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Team Valor will turn the unbeaten colt over to Mike de Kock, who earlier this spring sent out the South American colt Asiatic Boy to romp home in such convincing style in winning the $2-million UAE Derby that low-key jockey Weichong Marwing called him "the best racehorse in the world." Taking a page from de Kock’s successful preparation of the lightly-raced Asiatic Boy, Team Valor will ship Aquino directly to the trainer’s new base in Newmarket, England, where he will be trained in advance of heading in October to Dubai for the 2008 Winter Carnival. The colt was bred by Brazilian banker and international racehorse owner/breeder Gonçalo Torrealba, who has made his TNT Stud a household name in the world’s major racing centers. It was from Torrealba that Barry Irwin bought another crack homebred colt in Leroidesaminaux, who earned an Eclipse Award for the TNT Stud owner and Irwin’s clients Audrey and Richard Haisfield of Stonewall Stallions. Although the colt has raced just twice and all of the important races for juveniles in Uruguay have yet to be contested, Champion rider Nuber Mieres has already stamped the fleet chestnut colt as the best of his generation. Some turf writers have taken the compliments quite a few steps further, proclaiming him to be the fastest 2-year-old ever seen in their country. “Who could blame them?” asked Barry Irwin. “He has run twice and each race was startling.”
In the latter stages of his races, he has been challenged, while still racing on the bridle. When his rider gives him the signal to accelerate, the colt suddenly shifts gears and leaves his competition behind. It is quite remarkable. In his first start on March 25, the colt set the pace and in midstretch, a rival came alongside. When his jockey gave him the office, the colt darted away to score by 7 lengths in the sensational time of 1:09.24 (1:09 1/5), which was close to the 1:08.98 track record at Maronas. The clocking was far and away faster than a 2-year-old had ever run in Uruguay. Returning on April 15 for his second start, Aquino ran similarly. This time the track was heavier as it was drying out from rain and the colt raced into a headwind down the lane. The outcome was similar to his debut effort, only this time he won a national Listed race by 11 ½ lengths. Final time of 1:09.89 was remarkable on the day, as one of the top older sprinters in the country named Stone required 1:10.82 to complete his 6 furlongs. “Usually 2-year-olds are lucky to run as fast as the cheapest older claimers on the grounds at this time of year,” noted Jeff Siegel. “This colt ran faster than the best older runners. This is a rare occurrence.” The most sensational part of Aquino’s race was not the margin or time of the performance, but the colt’s clocking in the final quarter of a mile. The colt ran his last 2 furlongs in the unheard of time of :22.93. In a sprint race for 2-year-olds, the colt ran his final quarter faster than his :23.14 opening quarter!
“This is a different ball game,” admitted Barry Irwin. “We know this colt can act on dirt. It is obvious he has an abundance of speed. The question mark with buying a youngster after just two races is whether he will be able to run long. His relaxed style of racing and his stamina-laden pedigree suggest a middle distance should suit him. “Much was made about whether Asiatic Boy would be able to get the distance in the UAE Derby and he gave a resounding answer in his 9-length victory. We have a lot of faith in Mike de Kock and for good reason.” Brazilian veterinarian Dr. Carlos Veiga, who was among four equine practitioners to have examined the colt on Team Valor’s behalf, said “One thing you should know about this colt is that he does not look like a sprinter. You can expect him to be much better when he runs farther. This is a big colt, well over 16 hands, who has a lot of substance.” Irwin also pointed out that Aquino was foaled on August 8, which is just a couple of months shy of making his birthdate on Northern Hemisphere time. In Dubai, he will actually be a 4-year-old running against 3-year-olds, as was Asiatic Boy. But Aquino, because of his early birthdate, will have an edge even on his Southern Hemisphere contemporaries. Aquino has a pedigree that American followers can relate to.
The sire First American showed promise from the beginning. A homebred foaled in Kentucky for TNT Stud and trained by a little-known South American, sprinted in his Ellis Park debut, finishing down the track. He did break his maiden second time out going a mile at Turfway Park, after which he confirmed his trainer’s high opinion of him by picking up checks in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. First American earned a berth in the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 3 Flamingo at Hialeah and racing well for fifth (beaten 2 ½ lengths) in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. In the Run for the Roses, he got off to a poor start, losing all chance, and finished down the track. The Kentucky-bred finished out the year by earning checks in the remainder of his races, all of them stakes, concluding with the Grade 2 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs.
Irish Fighter failed to menace in the Kentucky Derby. The chestnut colt, however, finished up his 15-start season at 3 with another couple of wins and raced well in Graded events. Barry Irwin said “If these colts were racing today in an era when the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown mean everything, they would be well-known racehorses. “From an historical perspective, sound, tough runners with the class of Irish Fighter and First American have done well as stallions, especially outside of the United States, where they get chances to cover full books for their first few seasons at stud.” First America is by Quiet American, a Maktoum Family-owned colt that failed to perform on turf in Europe before coming to the United States and becoming a top handicap horse. Known as a sire of tough stock that run best on dirt, Quiet American has been represented by 42 stakes winners, 7 of which have won stakes just this season. He is best known as the sire of $3.2-million earner and dual Classic winner Real Quiet, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Cara Rafaela, a daughter of Quiet American owned and bred by TNT Stud, was honored just last week by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders as the Broodmare of the Year in North America for 2006.
Never Bend, the sire of Riverman, was a Champion colt racing for the Cain Hoy Stable of Capt. Harry F. Guggenheim and is best known for siring Mill Reef, considered one of the greatest racehorses of the last century in Britain and Europe. As for the family of Aquino, he was foaled by Perla Fighter, another TNT Stud homebred. She won twice and although failing to earn black type herself, she finished fourth and fifth in Grade 3 races in Brazil. She has had 4 foals to race, all of them winners, including a Royal Academy colt that won his fifth race last weekend in Brazil. Perla Fighter’s dam had only one other live foal, so her impact as a progenitor is naturally limited, but she was foaled by a classy mare in Earn, winner of a Grade 2 stakes in Brazil and the dam of a stakes colt that won 20 races in Brazil. The next dam is responsible for 4 good stakes winners and there is a lot of stamina in the family. Aquino will be syndicated on the basis of $750,000 into interests of 10 percent ($75,000), 5 percent ($37,500) and 2 ½ percent ($18,750). Preference, as usual, will be given the participants of the greater percentages. Interests will be sold on the usual first-come, first-served basis. Parties desiring to become members of the Limited Liability Company that will own and race Aquino are asked to contact Amy Delwiche (888 434-2677 or teamvalor2@aol.com) or John Hess (859 684-5646 or teamvalornews@aol.com). Related Links: Video of races:
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