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Trainer George Weaver notches career win No. 1,000 in North America

by Christian Abdo

Trainer George Weaver earned his 1000th career victory in North America on Saturday with Beautiful Thief in Race 12, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf maiden for New York-bred fillies and mares ages 3-and-up, at Saratoga Race Course.

“It feels good. It took a lot of years to get here, we’ve been working hard for many, many years,” said Weaver. “You don’t really think about these things until they happen. There was a little gap, it took us a couple weeks, we had some live horses run and just didn’t get there. I knew it was going to come and was hoping it would happen here at such a special place.”

It was a clean race for Beautiful Thief, breaking sharply under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano and stalking the pace. In the turn, the Dialed In sophomore had some work to do, but she surged to the front and won comfortably 1 1/2 lengths over Long Legged Queen in a final time of 1:03.80.

In victory, Beautiful Thief graduated in her second outing, following a fourth under Castellano on June 6 here during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

“I think the first time I rode the horse I overdid it a little bit. She's a speed horse but I put her in front with speed fractions of 21 and 44 and, my filly, she got tired,” Castellano said. “I learned from that mistake and today I put it together and we were successful to win it.”

Weaver, 53, gained experience under conditioner John Hennig and active-Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas and Todd Pletcher, before going out on his own in 2002. Since recording his first win with First Spear on December 5, 2002, at Calder, Weaver has conditioned multiple graded stakes winners, including dual Grade 1-winner Vekoma, who won the Carter Handicap and Metropolitan Handicap in 2020.

“The horse was a special horse. He showed it to us from Day One. He has a beautiful pedigree and it is hard to tell which horses will make good stallions but I always believed in him,” said Weaver of the exciting first crop stallion. “To see it coming true is special.”

Other signature graded wins on the NYRA-circuit include the Grade 1 Prioress [2013] with Lighthouse Bay, and in 2004 when capturing the Grade 3 Poker Handicap with Christine’s Outlaw and the Grade 3 Gotham with Saratoga County who went on to win the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen one year later. Last year, Weaver took the Grade 2 Ruffian [2023] when Pass the Champagne bested subsequent Champion Older Dirt Mare Idiomatic.

Weaver said Vekoma and Saratoga County stand out among his good memories.

“There’s been a lot of them, but obviously Saratoga County and Vekoma put us on the map,” said Weaver. “We’ve had a lot of nice horses to work with and nice owners that gave them to us. It is a list I can’t do justice.”

Weaver notably also saddled Point of Honor to win the 2019 Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico Race Course ahead of Grade 1 placings in the Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama, Apple Blossom, Ogden Phipps, and Personal Ensign.

Castellano said he enjoyed often being along for the ride.

“We've had a long relationship and been a part of so many horses together. Ones that come to my mind right now are Saratoga County, who was an international Grade 1-winner in the Golden Shaheen Dubai. We've celebrated a lot together. From Vekoma who gave us a lot of wins, to the Black-Eyed Susan with Point of Honor,” said Castellano.

Castellano gave credit to the Weaver family as well.

“He's such a great horseman and Cindy, his wife, deserves a lot of credit because she's a big part of winning these 1,000 races. His family works hard, are good horsemen and good people,” said Castellano. “They put a lot of time and effort in this game and it's good to see a guy like him win his 1,000th race.”

According to Equibase, 2023 was Weaver’s career-high in terms of annual earnings with over $4.7 million, led by a trio of stakes scores in the Empire State for Today’s Flavor, including the Affirmed Success, Belmont Turf Sprint, and NYSSS Thunder Rumble. The Weaver-conditioned Sacred Wish captured the Listed Winter Memories and Amidst Waves added the Listed Bolton Landing, representing second and third on his top earners in 2023, respectively.

His esteemed resume features additional graded stakes wins with Main Event, [2023 G2 Ft. Lauderdale, 2022 G3 Kent]; Majestic Dunhill, [2020 G3 Bold Ruler]; Vekoma [2019 G2 Blue Grass, 2018 G3 Nashua]; Daddy Is a Legend [2018 G3 Lake George, 2017 G3 Jimmy Durante]; Isotherm [2017 G2 San Marcos, 2015 G3 Pilgrim]; Falling Sky [2014 G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint]; Together Indy [2010 G2 Commonwealth]; Tizahit [2009 G2 Demoiselle]; Devil’s Preacher [2006 G2 W. L. McKnight]; Drum Major [2006 G3 Knickerbocker]; and Saratoga County [2005 G2 General George, G3 Mr. Prospector].

“20 something years to get to that 1000, that’s a lot of early mornings,” Weaver said, with a laugh.

Born in Louisville, Ky., Weaver was introduced to racing at a young age by his father, Bill, and has stayed around the game since. He is based in New York and Florida throughout the year, but also notched a training highlight last year overseas when juvenile filly Crimson Advocate bested a field of 26 in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. The score made him the third American trainer to win a race at the royal meeting, joining Wesley Ward and Hall of Famer Mark Casse.

Weaver was quick to note his international wins would have added to his career totals.

“Technically, we won the race at Ascot and one in Dubai which didn’t count, so I’ve already passed one thousand wins. When they hold the sign up and announce it, and you look back on all the years we’ve worked so hard, and so many nice horses and owners it makes you look back [fondly],” said Weaver, with a smile.

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