NYRA mourns passing of renowned track photographer Bob Coglianese; Venti Valentine returns to winning ways

By Pat McKenna —-

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the passing of renowned track photographer Bob Coglianese, whose work from Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack, served as the standard of excellence in racing photography for a generation.

Coglianese, who had been ill for several months after a fall requiring surgery, died on Friday in Boynton Beach, Florida. He was 88.

As NYRA’s official track photographer for more than 50 years, Coglianese was noted for iconic images of horses from Kelso and Dr. Fager to Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar, and most of all for his iconic head-on shot of Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont Stakes, which Sports Illustrated called the greatest racing photo of the 20th century.

“Bob Coglianese was a giant in the world of racetrack photography, with his images among the best ever taken of thoroughbred racing,” said Dave O’Rourke NYRA President and CEO. “Bob combined an extraordinary work ethic with a knack for innovation and a passion for the sport. He was a master at the craft and a mentor to countless photographers working today. NYRA offers our condolences to Bob’s family and friends, and we look forward to honoring his memory in the months ahead.”

Secretariat, with jockey Ron Turcotte up, won the 1973 Belmont Stakes by an astounding 31 lengths to become racing’s ninth Triple Crown winner, and Coglianese’s memorable head-on shot captures the magnitude of what many consider to be the greatest racing performance ever. The image still crops up in books and magazine features and is commemorated in a floor-to-ceiling mural on the first floor of the Belmont Park grandstand.

As was his style, Coglianese underplayed how he happened to get the shot. “It was a big race, it was the Belmont Stakes, and there was a photo stand over there and I was on it, shooting the race,” he said in 2018. “It just so happened I got that shot.”

Coglianese earned two Eclipse Awards for excellence in racing photography, in 1972 and 1980. Modest and armed with a prodigious memory for racing, Coglianese in retirement was found most summers at Saratoga Race Course, where fans purchasing one of his prints would get his recollections of the particular horse, jockey or race pictured.

Coglianese was part of NYRA’s small and elite fraternity of official photographers with roots going back more than than a century. In 1952, while in his teens, he went to work at the New York tracks, assisting his uncle, Mike Sirico, who had been a NYRA photographer since 1920. Sirico had been brought into the game as an apprentice to famed Charles C. [C.C.] Cook, whose New York track photos date to the very first years of the 20th century.

In 1955, Sirico took over as NYRA’s official photographer. Coglianese assumed the role in 1962, and was succeeded by his son, Adam, who holds the position today. Along the way, Bob Coglianese’s pictures became memorable not just for all the famous horses and races he covered from Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course as well as Gulfstream Park in the winter, but sometimes as historical documents that demonstrate how racing has evolved.

On March 14, 1969 at Aqueduct, Coglianese was on hand to record Barbara Jo Rubin’s victory aboard Bravy Galaxy, which made her the first female jockey to win a race in New York. And he was also there during the post parade where, as Rubin recalled a few years ago, people were yelling at her to give up racing and go home. He was also there afterwards when Rubin was warmly congratulated by future Hall of Famer Angel Cordero; the photo of the two of them appeared in newspapers around the country and signaled an acceptance of Rubin in New York that had eluded her elsewhere.

Coglianese is survived by his wife Rosalind, son Adam, grandson Ethan and daughter-in-law Tia Sozzi.

In lieu of flowers, the Coglianese family asks the horse racing community to kindly consider a donation to the Belmont Child Care Association, the Backstretch Employee Service Team or the New York Race Track Chaplaincy.

These non-profit organizations provide a host of services and support to the backstretch community in New York, and Bob valued their collective mission deeply.

Venti Valentine returns to winning ways in $100K Bay Ridge

By Ryan Martin

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ Venti Valentine closed the curtain on her sophomore campaign with a redeeming victory in the $100,000 Bay Ridge for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The victory showed a return to winning form for the Jorge Abreu-trained Firing Line sophomore, who had not earned a trip to the winner’s circle since capturing her 2022 debut in the open company Busher Invitational on March 5 at the Big A.

She arrived at the Bay Ridge off a troubled sixth under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the 6 1/2-furlong Iroquois on October 30 at Belmont at the Big A, where she was bumped at the break and lacked racing room to launch an effective bid. Venti Valentine was in the clear the whole way this time around, securing fourth position to the outside of runners and took control in mid-stretch to win by 3 3/4-lengths under Dylan Davis.

