Nurtured in Florida, the homebred Holy Bull colt overcomes quirks to win for Frank Stronach

For a time in the mid-1990s, there was no hotter trainer in Canada than Danny Vella. With a barn full of well-heeled runners for industrialist and racing enthusiast Frank Stronach, there seemed no end to the success Vella would have on the racetrack.

When the decade closed, however, Vella had traded in the spotlight of the Canadian circuit for life on the farm in Ocala. As Stronach's racing interests expanded across North America, the owner decided that Vella was more valuable breaking his younger horses and tending to the older runners taking a break from the races.

Thus, Vella the Sovereign Award-winner was transformed into Vella the house trainer at Adena Springs South. After sending out 357 winners and having stable earnings of more than $14.4-million from 1992 through '97, Vella has saddled just 52 starters in 1999 and 2000, winning six times.

But Vella's influence remains enormous on Stronach Stables. And in the moments after Stronach's Holy Bull colt Macho Uno turned in an erratic but successful performance to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Stronach and trainer Joe Orseno praised Vella for his ability to identify and nurture talented young runners.

"Danny Vella deserves a lot of the credit," Stronach said. "He's done a fine job (in Ocala), and Joe always gets a good horse from him."

Orseno, who just a few years ago was toiling away in relative obscurity on the New Jersey circuit, said Vella's input and the team-player example he set by agreeing to train on the farm have been invaluable.

"Danny plays such a tremendous role in this operation and on my work as trainer," Orseno said. "I wouldn't have hardly enough time to tell you the importance of Danny Vella and the impact he has on me of doing this better.

"When the Stronachs put together this team and told him of his role, he agreed, and that's tremendous. Having somebody of his potential is really important in a role like this."

Bad Macho, good runner

When Vella handed over Macho Uno and another two-year-old, Thunder Blitz, to Orseno in late spring, the dossier on the former was short but direct-lots of talent, lots of attitude.

"He told me about his little traits, and he told me to watch this one because he was a handful," Orseno said.

Macho Uno also was a runner, which was plain to see early in his training.

Orseno was impressed enough that he sent the colt out for his debut on July 26 at Saratoga Race Course, much earlier than Orseno usually likes to run juveniles. With Edgar Prado aboard, Macho Uno cruised to a 2 3/4-length victory under wraps.

"I would have been disappointed if he did anything less," Orseno said. "I've had horses further along before their first races, but he needed to run and had a little play in him."

Orseno shipped him back to Belmont Park-"There's a lot happening at Saratoga, and he didn't need to see that," he said-and trained him up to the Hopeful Stakes (G1) on September 2. After making a bold five-wide move, Macho Uno ended up in one of the most exciting stretch drives of the year, finishing third, beaten a neck by the dead-heating City Zip and Yonaguska.

At that point, Macho Uno clearly was in the upper tier of two-year-olds. But Orseno played the patience card as he often does with young horses, skipping Belmont Park's prestigious Futurity (G1) and Champagne (G1) Stakes to give Macho Uno one more pre-Breeders' Cup race. That was the Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes (Can-G1) on October 9 at Woodbine.

With Jerry Bailey replacing Prado in the saddle, Macho Uno won the 1 1/16-mile contest by seven lengths over three competitors. Orseno said the two-turn experience the colt gained was vital, but so was the advantage of having nearly an extra week before the Breeders' Cup. The one-turn Champagne was October 14.

Contenders from everywhere

The Champagne winner, A P Valentine, ended up going off as the 2.40-to-1 favorite in the Breeders' Cup. Like Macho Uno, he jumped from the maiden ranks to Grade 1 company in the Champagne. Trainer Nick Zito said the A.P. Indy colt had the potential to be his best-ever runner, an amazing statement considering Zito has saddled Kentucky Derby (G1) winners Strike the Gold (1991) and Go for Gin (1994).

"It was a tremendous jump (to win the Champagne); not many horses do that," Zito said the day before the Breeders' Cup. "He's got a great presence, and he sure does everything well."

A P Valentine was just one of seven two-year-olds in the full field of 14 accorded enough of a chance to go off at less than 10-to-1. Three of those runners came from Bob Baffert's barn-undefeated Norfolk Stakes (G2) winner Flame Thrower (5.40-to-1), Champagne runner-up Point Given (8.10-to-1), and Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G2) winner Arabian Light (9.70-to-1).

