Giuseppe Biasuzzi, patriarch of famed Italian family, dies

Giuseppe “Bepe” Biasuzzi, the patriarch of the famed Italian family that has bred and owned the winners of more than 200 Standardbred stakes races in the world, died Sunday at the age of 84 after a long illness. He was the father of well-known horsemen Mauro and Fabio, and the husband of Gina, for whom the stable is named.

The Biasuzzi family has been the leading breeder in Italy for many years. They are most well known in North America for having campaigned the world champion trotter Equinox Bi, who won the 2007 Breeders Crown Open Trot and Maple Leaf Trot, and earned more than $1.3 million. Equinox Bi is currently standing stallion duty at Blue Chip Farms in New York.

Also, Scuderia Gina Biasuzzi won last year’s $458,550 Merrie Anabelle 2-Year-Old Filly Trot with Muscovite, who posted a 42-1 upset for trainer Ron Gurfein.

Scuderia Gina Biasuzzi also purchased the 3-year-old filly trotter Personal Banner from New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner shortly before she posted her upset victory over Moni Maker in the 1996 Breeders Crown at Vernon Downs. Another of its purchases was the millionaire No Nonsense Woman, who was voted the 1997 Three-Year-Old Filly Trotter of the Year. The Biasuzzis also own the star trotter and prolific stallion Toss Out.