Meet of Firsts Continues at Turfway Park

Blood-Horse
Date Posted: 2/1/2016 2:03:09 PM
Last Updated: 2/1/2016 2:25:53 PM

A meet of firsts for trainers continued at Turfway Park Jan. 31 when Brett Santangelo won his first race as a trainer. Earlier in the meet two trainer-owner teams won their first stakes.

Santangelo, 22, scored the first training victory of his career when the 4-year-old Speightstown gelding Charnocks, who he owns, drew in off the also-eligible list and won the third race. The 22-year-old trainer has been in the money with all four of his starters this year, including a second and a third with Charnocks in his previous two races.

A native of Hershey, Pa., Santangelo began his career in racing by working for a track veterinarian at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. He attends the University of Kentucky and is currently working toward a degree in equine science.

“I’m a part-time student and a full-time trainer,” said Santangelo, who worked a few summers for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer in California. “Working for the vet really got me hooked on the racetrack.”

On Jan. 16 trainer Marshall Godsey and owner Chester Thomas, who races as Allied Racing Stable, each got their first stakes victories when Dingdingdingding won the Forego Stakes to pay $53.40 on top. It also was the first stakes win for the 4-year-old Candy Ride gelding.

Godsey is the son of former trainer Claudie Marshall Godsey Sr., who turned his operation over to his son in 1990.

And on Dec. 19, Amanda Sarinana and Jose Sarinana’s Dac, a then 4-year-old Distorted Humor gelding, won the Prairie Bayou Stakes to give his owners and trainer William “Scott” Brumley their first stakes victories.