Manuel J. Azpurua

Azpurua, a Caracas, Venezuela, native, hails from a family of horsemen. His father, Manuel Sr., was a leading owner in Venezuela in the 1930s and 1940s, a founding member of Venezuela’s Jockey Club, and a director of El Paraiso Racetrack in Caracas.

Manny Azpurua’s brothers Leo and Eduardo both are farm owners in Central Florida and two of his nephews are trainers.

Manny Azpurua trained in Venezuela for 30 years and won more than 3,500 races in his native country to rank in the top five all time.  He moved to the U.S. in 1979 and since then has been based at Calder Race Course. He trained graded stakes winner Extended Applause and 2006 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) third-place finisher Nightmare Affair.