Then there was Street Cry (Ire), the Norfolk runner-up and most successful member of Godolphin Racing's inaugural stable of North American-based two-year-olds at 5.60-to-1, Macho Uno at 6.30-to-1, and Yonaguska at 9.80-to-1. Such was the depth of the field that City Zip, who had won four consecutive graded stakes, including Saratoga's three juvenile stakes, was forgotten at 32.80-to-1 after running seventh in the Champagne.

The uncertainty of youth

In the Breeders' Futurity, Arabian Light dropped far back after being bumped at the break, then looped the field in a stunning burst to win by three lengths. The last place he was expected to be early in the Juvenile was on the lead, but there he was, moving easily to the front after breaking from post ten.

"I tried to get him back, but he left there so easily, he was just galloping," said rider Shane Sellers.

Flame Thrower slotted into second outside his stablemate, while City Zip, Macho Uno, and Yonaguska vied for position behind them. The early fractions of :23.40 and :46.98 were moderate over the lightning-fast Churchill strip.

The real action began midway on the far turn. Yonaguska loomed up alongside the Baffert duo, and A P Valentine reached contention for an instant.

Momentarily, it appeared Bailey and Macho Uno would get boxed in behind the leaders with City Zip on his inside and A P Valentine outside him.

But just as quickly, Bailey had a clear seam. A P Valentine suddenly and inexplicably hit the brakes and headed rearward and City Zip began to tire. With Arabian Light drifting out slightly entering the stretch, Macho Uno was getting the green light to run.

Under steady encouragement from Bailey, Macho Uno reeled in Arabian Light, who led by a length in midstretch, but saw that lead quickly evaporate. Macho Uno drew clear with 100 yards left and the race appeared over.

At that point two events happened that nearly unraveled Stronach's celebrations. Bailey hit Macho Uno three times left-handed and the colt reverted to his goofy ways, ducking out and then drifting in slightly. Meanwhile, the third member of Baffert's trio, The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Point Given, began a furious rally on the far outside with Gary Stevens aboard.

Point Given, who was last midway on the far turn, nearly allowed Stevens to duplicate his last-to-first ride on Anees for The Thoroughbred Corp. in last year's Juvenile. But the wire came up too quickly, and Macho Uno was home by a nose.

Stevens and Baffert talked briefly on the track after the race, and Stevens's parting comment was short but direct: "I want him for the Derby."

"I was having a lot of flashbacks (to Anees) at the sixteenth pole," Stevens said. "I don't think I'm going to have to do too much looking around for my Derby horse next year. He's a big clown, but he has lots of ability."

Meanwhile, Bailey was just happy to get his rogue into the winner's circle. "This colt was probably two or three lengths the best today," Bailey said. "But he got on the lead and was goofing around. I thought if I hit him left-handed that might (wake him up), but the opposite happened. He ducked away and it took two or three jumps to get him straight again."

Street Cry finished third, another 1 1/2 lengths back. Burning Roma was fourth, followed by Arabian Light, Irish invader Turnberry Isle (Ire), City Zip, Flame Thrower, Scorpion, Dollar Bill, Noverre, Yonaguska, Trailthefox, and A P Valentine.

"This is ridiculous, this business," a stunned Zito said. "I can't believe these horses can beat him."

The day after the race, Zito said his charge had bucked shins and would get a 45-day break.

All about the future

Macho Uno was timed in 1:42.05, just .45 off Yes Sir's 30-year-old track record for 1 1/16 miles. The race was also the third-fastest Breeders' Cup Juvenile since the distance was increased from one mile in 1986.

All this from a colt who is still quite immature both physically and mentally. Throw in the fact that his half brother, 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Awesome Again, did not even run at two, and it is easy to see why Orseno was enthusiatic about the future.

"It's perfect; what more could you want for a horse of this caliber to have that much room for growth and development," Orseno said. "He's just so far away from where we want to be. Yet he was good enough to win this race."

Macho Uno's third victory from four starts was worth $556,400 to Stronach, who won the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) a half-hour earlier with Perfect Sting. Out of the Blushing Groom (Fr) mare Primal Force, Macho Uno has now earned $768,803 and almost certainly earned an Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old male.

He has also earned a good rest, which he will receive before going back into training for his three-year-old season. And there is no doubting who Stronach and Orseno want to oversee that break.

"He's going to go from here to Danny Vella," Orseno said. "He'll have him on the farm, and we'll let him develop and mature before Danny puts him into light training."