The G-Biscuit Stable Story Part 2

What dreams are made of: good people, fast horses

Most railbirds believe the best part about horse racing is winning. That's true if you're only counting the money. But even if you never cash a ticket, or make it into the winner's circle, you can't lose with the people you meet at the track.

In a lot of ways, the G-Biscuit Stable partnership began with modest dreams. First it was to own a horse. Second, it was to see the horse race wearing our very own colors. Third, it was to see that horse win a race and get our photograph taken in the winner's circle.

Could one dream, let alone three, come true?

Two years have now gone by, and if winning races was all there is, G-Biscuit Stable wouldn't be half as rich as it is today.

No sport combines good and compassionate people with majestic and competitive athletes like thoroughbred horse racing does.

Most partners have become friends. We plan dinners together, go to Saratoga together, and even play golf together when the weather suits us.

Frank Catapano, Joe Gazzola, Nick Caraganis and myself, Jim Campanini, can often be found in a foursome somewhere at either Orzo Trattoria on Route One in Saugus or in the Carousel, in season, at Saratoga.

Other members, living in Rhode Island, Puerto Rico and New York, remain connected in spirit if not in person. They share in this remarkable story for their unconditional support to the directors, trainer and horse agent.

The group's initial investment of $43,000 has grown substantially under the auspices of John Rigattieri, our patient and expert trainer, and Barry Roos, our level-headed horse agent, partner and friend.

Yet even if G-Biscuit Stable had gone bust in its infancy, members would likely still be dreaming together at Suffolk Downs, Saratoga or at Skip's Restaurant in Chelmsford, holding "power" lunches over "broasted" chicken and salad.

Without a doubt, it would be hard to extinguish the memories of Jam Feu, our first purchase who tested our resolve, and glorious Actxpresso, our second purchase who brought us to the winner's circle for the first time.

And what if owner/trainer/horseman Art Maniatis had never walked into G-Biscuit's domain? There would be no hard-charging Purple S Shamrock or the anticipation of owning an unraced, potentially talent laden, 3-year-old named Purple Pirate.

Working with Maniatis and Roos G-Biscuit negotiated its first private sale, purchasing Purple S Shamrock for a mind-boggling $20,000. The total represented nearly half the group's initial investment. The money was a gift, sort of, from our miracle horse, Actxpresso, who had won four of six starts following her April 2005 acquisition for $7,500.

Shamrock boasted solid breeding. He was sired by Maniatis' Purple Passion, a stallion that earned over $600,000, twice won the Topsider Stakes and Suffolk (1997, 1998) and captured the Forego Stakes at Saratoga. Well, the rest is history. Shamrock has earned regal status in G-Biscuit lore, becoming our top money winner with our $50,000 in purse earnings, including three victories and three different distances (6 F, 7F, 1M).

Shamrock's success kept us solvent after Jam Feu was retired in August 2005 and Actxpresso suffered a leg injury that forced the filly to the sidelines for an extended recovery.

Jam Feu, claimed for $8,000, never materialized as our foundation horse. He was donated humanely to a camp for disabled children located on Long Island. The gelding made nine G-Biscuit starts and earned $2,800. His best finish was a third place in Delaware. In his last start at Suffolk Downs, he ran fifth in a $6,200 claiming race.

Rollin' with Purple S Shamrock

Shamrock was purchased at the end of July 2005, after Actxpresso won a one mile $17,000 allowance race at Suffolk Downs by 4 lengths. It was the dazzling filly's fourth victory in five G-Biscuit starts.

From August to Suffolk's close in November, Shamrock sizzled in the allowance ranks. He made six starts, finishing second, third, fourth, second and first. His only blip came on the turf, where he tasted the the surface and spit it out like sour milk. So much for experiments! Shamrock's earnings over the two-month period were $21,000!

His best performance came in his last two East Boston starts.

On Breeder's Cup Day, Sept. 29, Shamrock wowed the crowd with an exhilarating stretch drive that saw him close fast on Midnight Skier before losing by a half-length in an $18,000 allowance race.

Three weeks later, in the same $18,000 race, Shamrock made another strong stretch drive, overtook the leader and scored a 1 ¾ lengths victory.

