Nick Canani to train for Gill

[WINMANWIN]

Nick Canani to train for Gill
By BRAD FREE
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - California-based trainer Nick Canani has accepted a position from the nation's leading owner, Michael Gill, and will take over a 60-horse string next week at Bowie Training Center in Maryland. Canani said Gill offered him the job Friday, and that he will relocate early next week.
Canani, 29, joins Mark Shuman and John Robb as the three main trainers for Gill's high-volume operation. Through Monday, Gill led the nation in starts (1,098), wins (224), and earnings ($4,894,820). For Canani, the departure from California means dispersal of his 12-runner stable in California over the next few days.

"I'm getting into a real good organization," Canani said, "I have a lot of respect for the way [Gill] plays the claiming game. He's not afraid to lose them, and he's not afraid to claim. It's just a great operation to work for."

The move for Canani comes less than three months after he and Gill discussed the possibility of Gill sending a string of horses to California for Canani to train. Instead, Canani will go to the horses.

"With the size operation he has, I don't think it benefits him to have just five or 10 horses in California," Canani said. "I love California. It's a great spot, you can't beat the weather, the people are great, and I grew up here. But everything points toward the East Coast right now."

Canani's relocation follows a trend of California horsemen leaving for greener pastures. Trainers Bobby Frankel, Wayne Lukas, Chris Paasch, Cliff Sise, and Scott Hansen recently relocated all or part of their stables to the East and Midwest. Although the sheer size of Gill's operation would have allowed him to make an immediate impact in Southern California, Gill has decided for now not to open a West Coast stable. One reason is the rising cost of workers' compensation insurance in California.

For Canani, the decision to accept the job with Gill was sensible. Canani took out his training license 11 years ago, and has seen the size of his stable dwindle. Most of his runners are owned by Jeff Nielsen's Everest Stable. Canani said he will start Everest runners in three weekend stakes races before leaving for Bowie - Island Fashion in the Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park on Saturday; Shapes and Shadows in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park on Sunday; and Night Patrol in the Sunset Handicap at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

"[Nielsen] has been great, he's given me fantastic horses," Canani said. The Everest runners are likely to be distributed to trainers Terry Knight and Dallas Keen. Canani's father is Southern California veteran Julio Canani. During his 11-year training career, the younger Canani has won 121 races and $5.4 million from 699 starters. This year, he has won eight races and $575,518 from 57 runners.

Canani said he will probably return to California some day, emphasizing that field size and the increasing cost of doing business were contributing factors in his decision to leave. "I never thought I would leave, but California needs to realize how deep they're burying horse racing," he said. "California is running the smaller guys out. You're betting on five- and six-horse fields. It's hard on the gamblers, the owners, and the trainers. I think it's time. And I don't think I'm the only one looking [to leave]."

[JustRalph]

This kind of thing is going to start happening more often. In five years there will probably be houses being built at Hollywood park. Just like everything in else in this state, it is just too damn expensive to conduct business. The State leaders sit on their asses and watch while they are driving out all of the little guys.
There are companies in this country that refuse to do business in California because of over regulation and rising costs associated with the over regulation. I am learning much about the underground economy in Ca. I have only been here 8 months and I still get surprised by some of the things people do to get around the state etc. Soon the underground economy will be the only economy left. :(

[gino]

i don't suppose that only winning about 1 race a month for 11 years might have contributed to his stable "dwindling"...california racing is a joke, but maybe Nick would have been happier working at Safeway...
altho i'm sure Senor Gill will show Nicky how to light 'em up....
gino
"he was lookin' for a soft shoulder, and i gave him a bony elbow..."

[Valuist]

It is a nice change of pace to hear a trainer acknowledging that small fields were bad for the game and for gamblers. Usually owners and trainers love small fields because they are more likely to collect a check.

[cj]

Lets hear if he acknowledges that drugging horses is bad for the game as well...somehow I don't think I'll hold my breath waiting for that one.

[so.cal.fan]

Damn, this ruins my day.
Nick is a good trainer.......I will miss him, so will So. Cal. racing.
Can't say that I blame him for leaving.....good luck, Nick.

[Valuist]

CJ-

Like it or not, drugs are a part of the game; legal and illegal. We all have our own suspicions who we think are juicing. I caught Shuman horses at good prices a number of times at GP this year and I'm not about to give that money back. And Shuman certainly is far from being the only violator....

[Tuffmug]

I'm starting to think that drugs are overhyped as a reason for sudden form reversals and certain trainers being hot. If it were just drugs then any trainer with money could "buy" a race from an accomodating vet.
Jeff Mullins was put on the rack recently for a big form reversal of a horse in Ca. He explained that the reversal came about because he treated the horse for worms and fixed it's teeth. Maybe it really is GOOD HORSEMANSHIP and not GOOD DRUGS that is the difference

I also suspect that the better trainers FEED their horses BETTER. All hay is not alike and perhaps the better trainers get better feed for their horses. An old trainer and breeder friend of mine told me that alfalfa is like jet fuel for horses compared to other types of hay that are like low test gas. Do the better trainers feed thieir horses better alfalfa? Got the idea about this last year when Baffert was up on charges of morphine positive for some of his horses. Baffert at inquiry revealed that the field of the farmer he "contracted" to supply him with his alfalfa was found to be cotaminated with poppies. In other words, Bob takes special care to get good feed for his horses!

Suspect the 5%er type trainers just take what they can get and don't go around contracting a farmer to grow it for them. Their horses may run poorer because they are running on poor fuel!

Willing to give Gill and Shuman the benefit of the doubt. One thing sure though is that I'll bet them because they are a high percentage outfit

[Valuist]

Back in the early 90s, Noel Hickey had an insane winning % at Arlington. He won with around 50% of his turf starters. We heard the stories how he learned everything in County Cork, and it was "good ole Irish horsemanship". Then he gets nailed for 6 positives and basically falls off the face of the earth. He's still training, winning at around 10%.

Remember back to 1996 when Frank Passero won 15 races in a row at GP? Where is he now? Winning at a single digit rate in Canada. Marco Salazar was another trainer who had incredible form turnarounds when he would claim. Then he disappeared for several years. A week ago, he finally won his 1st race of the year with his 25th starter. Its amazing what happens when the playing field gets leveled.

In Beyer's article today, I think his point is the public perception is often very slow to adapt to reality. If a 40% win trainer gets in trouble, expect him to come back to the 10% crowd. It does seem like everyone focuses on Shuman and Mullins really hasn't gotten the scrutiny he deserves. And probably toss Cole Norman's name in there also.