RENELLA’S HOMEBRED CHISMOSA GIVES ‘EM SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT
You don’t have to spend much time talking to Jaime (Jim) Renella without realizing he’s about as close to the epitome of the American Dream as anyone can get.
He came to Southern California with his family from Ecuador at the age of 4. Times were difficult, but he adapted to his new country. After leaving college—“I think I attended just about every JC in the area,” he joked—Renella wanted to make his way in the world.
Owner Jaime Renella celebrates with jockey Edgar Payeras, in the winner’s circle after Chismosa’s victory in Del Mar’s $125,000 CTBA Stakes
He worked hard learning the manufacturing business for several years. When the opportunity arose, he started his own company, Performance Tube Bending Inc., specializing in creating customized intake/exhaust systems for automobiles, in 2004 in Irwindale. The business proved successful and allowed him to indulge, at least a little bit, in his passion for horse racing.
The first horse Renella claimed in 2010 also became the only mare he has bred. That mare, the aptly named You Can Dream, has produced five winners for him, including his latest, the 2-year-old filly Chismosa. The filly began her career at the recently completed Del Mar meet by winning all three of her starts in come-from-behind style. The seaside triple-bagger included two $125,000 stakes for state-breds—the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes Aug. 7 and the Generous Portion Stakes just three weeks later during Labor Day weekend.
“Chismosa—she’s been a dream come true,” said Renella, who has lived with his wife, Carmen, and their four children in Duarte since 1994. “Three wins a in a row at Del Mar, two of them stakes. It’s literally been a dream.”
Now 64 and in the process of selling his business so he can retire, Renella was also ready to step back from racing. He estimates he’s claimed about 20 horses on his own or in partnerships. Frankly, until Chismosa arrived on the scene, claiming and racing horses, while exciting and fun, had not been a big success for him as, he says, Carmen had occasionally pointed out.
However, the $20,000 spent on claiming You Can Dream off Doug O’Neill out of a race at Santa Anita on Valentine’s Day in 2010 would certainly be an exception.
By Cat Dreams out of the Siphon mare Siphonophora (a half sister to 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos), You Can Dream was bred by B. Wayne Hughes and fetched $230,000 at Keeneland’s 2008 April sale for 2-year-olds from Hal Earnhardt. After beginning her career with trainer Bob Baffert, she changed hands several times before Renella and his stepbrother, Mike Espinosa, scooped her up. She won six times for them before trainer Rafael De Leon decided it was time to retire her in February 2013.
“I’ve been living a dream, so it was the perfect name,” Renella said.
Renella, right, and trainer Rafael DeLeon with Chismosa, below, the star of the DeLeon barn and the owner’s first stakes winner
The durable dark bay had nine career wins in 49 starts overall and earnings of $243,758. DeLeon, who had taken over training her from Jeffery Coleman, suggested Renella consider breeding her.
Chismosa, the star of the DeLeon barn and the owner’s first stakes winner
“She was so solid and large, very large, and had good breeding,” Renella said. “Rafael said, ‘Let’s keep this horse and see what we can get out of her.’ I thought, ‘Well let’s give it a shot,’ and we sent her up to Harris Ranch.”
Renella has won with five of the six named foals You Can Dream produced. He mated her with Clubhouse Ride, who stood at Harris Farms, for the first time, resulting in the 2017 foal Bella Renella. Though claimed away, she raced 28 times over four years and earned $135,093. A second Clubhouse Ride foal, Clubhouse Cat, landed in 2019. The colt has had some setbacks but made his debut Aug. 28 at Del Mar.
“It wasn’t very good (finishing ninth), but he’s been training like a champ, so we are very hopeful about his future as well,” Renella said.
Asked about his fondness for breeding You Can Dream to Clubhouse Ride, Renella remarked, “It’s the poor man’s Shared Belief and Gun Runner. You go back a couple of generations, and you see the Candy Ride and Storm Cat blood in them. I’ve always been a big fan of Candy Ride. Clubhouse Ride has sired some good stakes winners, including the great Warren’s Showtime.”
Renella and DeLeon get the lowdown about Chismosa’s Generous Portion victory during the winner’s circle festivities at Del Mar
Renella hit the jackpot with the precocious Chismosa, and he has a hard time containing his enthusiasm for her.
The well-built dark bay filly has earned more than $190,000 in her brief time on the track. Her ability to come from off the pace has produced some stirring rallies. In the Generous Portion, she started on the far outside and was fanned out down the backstretch. But under Edgar Payeras, she worked her way into position to hit the front at the quarter pole without yielding much ground on the turn. Chismosa sped away to open up by six lengths mid-stretch, then coasted home. She won the CTBA
Stakes and her maiden bow in similar eye-catching fashion.
“Chismosa has opened up doors for us,” Renella said. He’s planning to attend an upcoming public sale for potential racing prospects and will probably breed Chismosa once her racing days are over.
“We haven’t seen the best of her yet.” he said, noting the slow starts she’s experienced in her races. “She’s a real talent. The good ones, they make their race. They know where to go to get it done. She opened up on them so quick and she just cruised. She looks like she can (go farther). Also, she might be good on the turf.
Clubhouse Ride was a good grass horse.
“God willing, she stays healthy and keeps winning races.”
Renella has been with DeLeon for about 10 years.
“We are very good friends,” the owner said. “He and his staff are very passionate about what they do. We’ve waited a long time for a horse like Chismosa. We’re enjoying every minute of this adventure. It has been amazing.”
Chismosa means “gossip” in Spanish. Renella named her for his sister-in law, Julie Flores, who, he said, likes to get on the phone with her good friend, or “compañera” in Spanish, and dish a little.
“She didn’t like it much when I first told her that,” Renella said. “But then she had $20 on Chismosa when she won the CTBA Stakes (at odds of 6-1); she doesn’t seem to mind it so much anymore.”