Cypriot expat trainer George Papaprodromou talks to Jon Lees about G1 winner American Theorem, set to run at Del Mar this weekend
USA: After nearly 20 years on the west-coast circuit, Cypriot expat George Papaprodromou is enjoying a golden summer among California’s alpha trainers, helped by the horse he rates “the best American Pharoah on dirt right now” – American Theorem.
The five-year-old ridgling son of the 2015 Triple Crown winner claimed an emotional first G1 success for his trainer in Del Mar’s Bing Crosby Stakes in July and will aim to follow that up in the G2 Pat O’Brien Stakes on August 27.
American Theorem had Papaprodromou, 46, jumping for joy as the trainer jubilantly charged down the steps of the Del Mar stand to get trackside to greet the horse who, under Joe Bravo, had just dismantled the nine-runner field in the six-furlong dirt contest, which was a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“This is such a special horse for us,” says Papaprodromou, “My dad had not long passed away, the horse had been off with injuries and I had trained my first Grade 1 winner. It was a very emotional occasion.”
Owned by major stable supporter Rustin Kretz, American Theorem has long been held in high regard but in his first three seasons the grey raced only six times.
“First time out he won and then he finished second in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita, but he came out of that with a shin fracture and he had to have it screwed,” the trainer explains.
“We took our time with him and when he came back he did it again and we gave him more time. We tried running him long after that but, since I decided to shorten him up, it has kind of worked out. He’s a good six-furlong to a miler.”
Born in Nicosia, capital city of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, Papaprodromou grew up in a racing family. His father Andreas was a local champion jockey who went on to ride in Britain.
As ‘Andy’ Demetriou – so-called because the family name was too long to publish in newspaper racecards, according to his son – he rode over jumps and on the Flat in Britain in the 1960s and later trained for a period from stables in Newmarket.
Papaprodromou Jr. spent his early childhood there until the family moved when Andreas took up an offer to train in Saudi Arabia before settling back in Cyprus. George, too, became a jockey in Nicosia until he had to complete a mandatory spell in the armed forces at the age of 18.
“After that I was taller and heavier,” he recalls. “At that time my dad was heading to the US to buy a stallion or two to take home so I went with him and decided to stay on.
“I ended up galloping horses for different trainers like Baffert, Hofmans, Sadler and then persuaded my dad to come over to train here, which he did in 1996, and in 2003 I took over from him.”
Under the Papaprodromou name, Andreas sent out 15 winners before handing over to his son, who during his first ten years with a licence never trained more than five winners in a season.
The breakthrough came in 2014 when he claimed Imperative for $50,000 and produced him to win the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic three starts later. That was the first of five career graded-stakes winners for Papaprodomou, three of them coming in 2022.
Moreover, stable numbers have nearly doubled this summer to 90 after he took charge of the string of Richard Baltas, who has been banned pending a hearing into allegations that his staff administered unpermitted substances on raceday,
That said, American Theorem and Cabo Spirit – the two horses who have been the driving force of a campaign which has so far yielded 34 winners of more than $2.1m in prize-money – have always been with Papaprodromou.
American Theorem won the G2 Triple Bend over seven in May while Cabo Spirit took the G3 La Jolla Handicap during a Del Mar meet in which the trainer holds fourth place in the standings.
“It’s really down to having more good quality horses coming into the barn now and they are in top form,” says Papaprodromou. “We are taking it race by race with the horses. Cabo Spirit goes for the Del Mar Derby [Sept 3] and if American Theorem runs well next time, he can point to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He is like a different horse right now,” he goes on. “I can’t say he is a sprinter, but he ran a 104 Beyer in the Bing Crosby, going five wide and exploding off the front. I think he is the best American Pharoah horse on dirt right now. I haven’t seen anyone better than him on dirt.
“Baffert talks a lot about him too,” adds the trainer. “Before I raced him we did a workout from the gates with a couple of his and they hadn’t even finished the work and he was yelling at me, ‘I’ll give you $250,000 for him right now’. I told him, ‘He’s not for sale’.
“So, yes, I think he is the best American Pharoah on dirt – and even Bob thinks it!”
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