Click the image to listen to Tom Janes interview on the Meadowlands Racing Insider

NO BOOST NEEDED FOR CAYENNE TURBO IN HIRAM WOODRUFF
Cayenne Turbo coasted wire-to-wire to win the $18,000 second leg of the Hiram Woodruff Wednesday night at the Meadowlands.

With Andy Miller in the bike, Cayenne Turbo held off Macho Lindy to win the night’s seventh race in 1:52.1.  Snazzy Hot Rod made a late rally down the stretch to finish third.  Cayenne Turbo paid $13.80.

Cayenne Turbo has won three out of nine starts for 2008.  Trained by Julie Miller, Cayenne Turbo has increased his earnings to more than $130,000. Eugene W. Schick of Elgin, Illinois, Larry Baron of Horsham, Pennsylvania, and VIP Internet Stable LLC of Piscataway, New Jersey own the 4-year-old bay stallion.

The Hiram Woodruff concludes with a $45,000 final on May 17.

Quick Arrow N Refuses to Lose Final

Saturday, October 06, 2007 - by Kyle Fitzgerald, for Colonial Downs

October 6, 2007

VIP Internet Stable’s Quick Arrow N continued his stellar 4-year-year-old season with a gritty head victory in the $15,900 Virginia is for Horse Lovers late closing series final Saturday night at Colonial Downs.

Quick Arrow N ran his win streak to three and posted his sixth win from just nine starts this season by out gaming Kelly’s Spur at the end of a mile in 1:51.   

Quick Arrow N was fairly quick off the gate but was out sprinted for the early lead by Broule Hanover and Notorious Bigslick.  Broule Hanover got the opening quarter in a brisk 26.4, but driver Jonathan Roberts was intent upon the lead, sending Quick Arrow N to the front right before the field hit Colonial’s lone turn, passing Broule Hanover and Notorious Bigslick en route to a half in 54.2.

Despite winning the early battle, Quick Arrow N got no breathers on the turn as Kelly’s Spur moved first-over to challenge his supremacy at the three-eighths pole.  Kelly’s Spur got a nose in front and emerged at the top of the lane with a narrow advantage after three-quarters in 1:22.1.

Kelly’s Spur had another gear for the 1300-foot stretch drive but Quick Arrow N refused to give up while racing on the inside, scratching out a quarter-length advantage at the eighth pole.  Kelly’s Spur slowly cut into the margin with every stride but Quick Arrow N simply would not let him by, holding off his stubborn foe by a head in the end.

Winterwood Jet closed well to get third, 3¾ lengths behind the winner.

Quick Arrow N has now won five of seven starts since joining Greg Trotto’s barn after beginning his career in New Zealand.  The 4-year-old gelding demolished the lifetime mark of 1:52.3 he set two weeks ago in the second leg of the Virginia is for Horse Lovers.  
 

I Believe Its True stays hot at Maywood
Saturday, March 31, 2007 - by Mike Paradise, publicity director, Maywood Park

MAYWOOD, IL — I Believe Its True had little trouble staying the hottest horse at the Maywood Park meeting. The four-year-old state bred rambled to his fourth consecutive victory in Friday night's $11,500 feature race by four open lengths with Dave Magee in the bike.

http://www.maywoodpark.com/press/index.cfm?Press_ID=1199

Good news, bad news for Battle of Lake Erie field
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park
 

Northfield, OH --- Northfield Park's Director of Racing Gregg Keidel received some good news and some bad news this week in his quest to assemble the best possible field for the 22nd annual $125,000 Battle of Lake Erie, the track's premier race.

Click the image to listen to Ed O'Connor's interview on the Meadowlands Racing Insider

Driving Into History

By:  Shelly Blake, courtesy of www.Saratogagamingandraceway.com            

October 12th started out as just another night at work for Dan Cappello, Jr.  By the time his night was over, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway’s leading driver had accomplished what no other driver in the history of the Spa Oval has been able to do.

                He won six races.

