Horse Racing

‘Classy Gentleman’, Coach Angel Penna Jr. passed away


Angel Penna Jr., who coached 54 classified bet winners in North America, including dozens at the highest stakes levels, passed away on Nov. announced. He was 74.

Battling dementia, Penna died in her sleep at a memory care facility near her home in Boca Raton, Fla., according to Thoroughbred Daily News.

Penna, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has won 586 races from 3,370 starts in North America, and his runners have made more than $24 million in their careers in the United States starting in 1980 and continued until 2021. His last start was Only time who finished third in a race for first place at Gulfstream Park in November of last year.

Although Penna trained in Florida in recent years, his stables were successful throughout North America, especially during his peak years from 1981-2011. During that time, he won tier 1 races with top performers like Christmas Past, A Phenomenon, Cool, Silver Voice, Laugh and Be Merry, Nine Keys, Perfect Arc, Auntie Mame and Diamondrella. Cynthia Phipps’ Christmas Past and Pin Oak Farm’s Laugh and Be Merry were named winners.

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Penna has proven her ability to win top-level races on grass or dirt, participating in prestigious main road races such as the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and events grass races like Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) and Invitation Handicap on Flower Bowl (G1T).

Penna grew up racing, the son of coach Angel Penna Sr. Allez France (1974). He died of cancer in 1992.

Originally an assistant to his father, young Penna began training in the US in 1980. The pitch diary says he began training abroad in 1975 in Spain, winning the first time. first started there and topped Spain’s training stats in 1977 and 1978.

Coach Luis Carvajal Jr. became the gymnast for younger Penna in the US in the 1990s, galloping the winners of the classified bets Via Borghese, Auntie Mame and Nine Keys, among others. Penna remained a mentor to Carvajal after he started training.

“He was like a father,” said Carvajal. “I’ve got a good horse, royal hint and any time I have a question, he helps me.”

Carvajal said Penna helped him secure the paperwork to work in the US during his younger years.

“He’s a classy gentleman,” he said.

Thoroughbred Daily News reports Penna is survived by his wife, Ruth, and stepmother, Elinor Penna.

Respect for Penna was shown on social media within hours of his passing, with radio station Steve Byk tweeting that Penna was “a perfect gentleman and a polished horseman. All in all. Those who know him will miss him dearly. Many thanks to Ruth and Elinor.”

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