Media
Ghostzapper Filly Sells for $720,000
With Donato Lanni signing the ticket, a Ghostzapper filly was acquired by Susan Chu’s Baoma Corporation for $720,000 at the final session of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training April 22. “She’s obviously a nice filly who worked...
Dortmund Dominates Native Driver at Del Mar
Kaleem Shah's Dortmund showed that he is back on his game, scoring an easy, open-lengths victory in Saturday's Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar. Dortmund was purchased on behalf of Shah by agent Donato Lanni for $140,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale...
Avanzare Takes Hot Streak Into City of Hope
Donato Lanni and John Youngblood's Avanzare will seek his third straight graded turf score Sept. 27 in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita Park......
Avanzare Goes Wide to Win Del Mar Mile
Donato Lanni and John Youngblood's Avanzare shrugged off a nearly seven-month layoff to claim his second straight grade II turf score in the $200,000 Del Mar Mile Handicap......
E Dubai Filly Top Pick at MD Yearling Show
Prominent bloodstock agent Donato Lanni judged 79 yearlings in four classes and selected Manfuso and Voss' E Dubai filly as his top pick. Lanni was asked to select a champion and reserve champion from his four class winners, and noted it was a tough decision... ...
Candy Ride Colt Breaks record in OBS Finale
"I'm a little biased when it comes to Donato, but I think he's as good a judge as there is in the world," John Sikura said., "I got to watch him train all winter,” said Lanni about Hip 932, the Candy Ride colt. “I kind of had an idea he was a very talented horse. He...
Lanni To Judge Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show
Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, whose auction selections include champion Lookin At Lucky, Breeders' Cup Classic-G1 winner Bayern and 2015 Grade 1-winning 3-year-old Dortmund, will judge the 81st annual Maryland Horse Breeders Association Yearling Show. A native of...
KY Derby Owner Started Career in Harness Racing
Lanni has been interested in horses since childhood. His father Giuseppe, a construction contractor, owned harness horses, which he raced (and occasionally drove) at now-defunct Blue Bonnets racetrack…...
Donato Lanni’s improbable journey from Blue Bonnets to the Kentucky Derby
Donato Lanni has become one of thoroughbred racing’s leading bloodstock agents, helping trainers select top prospects from among the thousands of young thoroughbreds available to buy each year in North America and Europe. He inspects - by his count - about 15,000...
Agent behind Dortmund groomed Garland Lobell
Donato Lanni, the agent behind Dortmund who also groomed Garland Lobell, estimates he looks at about 15,000 horses a year. Among his past finds were Bayern, winner of the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic, and 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky......
Dortmund, Leading Derby Contender, Is Horse Discoverer’s Latest Star
Donato Lanni arrived in Lexington, Kentucky in 1996 with a lifelong dream but no connections. Today, Donato Lanni is one of the most sought-after thoroughbred scouts in North America....
Interview with Bloodhorse (starts at 5:00 min)
Lenny Shulman reflects on Allen and Jimmy Jerkens, California Chrome, and talks with bloodstock agent Donato Lanni. At the 5 minute mark in this video, Lanni, who was buying agent for Dortmund, explains what he looks for at sales and what working with Bob Baffert is...