Horse named Verrazano’s winnings donated to Sandy victims

The three-year-old thoroughbred horse named Verrazano didn’t win the Kentucky Derby, but for sure won first place in the hearts of Hurricane Sandy victims.

Verrazano’s owners, Bryan Sullivan of Let’s Go Stables in partnership with Ashford Stud, pledged 1.5 percent of the horse’s winnings at the Haskell International, which took place on July 28, to go to the Foundation to Save the Jersey Shore. A total of $9,000, plus a small personal donation from the owners that was pledged before the race, will go to victims of Sandy.

Verrazano stole some hearts when he was poised to win the Kentucky Derby in May. Sullivan’s partner at Let’s Go Stables, Kevin Scatuorchio, named the horse after being inspired by the Verrazano Bridge. He regularly passed underneath it as he commuted from Lower Manhattan to his home in Red Bank, New Jersey on the ferry.

Scatuorchio’s girlfriend at the time, who is now his wife, also made a special painting of the Verrazano for him. When this paper spoke with him back in April, he said that the bridge was a “symbolic, iconic type of symbol.”

Now, many more families can benefit from Verrazano’s success.

“In the eight months following Superstorm Sandy, Save the Jersey Shore has done an exceptional job bringing in the needed resources and aid in efforts to revitalize devastated communities affected by Sandy,” said Sullivan. ““We’re hoping a gesture such as this will allow Save the Jersey Shore to assume a higher profile in the region’s recovery, as they strengthen their leadership role and continue to help those in need in the aftermath of Sandy.”

Warren Diamond, co-founder of Save the Jersey Shore, added, “A lot of people felt Verrazano was the best three-year-old in the country, so you can imagine how excited we were when Bryan told us about his plans for the Haskell,” he said. “There were some big smiles at the foundation when he galloped across the finish line. That money is going right to work for people who desperately need it.”