Rick Pitino says he wasn't responsible for naming filly 'Party Dancer'

Tim Sullivan | Courier Journal

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Rick Pitino can see how it looks, but he can say with confidence he played no part in the naming of a filly called Party Dancer.

The former University of Louisville basketball coach, fired last fall for an alleged "pattern and practice of inappropriate behavior” that included striptease parties in the basketball dormitory, said Wednesday the horse was named by a business partner he had yet to meet.

Trainer Simon Callaghan said Party Dancer’s name was selected and submitted to the Jockey Club registry by co-owner Larry Spitcaufsky after the horse was purchased at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale for 2-year-olds in training in April 2017.

Jockey Club spokeswoman Shannon Luce said she was not at liberty to identify the individual who had submitted the name, “but I can say it was not Rick Pitino.”

“It was unbeknownst to me,” Pitino said. “I have absolutely no clue about the name of this horse. He (Spitcaufsky) doesn’t even know I’m a basketball coach. ... It never dawned on me that Party Dancer is a striptease act.”

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The 3-year-old filly had largely escaped attention until winning a maiden claiming race last Thursday at Del Mar. A subsequent story on ESPN.com identified Pitino as Party Dancer’s owner and noted that his legacy “was blemished by a scandal that involved exotic dancers and escorts three years ago.”

“The shame of it (is I) can’t even enjoy a win,” Pitino said via text message. “The piling on is incredible.”

Pitino said he owns a 50 percent interest in Party Dancer and passed up the chance to be the filly’s sole owner because of its $175,000 sale price.

“When I’m a majority owner, I will name a horse,” he said. “When I left coaching, I can’t afford to be a majority owner.”

According to Equibase, the only wholly owned horse that Pitino has raced this year is Miss Loyalty, a 3-year-old filly purchased two months before his firing. His other five runners have all been owned by partnerships.

Callaghan matched Pitino with Spitcaufsky, who owns the Kansas City-based Petroleum Technologies, Inc., and, according to LinkedIn, a dozen Hooters restaurants in Southern California.

“Larry is always looking to partner with other owners in order to share the experience and spread a little risk,” Callaghan said. “He has several horses in partnership with me with various other owners in our barn.

“It is not unusual at all for partners not to meet, especially when living in states far apart. In fact, I have owners in Europe that have partners here they will likely never meet.”

Contacted through Callaghan, Spitcaufsky declined to comment.

Tim Sullivan: 502-582-4650, tsullivan@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @TimSullivan714. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/tims.