Two Goals, One Heartache for St. Elias Stable's Viola

Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable spent June 6 at Saratoga Race Course celebrating two grade 1 victories as co-owner of both Manhattan Stakes (G1T) winner Deterministic and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo. But he dedicated his success to someone he had lost—lifelong friend Dominic DiPrisco, who died just days earlier from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Throughout the day, his thoughts returned to his late friend. "We grew up on the same block since we were 4 years old and went through school, spent our whole lives, and shared our family lives together," Viola said during the Belmont Stakes press conference. "I said my prayers this morning, I asked Dominic to help with the horse, in which I knew he would, and he will be deeply, deeply missed." Golden Tempo's talent, combined with riding from Jose Ortiz and training from Cherie DeVaux, further propelled the connections to success Saturday in the Belmont, just as they had in the Kentucky Derby (G1) five weeks earlier at Churchill Downs. Once again, Viola, his wife Teresa, and co-owners Ogden Phipps II and Daisy Phipps-Pulito of Phipps Stable were hoisting a winner's trophy amid cheers from the public. "It's just as big as the Stanley Cup," one observer shouted to Viola as he raised the August Belmont Trophy. Not quite. Viola would know, having twice held that iconic trophy as owner of the Florida Panthers, back-to-back Stanley Cup champions in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Later, while walking hand in hand with Teresa to the Belmont Stakes press conference area, fans—presumably hockey enthusiasts—stopped to congratulate the billionaire owner and shake his hand. Reflecting on his first Belmont Stakes victory and the support he received from those in the Saratoga crowd, Viola said, "It's so heartwarming, because in the first place, Teresa and I are fans. We started as fans, so to be able to share our happiness and see it reflected in their faces... when they congratulate us, we feel like we want to congratulate them just as much, if not more, for rooting for us." Viola is equally appreciative of his partners at Phipps Stable, who captured their second Belmont victory after Easy Goer's triumph in 1989, as well as the advisers who help guide the St. Elias operation. He views the stable's accomplishments as a collaborative effort. Ortiz wore the green and white silks of St. Elias Stable Saturday after donning the black and red colors of Phipps Stable in the Derby. He is a homebred for the two partners. "So we try to always remember that we've been very blessed with good fortune, and we've always been lucky to be around really top-notch people, really the best of the best in our organizations... people like Cherie, like Monique Delk, who runs the whole stable, and John Sparkman, who runs all of our matings," he said. "You don't forget that it's really a team." A separate ownership group struck with St. Elias about an hour before the Belmont with Deterministic, who scored a repeat victory in the $1 million Manhattan Stakes for trainer Miguel Clement and ownership partners Vicarage Stable, Ken Langone, and Steven Duncker. The 5-year-old is in the midst of a five-race graded stakes winning streak. But it is the two victories Golden Tempo has strung together this spring—first in the Derby and then in the Belmont—that have thrust the Violas most prominently into the spotlight. Their late-running Curlin colt, who sat out the May 16 Preakness Stakes (G1), is now the undisputed leader of the 3-year-old division. "It's been an overwhelming day, but I give all the credit to Cherie and to Jose, because they really did figure it all out right. It's just a perfect ending," Teresa Viola said.