“I think last time she got into a lot of trouble in the inside. Irad told me she didn’t have anywhere to go, but he had plenty of horse in the gallop out,” Abreu said.

Breaking from post 5, Venti Valentine sat two lengths off Mashnee Girl’s early foot through an opening quarter-mile in 23.24 seconds over the muddy and sealed main track with Empire Distaff victress Let Her Inspire U in second to the outside of Know It All Audrey.

Venti Valentine advanced into third position through a 46.94 half-mile with Mashnee Girl still to catch. While Jose Lezcano began to get busy aboard Let Her Inspire U, Davis followed the post-time favorite and began coaxing his charge for more. As Mashnee Girl dropped out of contention, Know It All Audrey maintained her rail-skimming position and found herself on the front end and battled with Venti Valentine in the stretch. But Venti Valentine proved her superiority, pulling away from Know It All Audrey passing the eighth pole and completing the mile in 1:39.19.

Know It All Audrey finished 6 3/4 lengths ahead of Spungie, who earned black type for the second straight race. Let Her Inspire U, Mashnee Girl and Fight On Lucy completed the order of finish.

Venti Valentine, last year’s New York-bred Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, earned her third career stakes triumph in the Bay Ridge, adding to a resume that includes a win in last year’s Maid of the Mist at Belmont Park as well as a narrow runner-up finish to Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle last December at the Big A.

Banking $55,000 in victory, Venti Valentine now boasts $524,250 in earnings through a 10-4-2-1 record. She returned $6.90 for a $2 win wager.

Davis, who guided Venti Valentine through a half-mile move in 48.65 seconds last Saturday over the Belmont training track, said he was comfortable the whole way around.

“I was really impressed with her and happy to be able to ride her today. I wanted to break well and get her in a good spot,” Davis said. “I thought we’d be stalking and she was very comfortable for me, and handling the track well. She was waiting on cue and she was really quiet for me. She’s a textbook filly and does whatever you want her to do. We got to the stretch, and she was there for me. That wasn’t 100 percent – if she had a challenger, you would have seen a lot more from her, but I was just taking care of her that last sixteenth.”

Abreu said he was equally as pleased to see things work out in the filly’s favor.

“Everything worked out great today. Being in the outside post [helped], too. I don’t think she likes being on the inside,” Abreu said. “I felt pretty comfortable turning for home and Dylan was just sitting there. He had plenty of horse and everything played out good.”

Venti Valentine was a close second in the Grade 3 Gazelle here in April following the Busher, prompting her connections to try the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs, where she finished last-of-14. Following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Mother Goose in June at Belmont, Venti Valentine was rerouted to state-bred company and finished a distant third in the nine-furlong Fleet Indian on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course before the Iroquois.

Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, acknowledged the somewhat frustrating campaign this year.

“It’s been a little rough patch with her and it took her a little while to rebound out of the Oaks,” Zanatta said. “She had heat stroke after the Mother Goose. We kind of figured out she wasn’t a two-turn horse after the Fleet Indian, and the Iroquois was a little too short for her. I think a lot of the success today was because of the one-mile, one-turn configuration. I think that’s really what she wants to do. She’s been training well and it all worked out.”

Venti Valentine, bred by NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stables, is a half-sister to multiple New York-bred stakes winner Espresso Shot, who also was owned and co-bred by NY Final Furlong. Both are out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold, who was purchased by NY Final Furlong when she was in foal with Venti Valentine.

“The best part of today is the breeders’ awards we’ll get from it. Being the breeder of a stakes horse always makes it extra meaningful,” Zanatta said. “We still have the mare and she’s in foal to Munnings and will go back to Uncle Mo next year. We’re really supporting her and we have a lot of progeny we’re waiting for. The New York breeding program is great, and we’ve invested a lot of money into the breeding program, not just the racing program. We’re big supporters of it.”

Abreu, who also trained Espresso Shot, said an affinity for the Big A appears to run in the family.

“A one-turn mile or seven-eighths is her gig, especially here. She’s just like her sister – she loves Aqueduct,” Abreu said.

Venti Valentine will leave on Tuesday for Ocala, Florida, where she is scheduled to get 60 days of rest before preparing for her 4-year-old season. Zanatta mentioned the possibility of targeting the Big Apple Showcase Day, typically run on Memorial Day weekend in May.

“I think that’s what we’ll target and start off on next year. Maybe the Belmont showcase day will be good timing for her once she gets a break and comes back. We’ll let her tell us next year,” Zanatta said.

Live racing returns on Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.