Horse of the Year

Unlimitedpotential

2025 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Finishing 5 lengths ahead of the second place and 19 lengths in front of the third-place finisher, the potential for this 5-year-old dark bay horse by Union Rags felt unlimited after winning the shake following a win in a $16,000 claiming race at Saratoga on July 25, 2024. We picked up our first win with Unlimitedpotential on November 30, 2024, at Aqueduct and that would be a strong indicator for what the 6-year-old campaign would look like as we went into 2025. 11 starts, 3 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds good for $160,418 in earnings. The first start came on January 30 at Aqueduct; jockey Silvestre Gonzalez had a stalking trip set up just behind the leader. He pulled away down the stretch, but another horse from further back had a bigger kick and took the lead halfway down the stretch as we finished second. The next start came on March 14 at Aqueduct. This time Silvestre Gonzalez sat fifth as the trailer of the lead pack but then let loose in the stretch and won the duel down the stretch to collect the win. Two starts later, on April 24, Unlimitedpotential and Silvestre Gonzalez ran a carbon copy of their last win. Sitting fourth as the trailer of the lead pack they took off down the stretch again to claim victory. On Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga, Unlimitedpotential took home a third-place finish in the fifth race that day and earned the award for best turned out by the Backstretch Employee Service Team. The next start came on a sloppy track at Aqueduct on June 15. Silvestre had a more aggressive trip and make the move for the lead in the far turn and came home with a 2 ½ length win.  Back at Saratoga, Sahin Civaci rode Unlimitedpotential to a third-place finish on August 13. From there it was off to Churchill Downs where Jaime Torres took over riding duties. On September 18 they hit the board with a third-place finish and finished the year with a fourth and fifth place finish at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

2025 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainers

Wins Ilkay Kantarmaci – 5

Earnings Ilkay Kantarmaci – $266,715

Starts Ilkay Kantarmaci – 36

2025 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Luis Saez – 4

Earnings Silvestre Gonzalez – $137,700

Starts Manuel Franco – 15

Pictured: Jockey Luis Saez aboard Sassy Princess following a win at Saratoga.

Smokin’ Hot Kitty

2024 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Having won a race on turf for us in 2023, this 5-year-old Bay Mare by Kitten’s Joy out of Smoke Signals discovered a new passion in 2024, running on dirt. With the turf course closed for the winter, Smokin’ Hot Kitty and Manny Franco finished 3rd on February 23rd at Aqueduct. From there Kendrick Carmouche took over and won back-to-back races on March 16th and April 14th at Aqueduct. When the turf course reopened, Smokin’ Hot Kitty led three quarters of the way, but tired in the stretch to finish 8th. It was then decided that she was a dirt horse and won back-to-back races again, this time May 25th at the Belmont at the Big A meet and again at Saratoga on July 18th.  Then came the big step up, Smokin’ Hot Kitty’s first stakes race, the Johnstone Mile Handicap on August 7th at Saratoga. Said trainer Horacio De Paz going into the race: “She’s just in good form right now. I’d rather run her than train her. Her weight’s really good, her appetite’s been really good. We let her breeze an easy three-eighths. She ate up and was happy.” She ran valiantly, sitting just off the lead and made her move in the far turn, however the heavy favorite, Sterling Silver, who was a veteran of many graded stakes races and ran in the Breeder’s Cup, waited until the stretch run and hit a gear that we couldn’t match, as Kitty’s first stakes race didn’t result in victory, but did find a place on the tote board as we came home with a third place finish. Following that race it was back to Belmont at the Big A where we were back in the Winner’s Circle, scoring a victory on September 22nd. In 10 starts, Smokin’ Hot Kitty won a record 5 races and finished third twice picking up earnings of $231,350. Paired with the win she had the previous year, Smokin’ Hot Kitty’s 6 total wins surpassed Blue Paynt as the winningest horse our stable has ever had.

2024 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainers

Wins Robert Falcone, Jr. – 7

Earnings Horacio De Paz – $289,963

Starts Robert Falcone, Jr. – 37

2024 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Kendrick Carmouche – 8

Earnings Kendrick Carmouche – $394,219

Starts Manuel Franco – 36

Pictured: Jockey Kendrick Carmouche talks with trainer Horacio De Paz in the Saratoga paddock prior to a race with Smokin’ Hot Kitty

Toni Tools

2023 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Highlighting our breeding program, our 2023 Horse of the Year is Toni Tools. A 9-year-old bay mare, Toni Tools made 10 starts on the track with 3 wins, including a Black Type New York Stallion Stakes win, 2 seconds and $193,339 of earnings. We acquired Toni at the Keeneland Sale in January of 2022 for $15,000 and stayed at the McMahon Farm in Saratoga where she gave birth to a colt sired by Solomini earlier this year. The big news was Toni Tools’ 2-year-old foal, Candied, who won its debut race at Saratoga this summer, then won the Grade I $600,000 Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland and then finished 3rd in the $2,000,000 Grade I NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. In just 3 races, Candied has earnings of $595,800. In November, Toni Tools was sold at the Fasig-Tipton Night of Stars Fall Sale in November for $330,000. To date, that price now stands as the highest we’ve ever sold a horse for at auction.

