Nitti. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Trainer Doug O’Neill hits milestone with 3000th Career Win
Santa Anita Press Box/Edited
ARCADIA, Calif.—Making his stakes debut for trainer Leonard Powell, Nitti launched a rally from last on the final turn and blew past rivals in the stretch to win the Grade III, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes going about 1 ¾ miles on turf Sunday on closing day of the Santa Anita Hollywood Meet.
With Armando Ayuso aboard, Nitti (5-1) raced far back as Time Song (7-1) and Hector Berrios set fast early fractions of 23.70, 46.73, 1:10.72 and 1:37.50 for a mile. Tracking Time Song in second was Balladeer (3-1), who had Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard.
“I was not worried about how far back I was. I knew they were going fast,” Ayuso said.
Just past the three-eighths pole, Nitti began his rally. Time Song continued to lead into the stretch through latter fractions of 2:03.50 and 2:29.32. But rolling widest of all and with a full head of steam was Nitti. He stormed past both Time Song and Balladeer inside the eighth pole and drew away to win by 2 ½ lengths.
“This horse, he is always at the back of the pack,” Ayuso said of the winner. “He knows what he is doing. He’s a smart horse.”
Time Song finished second by three-quarters of a length over Balladeer. Favorite Divin Propos, who was never a factor, completed the superfecta.
Nitti, who had previously won a first-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles on May 3 at Santa Anita, finished in a time of 2:45.94.
For both Ayuso and Powell, this was their first time winning the historic San Juan Capistrano.
“The fractions were very fast, so the first part of the race I was very happy with the trip we were getting,” Powell said. “I got a little worried when Armando decided to track the seven (Divin Propos) and the seven wasn’t moving forward. But then he decided to take course B and it worked out well. That horse has a terrific turn of foot.”
A 4-year-old gelding by Make Believe, Nitti was bred in Ireland where he was winless in three starts as a 2-year-old in 2023. He made his U.S. debut in February of 2024 and took five starts to break his maiden. After graduating, he was beaten twice in first-level allowance races before finally clearing that condition last time out.
Nitti is owned by Innergy Racing Corp., Zephyr Racing and Sonny Pais. He improved his overall record to 12: 3-1-1 with $151,398 in earnings.
Nitti paid $12.00, $5.80 and $3.20. Time Song, trained by Jonathan Thomas, returned $8.40 and $4.40. Balladeer, trained by George Papaprodromou, paid $4.40.
Live racing will return to Santa Anita on Sept. 26 for the start of the Autumn Meet.
Trainer Doug O’Neill Hits Milestone With 3000th Career Win
Santa Anita-based trainer Doug O’Neill hit his milestone 3000th career victory when he won twice on the Sunday card.
In Race 6, Reddam Racing’s Pavlovian broke his maiden under Umberto Rispoli besting Moonshiner by 1/2 a length.
Two races later O’Neill would score number 3,000 again with Rispoli aboard with the aptly named Hero or Zero blowing away the 10-horse field by 6-1/2 lengths also owned by Reddam Racing.
A major figure on the California racing scene by the early 2000s, O’Neill was at one time had the largest stable in Southern California, and one of the largest and most successful in the United States.
O’Neill’s first Grade 1 win came in 2002 when Sky Jack won the Hollywood Gold Cup.
The Dearborn, Mich., native has won the Kentucky Derby twice with I’ll Have Another (also the Preakness winner) in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016.
O’Neill has also won six Breeders’ Cup races scoing his first in the Juvenile with Stevie Wonderboy in 2005 and winning again in 2015 with Nyquist.
In 2006, he won the Sprint with Thor’s Echo and in 2007 he won the inaugural Filly & Mares Sprint with Maryfield.
In 2013, O’Neill won the Dirt Mile with Goldencents.
The conditioner recently won the Met Mile at Saratoga with Raging Torrent who gave him his second win the Godolphin Mile in 2025 having scored in 2024 with Two Rivers Over.
O’Neill trainees have included the beloved Santa Anita Derby, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic winner Lava Man and Pennsylvania Derby champ Hot Rod Charlie.