Soon after, Shamrock headed to Laurel Race Course in Maryland with Rigattieri's barn to begin the New Year. After a 4th-place finish in his first start, the Shammie Man won back-to-back $25,000 claiming races in January and February, earning $23,500. In his victory at 7 furlongs on Jan. 26, Shamrock posted a 103 Brisnet speed rating, the best of his young career.

Unfortunately, Shamrock was claimed out of the race by a rival trainer. The departure saddened G-Biscuit owners but Shamrock would not soon be forgotten. In nine starts, he posted 3 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third and 2 fourths while earning $52,000, including two Maryland breeders' bonus checks totaling $3,600. When adding the $25,000 claiming tag to his earnings, Shamrock produced $77,000 in revenue for G-Biscuit.

Success breeds expansion

Shamrock's success allowed G-Biscuit to look for other runners. With Roos and Rigattieri on the hunt, the stable made its second expansion claim, acquiring Lucky Geisha, a 4-year-old filly on Feb. 3, 2006 (28 lifetimes starts, 3-4-6, $62,495 earnings). Eight days later, Geisha finished third in her first start, a $28,000 allowance race, then came back on Feb. 26 to post an inspiring victory in a 5 ½ furlong sprint at Laurel. The filly entered the stretch 12 lengths behind the leaders, charged up the middle of the track and won going away by two lengths. She earned $16,800 for the victory, G-Biscuit's top purse to date!

In between, the stable added Gee's Bend, a California-bred filly claimed for $7,500 (17 lifetime starts, 4-4-1, $51,425 earnings.)

Next to join the G-Biscuit team was Kipper's an Angel, a workmanlike 7-year-old gelding who had earned $199,425 in 51 starts (15-9-7). He was claimed for $14,000 on April 3. Kipper won his first start, for $14,000, but was lost to a $14,000 claim next time out. In two races. Kipper's an Angel returned a sizable profit before moving on.

Once again, G-Biscuit used its good fortune to reinvest in the industry, picking up a 3-year-old filly, This Cat Is Due, for a $12,500 claiming tag. The Cat was picked up from a maiden race which she won by 15 lengths. Sired by His Devil Is Due while out of a Storm Cat mare, The Cat's breeding implies a bright future if she stays healthy. In her first turf try for G-Biscuit, a $28,000 allowance race at Laurel, The Cat finished second by a neck.

A surpise makes seven

It's hard to comprehend, but few members would have believed that heading into July 2006 the stable would own seven thoroughbreds. Oh, I didn't tell you? The biggest surprise is that Purple S Shamrock is back in the fold. G-Biscuit claimed the gelding out of a $10,000 race at Pimlico in June, and seems to be happy with his former surroundings, finishing third and fourth in two Suffolk starts.

Along with Shamrock, the stable boasts five active runners in Lucky Geisha, Gee's Bend, This Cat Is Due and our newest invader, Tropadaro, a 3 year-old colt bred in Florida that was picked up for a $25,000 tag at Pimlico.

While Suffolk's 2006 summer meet began slowly for the barn (0-for-9 in wins), the runners produced steady earnings. The slump ended magnificently in late June, with Gee's Bend and Tropadaro winning feature races ($17,000 allowance) on back-to-back days.

On June 20, Gee's Bend took the lead on the turn home and held off a late challenger to win gamely at a mile. The victory represented a G-Biscuit milestone - the stable's 10th trip to the winner's circle (Frank Catapano and Joe Gazzola were on hand for the score).

On June 21, Tropadaro broke fastest and led all the way on the rail, blazing 6 furlongs in 1:11.2 to win by two lengths. Dyn Panell rode both winners.

G-Biscuit Stable was further heartened by the news that Purple Pirate, purchased for $20,000 in a private sale, had arrived at Suffolk from a training farm in Aiken, S.C. The Pirate, a full brother to Purple S Shamrock, has garnered good reviews for his work ethic and is on course to make an August debut.

Actxpresso, meanwhile, is due to begin training in late July, ending an eight-month hiatus. If all goes well, she could turn out to be a major player at Suffolk in the fall.