2023 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainer

Robert Falcone, Jr. – 3 Wins

Michael Maker – 3 Wins

2023 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Manuel Franco – 3

Earnings Kendrick Carmouche – $257,285

Starts Manuel Franco – 28

Pictured: Manny Franco entering the paddock before a race at Saratoga

Vacation Dance

2022 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

This 2-year-old Gray or Roan Colt by The Lieutenant out of Matinee Express burst on to the scene at Saratoga on September 4th storming down the stretch with a debut win in a Maiden Special Weight at 5 ½ furlongs on the turf with Kendrick Carmouche aboard. The next start was the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes, a Breeder’s Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the $1,000,000 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Vacation Dance and Javier Castellano came extremely close to a wire-to-wire win but were overtaken just before the wire for a third-place finish. Despite falling just short of the automatic entry, Vacation Dance was pre-entered into that Breeder’s Cup race and would’ve drawn as the second also eligible. The decision was made to withdraw from that race as the Atlantic Beach Stakes was being held the following day at Aqueduct. Kendrick Carmouche went to the lead and never looked back as Vacation Dance scored our first ever Stakes win and the $120,000 purse was the biggest win to date. With the turf course closed for the winter, Vacation Dance tried the dirt and went off as the favorite in the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes Great White Way. After running second for the first half of the race, Vacation Dance struggled to gain the proper momentum on the muddy track and as other horses started passing, Kendrick wisely decided to take the pressure off and coast down the stretch to an 8th place finish. Vacation Dance made 4 starts in 2022 with 2 wins and 1 third for earnings of $134,900.

2022 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainer

Mertkan Kantarmaci – 16 Wins

2022 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Silvestre Gonzalez – 10

Earnings Trevor McCarthy – $308,813

Starts Silvestre Gonzalez – 49

Pictured: Trevor McCarthy leads the jockeys into the paddock before a race at Saratoga

Dust Devil

2021 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Claimed for $25,000 following a 2nd place finish at Aqueduct on January 8, 2021, Dust Devil, a 4 year-old Dark Bay or Brown Gelding by Tapiture out of Devil’s Humor by Distorted Humor made 7 starts for us in 2021. He immediately found the Winner’s Circle for us 10 days later as Kendrick Carmouche scored the victory on his birthday in a $40,000 Claimer at Aqueduct on January 18th. Dust Devil moved up to Allowance races following that win and scored a 4th and 2nd place finish before finding the Winner’s Circle again in a Starter Allowance race at Aqueduct on April 1st. This time Eric Cancel was aboard and Dust Devil recorded a career high 112 speed figure. Dust Devil went on to Belmont after that win and recorded a 4th and two 3rd place finishes before being sold in early July. In Dust Devil’s 7 starts for us he came in the money 5 times with 2 Wins, 1 Place, 2 Shows and never finished below 4th. He had earnings of $96,900 in those 7 races.   

2021 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainer

Mertkan Kantarmaci – 15 Wins

2021 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Silvestre Gonzalez – 9

Earnings Silvestre Gonzalez – $197,380

Starts Silvestre Gonzalez – 45

Pictured: Silvestre Gonzalez enters the paddock before a race at Saratoga

Foxtail

2020 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Claimed off a win at Saratoga on July 30, 2020 for $25,000, Foxtail, a 6 year-old Bay Mare by Mizzen Mast out of Surf Babe by E Dubai made 5 starts for us in 2020. She came in the money 4 times and won 3 races for total earnings of $134,610. A week after the claim, Foxtail was entered as an MTO in an Allowance Optional $62,500 Claimer on August 5th. The race was taken off the turf and David Cohen went wire-to-wire for the win. A week after that, Foxtail ran third on August 13th as Jose Ortiz didn’t want to get into an early speed duel with the 20-1 shot. Unfortunately the strategy didn’t pay off as the longshot ended up going wire-to-wire for the victory, but we still finished in the money. On September 3rd Foxtail racked up her 3rd win at Saratoga with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard. The 3 wins were the most for any horse at Saratoga for the 2020 meet. Down at Belmont for the fall meet, Foxtail went wire-to-wire for the victory on October 4th, this time with Dylan Davis aboard. Her last start of the year came on December 13th at Aqueduct. There was a slight stumble coming out of the gate and she missed out on 3rd with a head-bob at the line to finish 4th.

2020 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainer

Mertkan Kantarmaci – 13 Wins

2020 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Silvestre Gonzalez, Benjamin Hernandez – 3

Earnings Benjamin Hernandez – $119,853

Starts Benjamin Hernandez – 13

Pictured: Benjamin Hernandez meets with our partners before a race in the Saratoga paddock

Playthatfunnymusic

2019 America’s Pastime Stables Horse of the Year

Claimed for $25,000 at Belmont on June 28, 2019, Playthatfunnymusic, a 6 year-old Chestnut Gelding by Disco Rico out of Shoot the Bugler by Yes It’s True made 5 starts for us. He came in the money 4 times and won 2 races for total earnings of $73,078. Finishing third at Saratoga in late August, Playthatfunnymusic was prepared for a big fall meet at Belmont and Aqueduct. He had another third place finish in his first start back at Belmont on September 25th. On October 4th he won the 3rd Race at Belmont with Silvestre Gonzalez aboard; while stablemate Mo Diddley won the following race. On October 11th, Playthatfunnymusic and Mo Diddly were a paired entry in Aqueduct’s 4th Race. The pair went 1-2 with Playthatfunnymusic and Irad Ortiz, Jr. coming out on top. He was claimed following the race but stayed hot as he won his next 2 starts as part of a 4 race winning streak.

2019 America’s Pastime Stables Top Trainer

Mertkan Kantarmaci – 7 Wins

2019 America’s Pastime Stables Top Jockeys

Wins Silvestre Gonzalez – 3

Earnings Silvestre Gonzalez – $84,456

Starts Benjamin Hernandez – 8

Pictured: Silvestre Gonzalez in the Winner’s Circle at Belmont aboard Playthatfunnymusic