Tony Alagna, A Bright Star on the Illinois Horizon
“I also learned a lot while working for the Pinske Stable,” Tony added. “I learned a lot about managing a big stable and general horsemanship. During my high school years, I had also spend time showing Morgan horses and Saddlebred show horses, and that taught me a lot about stable management and about trying to get inside a horse’s head, and find out what makes them tick on a daily basis.
When Tony was 12 he received his matinee license, but did not actually drive a horse until he was 20, while in Florida working for Pinske, when he piloted a horse at Ben White Raceway in Orlando. He then received his “P” license in 1994 and drove in his first pari-mutuel event in 1995 at Balmoral Park.
“Those summers I was able to qualify quite a few horses for the Pinske Stable,” Tony remembered. “My first pari-mutuel win came with a two-year-old filly named Lc’s Choice, who won the Reeds Beauty Stake. It was doubly special because I owned part of her and it was her maiden victory.”
“I was very fortunate to be able to get to drive and train some very nice horses while working for Brian Pinske,” Tony said. “Horses like Brets Avenger, Athena Blue Chip, Fox Valley Dynamic, Kindly Hanover, and Lady Ann Mathew were just a few that I was fortunate to be involved with. Another favorite would have to be Ice Chaser, who I drove as a two-year-old, when I had my P license, in some of her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events at Pocono Downs and at the Meadows. I drove her to her first pari-mutuel win at Hoosier Park in 1996.”
Tony’s first official win as a programmed trainer came in October of 1998, when he harnessed Lake Hills Melody for Doc and Pat Walker. The Walkers had come up with the idea of a training stable in order to complement their breeding operation, using horses that did not bring their sale reserve at the Walker’s annual sale in August.
“The training stable would serve to train colts to see if the mare was worth keeping around or not,” Tony said. “I believe that is what keeps the Walkers moving forward in the breeding business, as they are realistic about their horses. If a mare is not producing, they more her on.”
Some of the horses Tony has conditioned include Fox Valley Target, Lake Hills Ray A, Lake Hills Nan,
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