Looking back: a key alliance

Has it been a wild ride? Not really. In fact, it's been a fun ride. G-Biscuit has been lucky - and blessed - to have hooked up with fine people. Without the guidance of Rigattieri and Roos, it would have been difficult - if not impossible - to accomplish 11 victories in 39 starts - a truly enviable record. The stable's runners are hitting the board (placing either first, second or third) 60 percent of the time.

Certainly, the key to success is acquiring quality and productive runners. As Roos points out, every claim is a potential risk. We learned that lesson with Jam Feu, who possessed injuries that weren't easily detectable to the naked eye when claimed for $8,000 on August 10, 2004 at Delaware Park, with Michael Gorham as our trainer.

At the time, G-Biscuit needed a steady earner and Jam Feu met all the requirements: 46 starts, 8 wins, 10 seconds, 8 thirds, and $143,000 in lifetime earnings.

While Jam Feu never became a serviceable runner, he wasn't a losing proposition. If anything, he tested the group's resolve and forced us to make changes. For one, an original shareholder, Matt Spencer, decided to leave the group, after becoming disillusioned with its lack of progress. It was a sad day. Matt was the thinker who brought the dream to reality. Still, Matt's departure steered us in a new direction, one that would led us to an alliance with the best conditioner on the East Coast, Haverhill's John Rigattieri.

In the winter of 2004-05, G-Biscuit Stable faced a monumental decision. Jam Feu was recuperating from knee problems that didn't promise to improve. The stable was without a runner. Should we claim another and risk the little money we had left? Like the Star Trek crew under Captain Jean-Luc Picard, we decided to boldly go forward.

A horse named Actxpresso

On April Fool's Day, 2005, the Roos-Rigattieri team spotted a 4-year-old filly named Actxpresso with five races under her belt, including a huge maiden victory at Gulfstream Park. She was entered in a mile race at Laurel, for a $7,500 tag. Rigattieri liked what he saw of the filly in the post-parade and put in the claim. Actxpresso finished a solid third and G-Biscuit won the claim.

Once again, hope filled the air although it was tempered a bit by the Jam Feu experience. Of course, Actxpresso was a younger horse so there was cause for optimism. Still, there was more cause for concern financially. Our treasury, once $43,000 strong, was down to $18,000 and being drained monthly by training fees and stabling costs. By Nick's calculations, we'd be out of business by August if our luck didn't change soon.

Actxpresso turned out to be a barn saver.

Two weeks after the claim, on April 14, Actxpresso went to the post in a $7,500 claiming race at a mile at Laurel. She won by an incredible 15 lengths, with Dyn Panell guiding her effortlessly in the irons. Ten days later, at Pimlico, Actxpresso was even more impressive, winning a $15,000 claiming race by 7 lengths.

Two for two! G-Biscuit Stable was in the record books of the Daily Racing Form.

The victories, while fabulous, were celebrated from afar. Actxpresso was just an image on a simulcast television screen. We wanted to see her, touch her, and show our gratitude with garlands of roses, just like they do for the Kentucky Derby winner.

Soon we'd get our wish. Rigattieri and crew were coming north to Suffolk for the 2005 summer meet.

Actxpresso made an her New England debut on June 13 and it turned out to be a disaster. Running on the turf for the first time I her career, the filly broke out front before deciding the grass was not her game. She jumped, stomped and eventually stopped. It left us flabbergasted.

Fourteen days later, however, the real Actxpresso showed up. With all G-Biscuit partners in tow, the filly went wire to wire in a $17,000 allowance race. She won in a breeze by a smashing four lengths. A month later, on July 23, Actxpresso won another allowance race by two widening lengths, making it four impressive victories in five starts for G-Biscuit.

The filly suffered a setback in her next start, injuring her front left leg. It's been a slow, patient recovery, since then, but Roos and Rigattieri remain confident that Actxpresso will heal and be back.

It's been a year now since we've seen Actxpresso in action, but the recent news of her return to training has generated waves of excitement for G-Biscuit members.

Hopefully, this story will get better in the days and months ahead. And if it doesn't, so what? We have gained more than we ever could have bargained for in the friends we've made and the horses we've come to admire as our own.

The best part, however, leads back to our humble beginning. Two years after G-Biscuit Stables' birth, the dream is still alive and kicking.

Read Part 1