In horse racing, as in life, it matters a little where you start, but a lot where you finish.
For trainer Antonio Sano and his Kentucky Derby contender Gunnevera their destination remains 1 ¼ miles away — even if the journey to the Churchill Downs finish line Saturday is nothing like what Sano could have predicted.
“I never really thought it would happen,” the 54-year-old Sano told The Post. “To win it, it would be the biggest achievement in all my career. Even in Venezuela, this race is the most famous [in the world]. It would mean a lot.”
Sano was horse-racing royalty and a dominant force in a once-thriving industry that had fallen on the same hard times as his beloved country.
Those hard times included Venezuela’s lapse into becoming the “kidnapping capital of the world,” a flippant moniker that nevertheless reflects a harsh reality Sano knows firsthand.
In 2009, Sano was kidnapped for the second time in his life. The first time, he was released after four hours. The second ordeal, however, lasted a harrowing 36 days before his family and friends were able to pull together the ransom money.
He does not like to relive those 36 days. Sano has done the press rounds, discussed his kidnappings in as much detail as he is willing and repeated ad nauseam the circumstances of his emigration from Venezuela.
“It’s a hard topic with me to discuss with the press,” Sano said. “But I also know it’s a topic that needs to be talked about. … It’s a lesson that any obstacle can be overcome. … It’s also what gives me the energy to succeed in life and never give up.”
Following the second kidnapping, Sano decided enough was enough and brought his family to the U.S. They settled in Florida, and Sano, the winningest trainer in Venezuelan history, started over from scratch.
His reputation in the industry, however, preceded him. Sano had little trouble finding owners willing to take a shot with his U.S. venture, and he always had a sharp eye for claims. He earned his first U.S. win April 5, 2010, and by the end of his first year in Florida, had amassed 37 winners. His success has increased steadily since.
He has won more than 500 races in the U.S. and topped $1 million in earnings every year since 2011. Yet, to those with little more than a passing familiarity with horse racing, Sano’s most enduring public image remains that of the kidnapping victim.
Gunnevera is changing that.
“The first time he ever breezed, he was the best horse I’d ever seen in my entire life,” Sano said. “We were kind of shocked because we thought, ‘There is no way this could ever happen.’ … I always tell my son [Gunnevera] is going to take us big.”
Gunnevera drew the 10th post for the Derby and is listed at 15-1 in the morning line. Classic Empire is the 4-1 favorite, with Always Dreaming and McCraken at 5-1, and Irish War Cry at 6-1.
Gunnevera is a closer, which means, even if he gets a clean break out of the gate, jockey Javier Castellano probably will not guide him to the front in the Run for the Roses. He will hang back, wait for his moment, then unleash the powerful finishing kick that helped him win the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
“My father told me when I began training to always look forward, and one day you will have a post position in the Derby,” Sano said. “I consider him a smart man, and I’ve been very lucky. He was right, and we made it here.”
“Here” is Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, when it will not be so much about the start for Gunnevera as the finish. The same is true for Sano, who may start the day as the kidnapped trainer, but could finish as a Kentucky Derby winner.