By: Chris Lomon
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He laughs at the admission, but he’s by no means embarrassed by it. What’s the one thing
Santino Di Paola appreciates the most when it comes to horse racing? “That would be everything.”
There’s really no bad time to talk horses and horse racing with the effusive 22-year-old. In fact, a text, Facebook message or email is typically answered faster than it takes to run a six-furlong race.
You want to talk racing? If Di Paola doesn’t have the time, he’ll find a way to make it.
Love for thoroughbreds and the thoroughbred scene comes naturally to the Ontario native, whose association with the sport dates back to the days when he was a wobbly-legged toddler.
“My family has been breeding and racing horses in Ontario for over 40 years,” he noted. “I grew up in the racing business. My uncle Nick trained horses in the late 70s to late 90s. He won over 150 races in his career. He has binders full of win pictures that I go through every now and then. He tells me stories about different horses and how he would train them a certain way so that they would perform their best and win their race. One thing that stuck out during one of our conversations was when my uncle Nick told me, ‘you have to think like the horse, get in their mind, and think what would make him most confident going over for his race.’ I still ask him loads of questions about racing and now that I have been involved more I have some of my own stories to share with him.”
Photo: Norm Files
These days, the number of hats Di Paola wears might only be outdone by how many you see on Queen’s Plate day.
You can count photographer, videographer, thoroughbred owner, and owner of the horse racing media site CHRTB (Canadian Horse Racing Thoroughbred) among his horse racing titles.
He’s hoping to add yet another role to his résumé in the near future.
“My dad was probably the biggest influence on me wanting to be a trainer,” noted Di Paola. “He loves this sport and dedicates so much time and energy into it. We used to live in Markham and we had a 62-acre farm about 15 minutes from our house. I can remember countless school nights waiting in the barn with dad for a mare to foal and working on the farm every weekend. We had a 5-furlong dirt track on the old farm. When I got older, we started to train some of the horses with my cousin Mike who is fearless galloping them. My real motivation behind getting my trainer’s license is more than just the love for the game. I like how challenging it is. There is nothing like it. The thrill that you get when your horse wins a race as an owner is great, but the thrill you get when the horse you look after wins a race is leaps and bounds better. It's rewarding and gives you hope that you can go on to bigger and better things down the road.”
The path to a life in racing began early.
“Most people start from the ground up in this business and so did I. I started out hotwalking the horses after they trained on the farm. We had three different barns on the old farm and the horses in training were in the “Big Barn” as we called it. After the horses trained, my brother and I would groom them off again and do them up. Just because we were training horses now didn’t mean that the rest of our work had gone away. We still had a lot of other horses to look after. At one time, my dad had up to 79 horses.”
Photo: Mr. Will Wong
Ask which horse has had the most profound effect on him and Di Paola pauses for a moment, careful to consider the many he’s been associated with over the years.
“It isn’t an easy question to answer,” he admitted. “Lots of horses have impacted my life. The one that I would have to say really had the most impact was a horse called Santino's Honour. We bought ‘Honour’ at the 2003 yearling sale. He was a little horse with a great build. The reason why he he’s been the most memorable out of all the incredible horses I have had the privilege to be around is because he was the horse that got me hooked on horse racing.”
The Ontario-bred son of Matter of Honour won three races, accompanied by seven seconds and eight thirds over 40 starts.
Most importantly, Di Paola notes, the dark bay horse brought out his passion for thoroughbred racing.
“He always tried in every race he was in,” said Di Paola. “Being able to cheer him on as he would come down the lane gave me such a thrill. Honour loved to race. Seeing how competitive he was and how much he enjoyed training got me hooked. I think it’s safe to say that he is the horse that changed my life and got me a lot more involved in the horse racing industry in Ontario.”
The two share a deep bond.
“My fondest memories of Honour away from the track are me being able to not only take care of him day to day, but to be able to ride the great horse who ran so hard,” he recalled. “It's an incredible thing to sit on a horse that you once cheered on to victory on the racetrack.”
Di Paola’s affinity for racing continues to grow.
Photo: Norm Files
From the moment the curtain closed on Woodbine’s 2016 thoroughbred campaign, he’s kept himself busy. From downloading photos, to planning new video features, there’s no such thing as an off-season in Di Paola’s world.
Not that he’s complaining.
Perhaps one day, he’ll have a Queen’s Plate starter just like his parents did. In 2010, D’s Wando went postward in Canada’s most famous horse race, a race won by Big Red Mike.
“In 2008, my family and I purchased D’s Wando,” recalled Di Paola. “Me and my three siblings owned 12.5 per cent of him and my parents the other 50 per cent. While he was racing in 2009-2010, it was the best time and we made amazing memories. We were on the Queen’s Plate Trail and there was nothing like it.
“Like (champion jockey) Emma Jayne Wilson always says, ‘I wish everyone could feel the rush of riding and winning a race.’ I agree and I think we as owners have the same rush when our own horse runs and wins. I think to truly understand the feeling of what owning a race horse gives you, is to go on out and buy one and see for yourself. Unless you feel the lows and the stress of the game, it's hard to enjoy the highs. The last thing I want to share about being an owner, and I think it's the most important, is that it brings your family together.”
But for Di Paola, it’s not just about chasing Plate dreams or finding the next Santino’s Honour. Being in a position to advocate thoroughbred racing, sharing it through his photography, and attracting others to get involved in racing are equally meaningful.
So, too, is being part of Ontario’s horse racing industry.
Photo: Mr. Will Wong
“I’m very proud to be a part of the Ontario racing scene,” said Di Paola. “I enjoy promoting the sport. I think we have some of the best racing in the world here in Canada. The history and the horses that have run here is incredible. We’ve had some of the best horses in racing end their racing career in Canada. Horses like Northern Dancer, Cigar and Secretariat have given Canadians great thrills.”
It’s a feeling Di Paola knows well.
Which is why there’s not one particular thing that stands out for him when it comes to horse racing.
For Santino Di Paola, everything counts.
Walking ring photo by Julie Wright.
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