Sole Volante:
Karakontie—Light Blow, by Kingmambo
Owner: Andie Biancone and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Breeder: Flaxman Holdings (KY)
Trainer: Patrick Biancone
Jockey: Luca Panici
Horse Racing – Photo Credit: Jordan Thomson
This colt is from the first crop of Japanese-bred Karakontie, who won multiple group 1 races in France before finishing up his career with a victory in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. Trainer Biancone paid $20,000 for Sole Volante as an Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2-year-old in training 14 months ago and he previously sold for just $5,000 as a Keeneland yearling the previous September. His is currently his sire’s most successful offspring, having earned more than $160,000 more than Karakontie’s second most successful runner.
Sole Volante means “flying sun” in Italian.
Belmont Stakes 2020
Sole Volane is Andie Biancone’s first Belmont Stakes starter though Reeves Thoroughbreds sent out Mucho Macho Man (in partnership with Dream Team One) to a seventh-place finish in 2011. Andie Biancone is the trainer’s daughter.
Trainer Patrick Biancone has saddled two previous Belmont Stakes starters: Le Voyageur was third in 1989 and Chekhov was sixth in 2005.
“He’s very talented,” Biancone said. “He’s been very good for us and trains his best all the time. We’ll see how good he is Saturday. No question, Tiz the Law is the horse to beat, but (Sole Volante) totally (deserves) this opportunity.”
Luca Panici will ride his first Belmont Stakes starter.
** The 152nd Belmont Stakes will be held this Saturday, June 20, and for the first time will be the anchor leg to the Triple Crown. This year the race will be contested at 1 1/8 miles, three furlongs shorter than the traditional Belmont Stakes distance of 1 ½ miles. The weather in New York on Saturday is expected to be warm and possibly even wet with afternoon thunderstorms likely. The day’s high temperature will reach into the lower 80s. First post at Belmont Park is 11:45 p.m. ET and the Belmont Stakes field will break from the gate at 5: 42 p.m. ET.
Miriam Lee has always been a horse racing fan thanks to trips to the tracks in her home state of Maryland with her father as kid. She owns an OTTB and is an advocate for promoting the sport among her peers. Miriam studies communication arts at Hood College and will receive her master’s degree in 2021, which she plans to use for a career in screenwriting.
