HOT SPRINGS -- Homework paid off for trainer Robertino Diodoro and his clients.
As a result of his research, Diodoro suggested to Cody Autrey, the manager of M and M Racing, that they get a group together to buy a 7-year-old horse named Pioneer Spirit at a $150,000 optional-claiming race the next day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
They did, and the payoff has been two consecutive stakes wins at the wire, including Pioneer Spirit's photo-finish victory by a head over Bankit in the second division of the $100,000, 1-mile Fifth Season Stakes for 4-year-olds and up in 1:38.94 before a crowd of 30,000 at Oaklawn on Saturday.
Pioneer Spirit's first win after Diodoro's suggestion came in the $75,000, 1-mile-and-70-yard Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Dec. 21.
Mocito Rojo finished third in the Fifth Season, 3 lengths behind Bankit and 2 lengths ahead of M G Warrior in fourth in a field of eight on an Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort racetrack that was rated good.
Bravazo, also off at 5-2 and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, started off of a run of 10 consecutive starts in Grade I stakes races, but he finished fifth, 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner.
Jockey Orlando Mojica rode Pioneer Spirit, by Malibu Moon, with a 3 1/2-length lead over Bankit at the head of the stretch. Bankit, trained by Steve Asmussen, was in third, 1/2 length behind Mocito Rojo.
Bankit began a late rush toward the leader on the limited stretch to the 1-mile wire but came up 6 inches short.
"I knew someone was coming, and I asked my horse to run," Mojica said. "He ran a good race, man. I'm very proud of my horse."
Diodoro said he had no idea which horse had won.
"I wasn't sure," he said. "I did not know. I froze."
Regardless, he knew he had recommended a good purchase. He said he read a Daily Racing Form as he watched races at Turf Paradise Race Course in Phoenix on Nov. 1 and noticed Pioneer Spirit, then owned by Steve Landers of Little Rock, was in the optional-claiming race at Churchill the next day.
"Cody did some research right away when I brought him to his attention," Diodoro said. "He said, 'Let me look at some numbers and watch some replays.' The next morning he said, 'Yeah, let's get a few guys and try to do it.' ''
Diodoro said the price appeared to be a bargain.
"I really think it was," he said. "Everybody said, 'Whoa, 150,' but I said, 'If this horse was for sale for $150,000, or if he was at a Keeneland sale, he would go for well past 150, so let's get three guys to go in.' It fell into place pretty quick. The next day we did it."
Two of the buyers -- Norm Tremblay of Los Angeles and Selman Shaby of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada -- stood near Diodoro in the winner's circle.
They said their trust in Diodoro is strong enough that a sales pitch from him was unnecessary.
"We had come off some great races at Churchill, and we had lost some horses to claims, so I was pretty excited," Tremblay said. "I said, 'Let that money ride,' so we invested our winnings into this horse."
"It was the same concept with me," Shaby said. "The trainer likes to strike after a win, so it's hard to say no. So, you win a couple of races, and he says, 'Hey, do you want to claim something for 150,000,' you go, 'OK. Have at it.' "
It was as simple as that.
"I take his word for it," Shaby said. "He's the horseman. We're just the, we're the dummies."
Sports on 01/26/2020