Little Mike
| Little Mike | |
|---|---|
Little Mike after winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf
|
|
| Sire | Spanish Steps |
| Grandsire | Unbridled |
| Dam | Hay Jude |
| Damsire | Wavering Monarch |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | May 24, 2007 in Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Carlo E. Vaccarezza |
| Owner | Priscilla Vaccarezza |
| Trainer | 1) William White (2009) 2) Allen Iwinski (2010–2011) 3) Dale Romans (2011–2013) 4) Carlo Vaccarezza (2014-2016) |
| Record | 30: 14-2-1 |
| Earnings | $3,543,392 |
| Major wins | |
|
Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (2011) Breeders' Cup Turf (2012) |
|
| Awards | |
| Florida-bred Horse of the Year (2012) | |
| Last updated on August 3, 2016 | |
Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (2011)
Canadian Turf Stakes (2011)
Appleton Stakes (2011)
Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes (2012)
Turf Classic Stakes (2012)
Arlington Million (2012)
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (2013)
Little Mike (foaled May 24, 2007 in Florida) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf.
Little Mike is a bay gelding bred by Carlo Vaccarezza, who immigrated to the United States from Italy in the 1960s. One of Vaccarezza's first jobs in America was as a groom at Aqueduct racetrack. He subsequently became involved in the restaurant industry and became the owner of two restaurants near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In the mid 2000s, he obtained the mare Hay Jude from a friend, Pat Greco. Hay Jude's first foal, Little Nick by Tiger Ridge, became a multiple stakes winner for Vaccarezza. Hay Jude's second foal was Little Mike, sired by Spanish Steps, an unraced son of Unbridled with a modest stud fee of $5,000.
Little Mike was named for Vaccarezza's oldest son and raced under the name of his wife, Priscilla Vaccarezza. He was originally trained by William White, then Allen Iwinski in 2010, before being transferred to the barn of Dale Romans.
On July 11, 2009, Little Mike finished second in his racing debut in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race on the dirt at Calder Race Course, then lost his next three races, all sprint races on the dirt. Now trained by Allen Iwinski, Little Mike won for the first time after being switched to the turf in a one-mile race at Monmouth Park, leading the field from start to finish. He then won three allowance races and finished second in the Monarch's Maze Stakes, ending the year with a record of four wins from seven starts.
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