Sam DePinto has found success at the sales when he’s not looking
It seems that right place, right time, led We Will See, Artesian, and now Papis Pistol into his barn.
by Murray Brown
I spoke with Sam DePinto on Wednesday (July 9) just four days before his colt Papis Pistol was to take part in the most important race of its and the trainer/co-owner’s career, not the richest event mind you, but to the Jersey native it’s most prestigious.
Please forgive me as I wander.
This story had its beginning when Bob Marks purchased the young Sweet Lou mare Bang Bang for $20,000 on behalf of Anthony Perretti and partners from Eric Cherry.
“At first glance, she didn’t have a whole lot to recommend her, thus the relatively modest price,” Marks said. “But when you delve into her pedigree, you find a lot, a whole lot, that there is to like. It goes back to Katies Lucky Lady, one of the breed’s foremost matrons; a mare who was not only a great broodmare herself, but also one who has produced daughters and granddaughters spanning several generations of top horses. It’s a great, great family, one who’s success has been stronger in producing top fillies, but its colts have also been more than adequate.
“Anthony is always looking to buy young, quality mares, but he is somewhat constricted by economics, in contrast to his sire Bill, who when he wanted a horse, he went after it with pistols blazing.
“We would have been happy to get either a colt or a filly from her. As destiny would have it, from her first foal she had a colt and what a big strapping boy he is. Anthony brought him to the 2023 Harrisburg sale as part of the Diamond Creek Agent consignment. He was hoping that he would bring a hundred thousand, but as a fledgling market breeder, he would have been pleased with whatever the market dictated he was worth. Somehow the communication between Anthony, Adam Bowden and the auctioneers got crossed. Anthony was to, or perhaps did tell Adam, that he hoped the colt would bring $100K. Adam told this to the auctioneer. This is where the mix-up occurred. The auctioneer took this as meaning that he was being protected to $100,000. They actually had a live bid at $90,000. But the auctioneer “sold” him at $100,000. Anthony now had an expensive bid in.”
The next day, a Tuesday at Harrisburg, DePinto was near the Diamond Creek consignment.
“Anthony saw me and asked me if I would look at a filly he was selling and asked what I thought of her,” DePinto said. “I did and I told him I didn’t like her at all. I thought she had a couple of serious conformation flaws. I told him that if she were mine, I would sell her regardless of what she brought. We got to chatting and Anthony asked me what I had bought. I told him I was still looking. Thus far, I hadn’t bought anything. I was looking for something to race in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes in particular a Captaintreacherous, a Papi Rob Hanover or a Tall Dark Stranger. Anthony mentioned Papis Pistol. He told me the story of what had happened at the auction the day before. He said that since they had a live bid at $90,000, that would be the price if I were interested. He also said that he’d love to stay in for a small piece if I took him. I looked at the colt and I loved him. ‘Let me call some owners,’ I told him. We made the deal. I took a piece for myself as I like to do with most of the horses I buy.”
Now let’s focus on DePinto.
Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into the business?
“You could say I was born into it. I’ve never done anything else. My dad was the farm manager at Joe Parisi’s Joe-Mar Farms [the name was changed to White Birch and is now named Hot Lead Farms] for 35 years.
“I started working with the horses when I was 13. I helped in breaking yearlings at Joe-Mar Farms. I worked two years for Sonny Dancer. I also worked for my brother Damiano, who had the horses for Dr. Paul Simon’s Lord and Lady Stable. I also spent some time working with Jack Quinn. When I was 21 years old, I went on my own. My father started me off by giving me three horses to train. The understanding was that I was to “learn my lesson” from Dr. Steve Dey, a great vet himself, and the father of the well-known equine veterinarians Greg and Steve Dey.”
How is your stable presently constituted?
“I have 14 head in training. I sent four head to Jack Smith to race at The Meadows. It’s not easy to get one raced in New Jersey anymore with only one track, The Meadowlands, and it only racing two nights a week. Of the 10 head I have here, five of them are 2-year-olds. Of these, I have one filly I really like.
“Her name is Papis Crush who I bought in Lexington for $70,000. She looks as though she might be quite good. She won her first start, a qualifier in 1.55.2. We also have Papis Pistol’s full brother Papis Best Shot, who we bought at Harrisburg for $100,000. I believe that he is quite talented, but we have encountered a few minor issues with him, so we are bringing him along slowly.”
What can you tell us about Papis Pistol?
“He is a big, strong, great feeling colt. He is more than a handful. There is nothing mean about him, but he really likes to play. You better not turn your back on him, because he will be sure to try to bite you if you do. Again, nothing mean about him, but that is part of his way of playing.
“I really liked him and he showed talent from the beginning. He raced really well at 2. He wasn’t among the very best stakes colts, but he was a pretty nice horse. When I sent him to race at The Meadows, Dave Palone raced him. He encountered some traffic issues and finished second. I asked Dave what he thought. ‘This is the best horse you’ve ever had,’ he said. I said to him ‘Are you forgetting We Will See? You drove him for me and he earned over two and a half million dollars.’ Dave repeated, ‘This is the best horse you’ve ever had.’
“I believe that he is in the best shape he’s ever been going into The Meadowlands Pace. He was just vicious in the open that he won last week. If he’s that good on Saturday, I expect him to give a good accounting of himself.”
Most might describe you as one of the little guys. You have a small stable of mostly good younger horses that you train and own.
“I suppose that’s the way I like it. I doubt that I’d be comfortable with more than 20 head. I do most of the work and I get to sit behind all of them most of the time. I want to own a piece of each horse, so economics plays a big part in how many I can have in the stable.”
Would you say that Papis Pistol is somewhat unusual in that he fetched a higher price than what you usually spend for a yearling?
“You could say that and you would be right. The two best horses I’ve had before him were We Will See and Artesian. We Will See earned $2,549,409 and Artesian $878,649.
“Much as with Papis Pistol, I didn’t go to the sale looking to buy either one. With We Will See, I was sitting at the Perretti consignment and Carter Duer’s crew were prepping this sharp Western Hanover colt to enter the sales arena. I looked to see who he was. I liked him. I went into the arena to bid on him. I was fortunate enough to buy him for $30,000. Artesian was out on the floor when I happened to walk by. He caught my eye. I told my wife ‘I’m going to buy that colt.’ I got him for $32,000.”
