Vaccarezza’s Little Dreams 2-Year-Olds are ‘Ready to Run’ at Gulfstream

By Jim Freer

Thursday,  Sept, 10 — Carlo Vaccarezza’s  Little Dreams Racing LLC is preparing to send its new crop of 2-year-olds to the races, starting with Little Nick V at Gulfstream Park this Saturday.

Little Nick V is entered in the fifth race, a $60,000 maiden special weight at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

The colt is one of 15 juveniles that Vaccarezza  (above photo) Little Dreams’ founder and managing partner, is preparing for planned first starts during the next several months at either Gulfstream or at the Gulfstream Park West meet at Calder.

“They are all ready to run,” Vaccarezza, who trains the Little Dreams horses, said on Wednesday

He was speaking  about the newest horses that are owned by Little Dreams’  partnerships that make thoroughbred ownership accessible to the so-called “little guy.”

An investor can  buy as little as one percent in a Little Dreams horse. That one percent is $700 for this year’s 2-year-olds. That is based on the average cost of $70,000, over the past 12 months, to  buy those horses and  prepare them for their first races.

Vaccarezza owns stakes, sometimes majority, in all  of Little Dreams’ horses.  He does  not  charge management fees to any of his partners.

He estimates that the cost is about $35,000 annually to have a horse in training.  Little Dreams’  costs and  any winnings  are passed on, i.e. passed through  for tax purposes, proportionately to owners.

Offering  Roster

With the exception of Little Nick V, shares  remain  open for all of the 15 projected juvenile starters.

Details about Little Dreams Racing  may be  found on its  website,  On the home page, click on Offering Roster  for details on horses in which shares  are  available.

Vaccarezza founded Little Dreams Racing LLC in 2013.   John Williams, a long-time  friend  of Vaccarezza, also is a partner in owning many of the Little Dreams horses..  Dale Romans trained the Little Dreams horses until  Vaccarezza obtained a  trainer’s license late in  2013.

All  Little Dreams  horses are part  of Vaccarezza’s  stable  at the  Palm  Meadows  training center in  Boynton Beach.  Palm  Meadows  and  Gulfstream are both  owned by The Stronach Group.

Vaccarezza purchased this year’s 2-year-olds at sales of yearlings last year and of 2-year-olds  this year in Lexington,  Ky., Ocala and at the Fasig-Tipton sale  at Gulfstream in February. The prices ranged  between  $20,000 and $100,000.

Two Little Dreams horses purchased in  2013 have won stakes races.  They  are  Little Alexis and Little Michelle.

All  of  Little Dreams’ horses are named for relatives or friends of Vaccarezza and his wife Priscilla or of Williams..

Little Alexis is named for the Vaccarezzas’  daughter,   Little Nick V is named for their son  Nick.  They owned  a now retired horse named Little Nick.

Vaccarezza said  he formed Little Dreams  for  fans  who want to get  involved in ownership but can’t afford to or don’t want to invest more than several  thousand dollars,

Many racing  partnerships  require higher initial amounts or percentages  of  ownership than  Little Dreams’ partnerships.

“One way Little Dreams is different  is that I buy the horses,  and then people can come see them at  (Palm  Meadows) to decide which horse or horses to invest in,” Vaccarezza said. “In other partnerships, you invest money and  then  they (managers) buy the horses.”

He added: “People like to say ‘I’m an owner of that horse,’ and it doesn’t really matter how big the percentage, You can come out to watch them in  the walking ring  and be in the picture in the winner’s circle.”

The Horses

Vaccarezza  bought the  horse he would name Little Nick V for $8,000 at the September 2014 yearling sale at Keeneland in Lexington.

That was among the lowest  prices on this year’s  Little Dreams roster, and despite some prominent breeding   The Florida-bred horse is a son  of Colonel John–a son of 2000 and 2001 Breeders’  Cup Classic  winner  Tiznow  Little Nick V’s maternal grandfather A.P.  Indy, won the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The  list of Little Dreams horses in which shares are stillavalable includes: Little John W,  son of Colonel  John the 2008 Santa Anita Derby winner  Little Jen W, daughter of 2007 Florida Derby winner Scat Daddy; and Little Gianna,  daughter  of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.

Vaccarezza’s best known horse is Little Mike,  winner of the 2012 Breeders’  Cup  Turf (Grade 1) at Santa Anita Park.  That year, Little Mike also won the Woodford Reserve (Grade 1)  at Churchill Downs and the Arlington Million  (Grade 1) at Arlington Park.  The horse  is not part of Little Dreams,  and is owned by Priscilla and trained by Carlo.
Little Mike has not raced  since May 17,  2014 when he won  the Flying Pidgeon  Stakes At Gulfstream.   He has been  in  training  since last  month.  But  Vaccarezza is uncertain  when the horse will race  again.
Little Mike was named after the Vaccarezzas’ son Mike.  A colt named  Little Mike V is one of this season’s  Little Dreams; 2-year-olds.

Vaccarezza also is part owner of Frank & Dino’s restaurant Website in Deerfield Beach,

 

 

 

 

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