Capuano barn nominates 3 to Withers
Press Release
January 19, 2026
Trainer Gary Capuano said he has nominated a trio of horses in Hollywood Import, Let’s Go Lando and Wild Warrior to the Listed $200,000 Withers on January 31 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The nine-furlong route for sophomores offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.
“I’ve got three nominated, and I’m thinking about sending one or two. I’m not sure yet, so I’ll see how things go this week,” Capuano said.
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Pocket 3’s Racing’s Hollywood Import, a Kentucky-bred Honor A. P. colt, was last seen posting a pacesetting 1 3/4-length score over favored stablemate Probably Dreaming, who was bumped at break and closed late along the rail, in the seven-furlong Heft on December 27 at Laurel Park.
“He’s starting to fill out a little more and mature and is putting things together,” said Capuano. “He’s still got a little more maturing to do, but right now, he’s on the right track.”
Hollywood Import would face his farthest test to date in the Withers, and Capuano has worked the colt twice going one mile over the Laurel Park main track, including in 1:45.80 on Friday. On January 9, he worked the same distance in 1:43.40.
“I worked him a week or so ago and he wouldn’t relax. He was a little bit too keen and didn’t finish up too well,” Capuano said. “The other day, he worked and relaxed a lot more and finished up a lot stronger. I was pleased with that.”
Hollywood Import, out of the Curlin mare Baby Zito, is a half-brother to Big Stretch, who captured the one-mile Escape Clause in 2023 at Assiniboia Downs. Hollywood Import was purchased for $50,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Paul Fowler, Jr.’s Probably Dreaming was in tight down the backstretch and shuffled back to last-of-6 into the turn before making his late charge. The Improbable sophomore colt won his first three starts, including scores at Delaware Park in the restricted six-furlong First State Dash on September 14 and the Rocky Run contested at a two-turn mile on October 11.
The chestnut entered the Heft from a runner-up effort in the Listed Nashua on November 1 here when 3 1/2-lengths back of My World, who exited that effort to win the local Jerome and is now targeting the Group 3 Saudi Derby.
Capuano said Probably Dreaming was recently sold privately and is no longer in his barn.
Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds and Non Stop Stable’s Maryland-bred Let’s Go Lando could make his stakes debut from a six-length romp in a one-mile optional-claimer contested over sloppy and sealed footing on January 10 at Laurel Park.
The Game Winner gelding boasts an 8-2-2-2 record for purse earnings of $94,950.
Capuano said the bay has turned a corner since being gelded late last summer and stretched out to one mile and beyond after making his first four starts at sprint distances.
“As soon as we gelded him and got him stretched out to two turns, he had a good second and then came back and won,” Capuano said. “The one-turn mile last out, he ran a really good race and finished up strong. It might be a little quick back for him, but we’ll see.”
Let’s Go Lando, a half-brother to stakes-winners It’s Hammertime and Shackled Love, is out of the stakes-winning Not For Love mare Steady N Love – a half-sister to multiple stakes-winners Malibu Beauty, Just Philtored, and Steady Warrior. All of the aforementioned family raced in the care of Capuano for a period of time.
Rose Petal Stable’s Wild Warrior sports a perfect 4-2-0-2 in-the-money record and arrives from a key 1 1 1/6-mile optional-claiming route on December 14 at Laurel that featured next-out winners in runner-up Bala de Plata and the aforementioned Let’s Go Lando.
“He’s been training really good since early last year,” Capuano said. “He’s not real fast early and he’s just a real steady horse, so we stretched him out from the start. He had a nice race last out and everything is coming together with him.”
The $25,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase is out of the winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Inaweofnooneatall – a half-sister to dual graded-stakes winner Bel Air Beauty.
Capuano indicated that Eagle Up Stables, London Reid Thoroughbreds and Non Stop Stable’s stakes-winner It’s Hammertime, a 4-year-old Maryland-bred Vekoma colt, is in training with no current spot picked out as of yet.
The dual stakes-winner was last seen winning an optional-claimer in April at Laurel. It’s Hammertime posted back-to-back bullet works last month, including a half-mile from the gate in 47.40 on December 30 in his last reported breeze.
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