                While an amazing feat, that is not what sets Cappello, Jr. apart from all other drivers. The track record for most wins by a driver in a single night stands at seven—a record shared by Bill O’Donnell and Tony Morgan. All Dan Cappello, Jr. did was win six races. But this was the third time in a single season he visited the Winner’s Circle that many times in one night.

                A new track record.

                And yet it seems to be just one more accomplishment in the career of Dan Cappello, Jr.

                 Being the son of a very successful horseman, Danny, as the 47-year-old is often called, grew up in the business of horse racing. “I was a janitor for about 20 minutes. That’s all it took (to realize he didn’t want to do anything else but work with horses).” The New Jersey native followed his father, Daniel Cappello, Sr., from New Jersey to Monticello to Saratoga, learning the tricks of the trade from both his father and a man who worked for the senior Cappello, Richard King. It wasn’t long before the apprentice came into his own…and then some.

                Danny has been Saratoga’s driving champion eight times. This year marks the 14th  time he has driven over a hundred winners in a season.  The Saratoga Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association has awarded Cappello, Jr. with Horseman of the Year three times since bestowing upon him the Johnny Page Award for “Up-and-Coming Driver” in 1983. He has bankrolled over ten million in his impressive career and recently won “Driver of the Year” honors for the 2006 Saratoga season.

                Of course if you ask Danny, he has nothing to do with his own success. “There’s a bunch of guys here that could be leading driver. It’s just a matter of getting good horses to drive and having some luck. That’s all. That’s what I always thought.”

                Although there are some that tend to disagree. Just ask Bill and Peggy Hohenstein, co-owners with the rest of the V.I.P Stable of  trotter Nystateofmind. According to the Hohensteins, their four-year-old gelding had a real problem staying trotting. Since he has been in Cappello Jr.’s care, he has never gone off stride. The reason? “He’s the best,” claims Peggy, “Danny is just the best.”

                What Danny considers “the best” are the horses, such as the ones he catch-drives ( “Swift Sport I like a lot. I really like driving him. He tries all the time”), the ones he trains and drives currently, ( “Arts Regards…he’s a nice horse”), as well as in the past, (“Mr. Bruiser…he was a nice horse. I took him down to the Meadowlands, we went in 1:53—and that was when 1:53 was fast”), and even horses he has no connection to, such as Open Pacer Our First Falcon and Hall of Famer Brett Hanover—a horse Danny always “thought the world of” when he was younger.

                When he was younger, Danny also had a different perspective of what it’s like to be out on the track behind a horse. “When my father was driving and I’d be watching him… well, it’s a lot easier to drive from the grandstand. I’d be yelling at him after the race, why did you do this or that?” However, since the younger Cappello has logged some miles of his own in the bike, his perspective has changed quite a bit.  “It’s not that easy out there. You have to make decisions quick and a lot of the time, they’re wrong. A lot of times the horse overcomes the bad decision you make, if you’re driving a good horse you can make a couple mistakes and the horse will still overcome that.”

                Yet it wasn’t a good horse that won six races in a single night three times this season.

                Perhaps it’s modesty, but it’s clear when talking to Cappello, Jr. that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. “I use to, but now I just try to have fun.”  And he does, which is apparent in his sense of humor as his responses to the best and worst thing about racing harness horses being, “the summer and winter.” Yes, it can get very cold out there. And what a lot of people don’t realize is how physically demanding it all can be, not just on the horses, but for everyone involved. “It’s a seven day a week job. You get banged up sometimes, sure. Work long hours.” But Danny is not complaining, even when the job gets a little too dangerous.

                On July 3rd, Kiss Me Cam, a horse then trained and driven by Cappello, Jr. fell within moments of the start of the race. Danny hit the unyielding track hard—hard enough to sprain his ankle quite severely. The horse, thankfully, was fine. Danny was not. However, nine days later, he was back in action with two wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in seven attempts. 

                This article was going to be titled, “Mr. Saturday Night,” but the truth is Dan Cappello, Jr. doesn’t have just one night where he reigns supreme. He can be found in the Winner’s Circle on both trotters and pacers, with cheap claimers and Invitational horses, during matinees and night cards. Although he’s never driven a winner in the NY Sire Stakes Night of Champions, something he’d very much like to achieve one day, he has done something which no other driver among the very talented drivers through Saratoga’s history has been able to do. Three six-baggers in a single season is not just historic. It speaks volumes about the man behind these good horses.

