Who is in the barn
About 15 head, split between the Kentucky circuit and South Florida in winter. Golden Afternoon is the best of them, and he is not the whole barn.
The current string
Every one of them runs in these colours.
Golden Afternoon
A millionaire racehorse, and the horse Nick's career has been built on — his first starter, his first winner, and the horse who made him a stakes-winning and Grade 1-placed trainer inside his first season.
Military Cruiser
Broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in November 2025.
Trouble Time
Broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in September 2025.
Sweet Dani Boy
Won at Gulfstream Park in January 2026.
Liam's Song
Won at Gulfstream Park in January 2026.
Intuitive Wisdom
Won an allowance at Churchill Downs, Tyler Gaffalione up.
Also in the barn
In training, and yet to post a result worth writing up. They get a line here the day they earn one.
- Mo's Little Darlin
- Velvet Crown
- George of Will
No longer in the barnZapata
Every verified start
Golden AfternoonKentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2T)
Kentucky Downs
Rallied for second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In — and became a millionaire in the process.
2ndIntuitive WisdomAllowance
Churchill Downs · Tyler Gaffalione
1st- 1st
Sweet Dani BoyMaiden Claiming
Gulfstream Park
1stLiam's SongMaiden Claiming
Gulfstream Park
1stMilitary CruiserMaiden Special Weight
Churchill Downs
1stTrouble TimeMaiden
Churchill Downs
1stGolden AfternoonFranklin-Simpson Stakes (G1T)
Kentucky Downs
Beaten a neck in a Grade 1, eight months after Nick took the licence in his own name. Worth a $400,000 payday.
2ndGolden AfternoonTom Ridge Stakes
Presque Isle Downs · 6 furlongs · Irad Ortiz Jr.
Won by 2 1/4 lengths — Nick's first career win and first stakes win, from his 12th starter.
1stGolden AfternoonLecomte Stakes (G3)
Fair Grounds
Nick's first starter as a licensed trainer. Beaten 2 1/2 lengths.
4th
Every start above is verified against a published source. It is not the whole career — the record stood at 32 starts as of 27 FEB 2026, and the always-current, authoritative version is the official profile. Check it there.
The horses that got him here
These are not Nick’s horses and he has never claimed them. They are his family’s, and they are the reason he does this at all — so they belong on the site, clearly labelled as what they are.
Little Mike
The horse that set the course. A four-time Grade 1 winner who took the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf, campaigned by the Vaccarezza family when Nick was a boy.
Campaigned by the Vaccarezza family. Trained by Dale Romans.
Jackie's Warrior
A champion sprinter bred by the family operation before being sold.
Bred by the Vaccarezza family's J & J Stables.
Sweet Dani Girl
A stakes winner Nick co-owned and was around every day.
Co-owned by Nick with J & J Stables. Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza.
Uncle Jake
A stakes-placed runner for the family operation.
Trained by Carlo Vaccarezza. Vaccarezza Racing consigned him as agent.
There is room in this barn.
15 head is a number Nick chose. It is small enough that he sets every horse’s work himself and you deal with him rather than with an assistant — and it has room in it, which is the whole reason this page is public.