Vidiano impresses in career debut for breeder/trainer partnership

Taking a winner’s circle photo is all the more satisfying when the breeder and the trainer are co-owners of the horse who has just broken his maiden in his career debut, accomplished via a sterling performance.

That was the case in the first race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday after the victory of the 3-year-old Vidiano, a son of Neolithic who was bred by SCF Inc., trained by Dennis Manning, and co-owned by Manning and Belinda Kitos, owner of Ocala’s Southern Cross Farm with her husband, retired doctor Robert Kitos.

Vidiano had six moderate listed works at Oakridge Training Center, none that would make anyone sit up and take notice. But the gelding went off at just 6-1, so somebody knew something. With Sam Marin in the irons, Vidiano broke well from the No. 2 post in the race at six furlongs, shadowed the top four through a quick quarter in :22.29, then mysteriously dropped back by about 10 lengths going to the half.

Marin got him rolling on the turn and the gelding ate up ground in mid-track, then inhaled the leaders in the stretch as announcer Jason Beem chimed in with “Vidiano has all the momentum.” He wound up 2 1/4 lengths in front at the wire in a clocking of 1:10.53, receiving an excellent 82 ‘E’ speed figure in the process. Vidiano paid $15.20 and the partners collected $11,950.