October 31, 2006

George Teague trained yearling added to VIP's "GRAND SLAM" Yearling Partnership

George Teague has been a little hard to get in touch with lately - he's been busy racing in The Breeders Crown, winning the Cane Pace, and just generally lighting up every stakes race on the east coast...but we can finally announce the verbal deal we struck with George several weeks ago to purchase an interest in our 3rd yearling for our GRAND SLAM yearling partnership. We will be adding 1 more yearling with George at next week's Harrisburg sale.

We are thrilled to be adding JUST DESSERTS, a yearling pacing filly by red hot NJ sire ARTISCAPE - also the sire of George's Yorse Of The Year, Rainbow Blue. Our new filly is out of the Jate Lobell mare, ROMANTIC GESTURE, who has already produced 5 winners from 6 foals (4 in 1:55) including stakes winners FLITABOUT (1:52f), BULL ON THE BEACH (1:54.1), and WINE ROSES N CANDI (1:54).

Her family gets even more impressive with the 2nd dam, multiple stakes winner TOWN TATTLER (1:54.3) - winner of Helen Dancer, Juggette heat, Bluegrass elim, Mistletoe Shalee elim, and 3 legs of Blossom series at M. She has been a world class broodmare, having produced LIFE IS A CABARET ($774,222 1:50.2), TATTLER'S TORPEDO ($400,737 1:53.4), BLACK TATTLER ($173,101 1:50), and SCOOTIN TATTLER ($119,166 1:51.4), and 2 others in 1:55 and another 4 more with wins in 2:00 or better.

The pedigree for JUST DESSERTS is online at http://www.vipstable.com/files/programs/Teague/417-Artiscape-filly-20K.pdf

George Teague is as hot as you can get right now, having selected and trained such notables as 2004 Horse of the Year Rainbow Blue, 2005 Woodrow Wilson winner Western Ace, and 2006 North America Cup winner Total Truth in addition to a slew of 2yo stakes winners already this year. Interestingly, quotes from both George and VIP's Ed O'Connor were part of the same article in the June 28 issue of Horsemen and Fair World magazine (see below link). It must be fate that we'll be working together! (http://www.vipstable.com/files/Pictures/VIP-HWFmag.jpg)


Our first 2 yearlings with trainer Tom Fanning (pacing colts THE RACE IS ON and LEXUS HANOVER), are already broken, jogging, and doing very well. More information on them is available at http://www.vipstable.com/grand-slam.html

 

September 11, 2006

Our "Grand Slam" Yearling partnership has been received well so far and we do have spots left.  That's good news for those of you not involved yet, because we bought 2 very exciting colts yesterday at the NJ Classic sale. 

Trainer Tom Fanning got the first horse in the sale - LEXUS HANOVER, a colt by champion sire Cam's CardShark out of the multiple stakes winning mare, Lady Dynamo (1:54.4 $201,480).  This is a great looking individual with the classic Cam Fella line looks - athletic and perfectly proportioned.  The dam side family is great with 3 winners of over $100,000 and 7 with winning marks of 1:57 or better.  We were very excited to get our Grand Slam started off with such a promising NJ bred colt.

We also took home the Pro Bono Best colt THE RACE IS ON late in the day.  Tom Fanning was the high bidder on this very good looking NY sired colt out of the multiple Open class winner, Incredible Talent (1:54.3 $70,227).  Pro Bono Best's first crop are just 2 this year, and they have been very impressive - several will be in the NYSS Championships this weekend at Stga.  We were very impressed with this colt's confirmation – long and stout with a look that reminded me of our $500K earner Bayside Hall.  With the NY stakes program HUGE already and Yonkers about to get started, this guy will be racing for serious money.

I also spoke at length to George Teague about our next 2 purchases – he'll be looking at the KY sales as well as at Harrisburg .

There is no feeling in harness racing like standing in the winner's circle with a horse you've been following since he was a baby!  Please contact either Tom or me to get your spot in this partnership!

