Angel Penna Jr.

2009 Record: (80-23-7-10)

2009 Earnings: $1,164,215

2009 Win %: 28% In-The-Money %: 50%

Born: June 27, 1948 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Residence: Manhasset, N.Y.
Family: Single
Racing Background: Comes from a family with a rich tradition in racing. His late father, Hall of Fame trainer Angel Penna Sr., conditioned more than 250 stakes winners, including 1974 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Allez France, the first filly to top $1 million in earnings, and U.S. stars Private Account, Time for a Change and Bold Reason ... His uncle and both grandfathers also were trainers ... Penna Jr. began his career as trainer in Spain in 1975, winning with his first two starters. Was Spain's leading trainer 1977 and 1978 and conditioned three national champions in that country, including El Signor, Spain’s Horse of the Year in 1977 and 1978
Racing Career: Moved to the United States in 1980 and within two years, became the trainer of champions on two continents as he won an Eclipse Award with Christmas Past, the champion 3-year-old filly of 1982. Christmas Past won the Coaching Club American Oaks, Ruffian and Monmouth Oaks in 1982 and then beat males in the Gulfstream Park Handicap the following year ... Also earned an Eclipse Award with Laugh And Be Merry, the nation’s top female turf horse in 1990 ... Trained A Phenomenon, winner of the Jim Dandy, Jerome and Vosburgh in 1983. A Phenomenon was buried at Clare Court on the backside of Saratoga Race Course after he was euthanized due to injuries suffered in the Forego. A Saratoga stakes was named in honor of A Phenomenon from 1985-1999 and is now known as the Alfred G. Vanderbilt ... Penna won eight straight turf races in 1995 with the New York state-bred Perfect Arc, highlighted by a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. A division of Aqueduct’s New York Stallion Series is named after her . . . In 2009, Penna sent out Diamondrella to defeat Eclipse Award-winner Forever Together in the G1 Just A Game at Belmont Park ... The Just A Game marked the sixth straight win for Diamondrella, who won the Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland earlier in the year ... Following a sixth-place finish in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes in September, Castletop Stables sold Diamondrella to International Equine Acquisitions Holdings, Inc. (IEAH) and Michael Iavarone, who retained Penna as the mare’s trainer ... In her first start for her new owners, Diamondrella once again defeated the reigning female turf champion in Keeneland's G1 First Lady Stakes in October ... Penna’s lone appearance in the Breeders’ Cup came in 2007, when he sent out Shamdinan to finish second in the Turf and Remarkable News, who was seventh in the Mile . . . Remarkable News numbered victories in the Fourstardave, Dixie, Firecracker and Connaught Cup among his nine career wins . . . . Perhaps the fastest horses trained by Penna was Mr. Light, who set a world record of 1:31.41 for a mile on the turf in a Jan. 3, 2005 allowance race at Gulfstream Park . . . That records still stands as of early October 2009 . . . Mr. Light also won the Appleton and Poker handicaps ... Penna’s other multiple stakes winners include Auntie Mame, Draw Shot and Poolesta
Breeding/Racing Operation: Operates a 26-horse stable with Lazy F Ranch, Castletop Stables, Martin Schwartz and IEAH as his main owners . . . He spends most of the year in New York, but races in Florida during the winter . . . “I have to spend the winter in Florida, 90 percent of my horses run on the turf,” he said.