At 79, Frank Russo is enjoying his time in the sun. That’s not to say he’s content with just watching time pass.
Far away from it. The Brooklyn-born player is coaching the Thoroughbreds for his 46th year, a career that has spanned six decades since the mid-1970s. This week it took him to vibrant South Florida, where he will nominate two Strong contenders in the Race for the Crown on December 4 at Gulfstream Park.
The 23rd edition of the Affirmative Crown will be held for the 10th time in a row at Gulfstream. Created by the National Horsemen Protection and Mercy Association in partnership with the Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, the Crown claims to reward and honor the horses and riders that provide the foundation for the races. Daily race program at racetracks around the country.
No one exemplifies that more than Russo, who is participating in the $810,000 Crown Claims program for the second year in a row. Both of his horses, Belgrano at the $90,000 Tom Metzen Canterbury Memorial and Aequor in $75,000 Express, earn automatic berth with Preview Day win on October 10 at Laurel Park.
“We’re ready. It’s going to be fine,” Russo said. “I have five horses. I walked down to the stables and this was the first time they all won the last race, and some of them won the last two. It feels great to look back on it after that. against smaller horses.”
Peace Sign Stables’ Belgrano has grown into the finest horse Russo has ever trained. Claimed at Gulfstream for $16,000 from third in February 2020, 7-year-old War front gelding has six wins, three seconds, and two thirds in its next 17 starts, including bet wins in Virgil ‘Buddy’ Raines Stakes in 2020 and the August 28 Rainbow Heir Staking at Monmouth Park.
Belgrano finished seventh out of 12 in Canterbury last year, beating 4 1/4 lengths by Fiya . He entered Saturday with a three-race win, rallying for a 3/4-length decision at Laurel to earn his second consecutive bid.
Belgrano Wins Rainbow Heirs Share at Monmouth Park
“We got lucky with him. He came back about a month after we announced him and then went on to win warm-up races and things like that. He’s a good horse. “, said Russo. “He’s as honest as they come. I really like him.
“What I liked about him was, I looked at his back number, his closing number, and he could run 1:10 and change. He didn’t do that and I said there must be a reason. do,” he added. “We brought him back and found a couple of ponies with him and we took him away. He was a really good horse.”
Morning Moon’s Farm Aequor , a tough 6-year-old son of Flatter , has won his last two matches, by nose on September 19 at Monmouth and one by neck at Laurel. Both have similar styles, only sitting in front of the lead before digging late to dominate.
Aequor has been to the Claiming Crown before, finishing 9th in the Jewel 2019 for the previous coach, Oscar Gonzalez. Russo halved him by $6,250 from fifth place ending Jan. 29 in Gulfstream, and he’s gone 4-0-2 in 10 starts since.
“It’s great,” he added. “It’s great that you can ask for a horse for $6,200 and he has a spot to run in something like this.”
Russo has had a similarly stable existence in motorsport, going back to the days when he visited the New England fairground circuit as a teenager.
Russo worked as an exercise equestrian, galloping horses at Aqueduct race track and Belmont Park, and ended up passing up a more lucrative career opportunity in favor of the game he had grown to love.
“I just stayed with it all my life,” Russo said. It just took precedence. I could have become a millionaire in the printing industry, but I let it go my horse. “It was a family business – me and my brother. It took 40 years. At first we came to Florida with the business and I brought a few horses, and from there I stayed more and more. back to the horses. Finally my brother bought me and that was it.”
Although Equibase stats only go back to 1976, Russo said he ran his first horses in 1974 at the now-defunct Calder Racecourse. “I didn’t even win a race,” he said.
“But, we had a few seconds and we enjoyed. That’s when I really inspired the horses.”
So far, Russo has 138 wins and $2.1 million in pocket income from 1,730 starters. His 13 wins this year from just 37 starts marks the best game of his career; he won 12–132 in 1985. The $349,365 in wallet he earned was, by far, a personal best, finishing with just five horses.
Russo credits gymnast Finley Bishop with great credit for the coach’s success this year.
“I have to say, it’s been difficult without him,” Russo said. “He’s probably the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve known him since we were young, ever since we went to Florida in ’74. He’s been with (coach) Harry Benson. He rides very well, he can tell you something and he listens, and that’s important.
“I have a ranch in Pennsylvania. Usually I winter off and let my horses go up there on my ranch, and this year I didn’t do that. We just went back,” he added. “I love it.”
Canterbury, a five-layer turf field for children ages 3 and up that began to have asking prices of $25,000 or less in 2020-21, attracted a 13-seat spillway.
Despite profound opposition, Russo approached the Crown of Claims with confidence in each of his submissions.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said.