August 28, 2006

VIP Stable goes over $300,000 in purses for 2006 - a new high for the stable with 4 months to go.  With our 2 year olds just getting started in the next few weeks, and Yonkers and Chester opening in the next month, we're looking to run up the score in 2006.

May 21, 2006

VIP Stable sends starter number 1,000 to post!

VIP Stable Sweeps Spa Series

Monday, April 10, 2006 - by Mike Sardella, for Saratoga Raceway

This past Saturday night’s Virginia O'Brien Pacing Series Final looked to be a good one, and was led by the Cappello-trained entry of Gemini Jon and Cameloft. Together, they had been a perfect five for five series, and went to post, coupled, at 3-5.

Most eyes were on Gemini Jon, who was undefeated in five starts at Saratoga, highlighted by a 1:54⁴ victory, and who had the local leading driver, Dan Cappello, Jr., in the sulky. Cameloft had the driving services of Josh Marks.

Cappello rushed Gemini Jon at the half-mile station and took the lead, but after a tough trip took its toll their stablemate, Cameloft, picked up the pieces, moved from eighth to first, and swooped the group for Marks.

Gemini Jon finished second and Redford Hall (Frank Coppola, Jr.) finished third. Cameloft stopped the timer in 1:55⁴, and with his share of the purse made more money in this one start than he had all of last year, while a regular $4,000 claming pacer at the Spa.

Fanning solves crisis
March 17, 2006

Although trainer Tom Fanning had a tough day Wednesday having to scratch two horses “injured” out of races at the Meadowlands, he quickly left that crisis mode when his 4-year-old mare Crisis won Thursday night at the Big M.

Crisis was North America’s fastest performer on Thursday with a 1:52 gate-to-wire effort in a $12,500 conditioned pace. It was the daughter of The Panderosa’s first win in four starts after being purchased in late January and sent to Fanning’s barn at Gaitway Farm in New Jersey. Crisis had been racing in Illinois before being bought privately by Ed Bardowski of New Jersey, who later sold three-quarter interest to VIP Internet Stable, a group managed by Tom Janes of New Jersey.

“My owner Ed Bardowski bought the mare, he really liked her. I have to give him 100 percent credit because I wasn’t crazy about it,” said Fanning. “He sent her back here and she is accepting her job. Every week she seems to be a little bit more relaxed and willing to cooperate.”

Fanning said that Crisis had been trained by Illinois-based conditioner John Butenschoen before being purchased, and he gives credit to his peer for helping settling down the rambunctious distaffer.

“They wanted to sell her, but I don’t think there was a lot of interest in her. She had problems with the gate,” said Fanning. “She wouldn’t make the gate or wouldn’t go behind the gate. She was also a very hard horse to control. She had all kinds of baggage but she has a very good pedigree. And Butenschoen did a good job getting her to the races.

“We made some changes,” he added. “We put an ear hood on her and screen over the eyes. We let her head down a little bit. We tried to keep her happy.”

Bardowski had previously owned horses that Butenschoen trained, and he felt familiarity would also help in the sulky. That is why Andy Miller was named to drive in her first three starts at the Big M, before Miller had to pick off to drive his brother Erv’s mare Gro on Feb. 23. Yannick Gingras picked up the mount and he drove her to a second-place finish, losing by a nose to Gro. This time around the tables were turned as Gro finished third behind the winning Crisis.

“She has a tremendous upside,” said Fanning. “I wanted to put her in a $20,000 claimer when I got her but the owners wouldn’t let me. They were right. And I’m glad they were right. As long as she behaves herself she can be a pretty tough horse.”

 (courtesy www.harnessracing.com)

3/16/06 - Gemini Jon, with Dan Cappello, Jr in the sulky,  posted a winning time of 1:55.4 for owners VIP Internet Stable. Competing in the first leg of the Virginia O'Brien Pacing Series, Gemini Jon scored the fastest time of the evening in the six series divisions run. Other first leg winners were Cameloft, Cleaning Lady, Ms Raider, Chianaglia and One Magic Kat. (courtesy www.saratogagamingandraceway.com)