroughbred owner who turned to training in 2013, is supplying free food and drink while hoping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for the victims’ families.

“It was all too close to home,” said Vaccarezza. “You want to put a dollar sign in front of what your kids are worth? You can’t. This is the right thing to do.”

Nick Vaccarezza, a senior at Stoneman Douglas, plans to attend the University of Kentucky after graduation and aspires to be a trainer. His younger brother, Mike, a sophomore, is the namesake of Little Mike, the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner who earned more than $3.5 million.

The fundraiser is set for 2-9 p.m. Eastern. For those who cannot attend, donations can be made by credit card by calling the restaurant at (561) 218-4636.

Trainer ends win drought

The victory by 8-1 shot Darn That Parker in the final race here Monday not only resulted in a Rainbow 6 payoff of $67,986 on just two perfect 20-cent tickets but also gave trainer Pernel Bagwandeen his first winner in more than three years.

The last time Bagwandeen had won a race was Feb. 4, 2015, at Charles Town, with 34 losing starts in between.