John J. "Butch" Lenzini Jr. (January 10, 1947 - November 13, 1996) was an American horse trainer in Thoroughbred flat racing best known for winning the 1982 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.
| John Lenzini Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Horse trainer |
| Born | January 10, 1947 Weymouth, Massachusetts United States |
| Died | November 15, 1996 (aged 49) |
| Career wins | Not found |
| Major racing wins | |
| Laurel Futurity (1976) Remsen Stakes (1976) Bahamas Stakes (1982) Jersey Derby (1982) Withers Stakes (1982, 1988) Gotham Stakes (1985) Wood Memorial Stakes (1985) Hill Prince Stakes (1987) Paumonok Handicap (1987) Comely Stakes (1988) Distaff Handicap (1989) Westchester Handicap (1990) Toboggan Handicap (1992, 1995) Sport Page Handicap (1993)
U.S. Triple Crown series: | |
| Significant horses | |
| Royal Ski, Aloma's Ruler, Eternal Prince Avie's Gal, Best by Test, Once Wild, Boom Towner | |
Nicknamed "Butch," he was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, but raised in Rhode Island. His father, John Sr., was a trainer who worked at racetracks on the East Coast of the United States. Following in his father's footsteps, Lenzini Jr. earned his first win as a professional trainer in 1969 at Narragansett Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
After relocating to race at tracks in Maryland, he was hired by Boston Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers to trainer his horses, the best of which would be Grade 1 winner Royal Ski.[1]
Lenzini's association with Baltimore builder Nathan Scherr brought him his greatest success in racing in 1982. As the trainer for Scherr's colt, Aloma's Ruler, in January he won the Bahamas Stakes at Hialeah Park Race Track, the May 8th Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, then the biggest win of his career, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. In July, Aloma's Ruler won the Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park but came out of a second-place finish in the August 21st Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course with an ankle injury that ended his career.
In 1984, John Lenzini Jr. moved his training operation to New York where he was the trainer for Brian J. Hurst and partners good runner, Eternal Prince. The colt won the 1985 Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes and was third in the Preakness Stakes.
John Lenzini Jr. died at age forty-nine on November 13, 1996, at his home at Woodbury, Long Island, New York.
References
edit- ^ "Royal Ski". Equibase Co. LLC. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2021-12-17.