Canadian Trainer Mike DePaulo Saddles 1000th Winner

Zilli Racing Stables’ Pop Rox collared longshot pacesetter Magala in mid-stretch and turned back a bid from 4-5 favourite R Wins Aren’t Luck to capture Race 6 at Gulfstream Park on March 21 and give trainer Michael DePaulo his 1,000th career victory.

Ridden by seven-pound apprentice Micah Husbands, Pop Rox ($40.60) covered 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.39 over a fast main track to win the claiming event for three-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length.

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Primarily based at Woodbine with a winter base at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, DePaulo had to wait a bit for the milestone, as he was at 999 wins since last fall. He had three seconds and a third from his first 22 starters before registering his first win of the 2024-2025 Championship Meet.

“This last one has taken forever. It’s just nice to get it done,” said DePaulo, who was joined in the winner’s circle by son Joseph, who works for his father. DePaulo’s wife and assistant Josie is already setting up the Woodbine stable for the 2025 season. “This is a good owner, and I’m just happy to win anytime.”

Other Woodbine-based trainers to hit the 1,000 win milestone include Reade Baker (1119) and Josie Carroll (1025). Roger Attfield has 2,031 wins, Bob Tiller is at 2,143 and from the early days, Frank Merrill recorded 3,974 victories.

Indeed, owner Rob Marzilli, also from Ontario, has been with DePaulo for a decade, getting into racing through the trainer. One of the first horses Marzilli owned was Caren, a Society’s Chairman filly whom DePaulo bought at a Kentucky yearling sale in 2014 for $45,000 US. Caren went on to be the 2016 Horse of the Year and Champion three-year-old filly in Canada. She earned over $800,000.

Pop Rox is an Ontario-bred by Munnings, bred by Howard Walton, who was unplaced in three races last year for a different trainer. DePaulo had started her three times at Gulfstream and dropped her sharply in class and added blinkers on Friday to $12,500 claiming.

“She broke good and the jock gave her a good ride,” DePaulo said. “We were expecting to come from a little off of it, and that’s just what happened.”

The personable DePaulo was born in Toronto and got his racetrack start as a hotwalker at age 19. Three years later, after working for such trainers as Jerry Meyer, Bill Marko and Joe Attard, he took out his trainer’s license. He ran third with his first horse, Lady Ange, May 17, 1986 at Woodbine, scoring his first win with Stunning Sable at Greenwood April 15, 1987.

Over his career DePaulo has trained two millionaires – Pender Harbour and Krz Ruckus. Seven-time graded-stakes placed Pender Harbour won 10 stakes including two-thirds of Canada’s Triple Crown, the Prince of Wales and Breeders’ Stakes, earning the Sovereign Award as champion three-year-old of 2011. Grade 3-placed Krz Ruckus won 17 races, including eight stakes.

Other top horses include 2006 Prince of Wales winner Shillelagh Slew; Grade 3 winner Noholdingbackbear, Canada’s champion sprinter of 2016; and Grade 2 winner Passion for Action.

“We’ve had some good horses along the way. We had a Horse of the Year and been fortunate to win some big races,” DePaulo said. “They all count. Everybody works hard. I’m just happy to get here.”