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146 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 4.17 The Race t0 the greatest Race Continued from page 87 ere hasn't yet been a horse like Zenyatta in Antonio Sano's barn. Or a previous Kentucky Derby prospect. But don't think for a second that Sano is a silly dreamer, unwise to the realities of racing. He's a winning trainer who currently ranks 23rd in earnings on a list of more than 3,000 horse trainers in the United States and Canada. In his native Venezuela, Sano ranked at the top of the game, winning hundreds of races. Venezuela is a county that loves its horse racing, and Sano was a star. But maybe too much of one. e worldwide oil boom that had fueled the Venezuelan economy even- tually went bust in that country. Venezuela's politics fell apart and the country became dangerous. Sano was kidnapped twice. e first time he was held for four hours until his wife paid a ransom. e second time, Sano was held for more than a month until a bigger ransom could be paid. Sano had to leave his country. e family first went to Italy, then to the United States, where Sano believed the racing opportuni- ties would be best. e trainer could not bring along his horses, but he believed he still had his training touch. Old clients from Venezuela and Spain knew what Sano could do and bought horses to stock his stable. Most had only moderate talent. Interesting- ly, in a speed-conscious sport, Sano trained many of his horses to run from off the pace. Like Gunnevera. After Saratoga, Gunnevera ran fifth in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, then cashed in first in the Delta Downs Jackpot, in Louisiana. In that race, Gunnevera again looped the field from last to first. en did it again in the Fountain of Youth, at Gulf- stream Park, on March 4. at runaway victory vaulted Gunnevera to the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard. It also brought Gunnevera into the Derby season chatter among fans. By the time readers get their hands on this story, Gunnevera will have run again in the Florida Derby, a last start before the Kentucky Derby. As noted, things change every day in horse racing. e horse might lose its "form." Or score again. Everyone will know more then than this scribe does now about the chances of Gunnevera. In the meantime, writers and racing peo- ple keep dropping by the barn to see Sano's Derby hopeful. e trainer likes to ask his son Alex to get in on the interviews, and the father and son kind of do it together. "My father and our family are so thrilled to have Gunnevera in our barn, and be involved in the Derby," Alex Sano says. "We want everyone to be a part of it. It makes horse racing fun." Also along for the ride on Gunneve- ra – at least for now – is jockey Javier Castellano, who is also a native of Venezue- la. Castellano has won the past four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey and is generally considered the No. 1 rider in the United States. But he's never won the Kentucky Derby. A couple of top horses Castellano was rid- ing were injured and didn't make the race. Some couldn't go the Derby's 1¼- mile distance. ere's a rider's race to the Ken- tucky Derby, and Castellano is very much in it – just like the Derby horse owners and trainers. Which brings to mind one more story. About Woody Stephens' winner from '84. is happened one day at the Cardinal Inn, the campus hangout at the University of Louisville, where talk was known to veer from poets of the 17th century to entries in the eighth race at Churchill. One of the brothers who owned the Cardinal Inn was Johnny George, who was friends with Tony Matos, from Matos' days as a student at U of L. Matos had graduated from the university to become a top jockey's agent, and his No. 1 rider was Laffit Pincay, based in California, and the leading rider in America. Matos was in town for Derby Week, and Johnny George asked him about the Derby. Matos dropped his voice, took a very seri- ous tone. is writer was there, and we were all holding our breath, listening. "I'll tell you, Johnny," Matos said. "Laffit has done everything. He's the leading rider in the country. He's won the most money, and some day he's going to retire having won more races than any rider. But he's never won the Kentucky Derby. at's the one thing he wants most – and it's my job to get it for him. "is time," Matos said, "I think I've got him on the right horse." at horse was Swale, and if they'd opened a betting window right then and there, everyone in the Cardinal Inn would have emptied their pockets. As it was, we all had to wait a week. But Swale got the job done on Derby Day — for Claiborne Farm, for Woody Stephens, for Laffit Pincay. For all of us. at's right. Wealthy owners, wise train- ers and clever jockeys aren't the only ones living the dream. We're all looking for our Derby horse.