[3] The Pizza Man is a bay gelding who raced as a homebred for Midwest Thoroughbreds, the stable of Richard and Karen Papiese of Chicago.
[4] The Pizza Man finished eighth in his first and only start as a two-year-old, a six-furlong race on the dirt at Hawthorne Park on December 31, 2011.
[2] The Pizza Man started his five-year-old campaign on June 21, 2014 at Arlington in the Black Tie Affair Handicap.
[13] For the 1+11⁄16-mile marathon, he faced a strong field of horses from across not only North America but Europe as well, including the previous year's winner Dandino (GB) and the favorite, Eye of the Storm (IRE).
The Pizza Man and Eye of the Storm raced just behind the early pace, then made their move entering the final turn.
The Pizza Man drew away from Eye of the Storm then withstood a late run from Dandino to win by a length.
"[12] The Pizza Man then shipped to Woodbine racetrack in Toronto to take on Grade I company for the first time in the Northern Dancer Turf Stakes.
[16] The horse made his 2015 debut on May 30 in the Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs, winning the 1+1⁄16-mile race by 2+1⁄2 lengths.
[18] For his next start in August, Papiese chose to enter the gelding in the Grade I Arlington Million rather than attempt to defend his title in the American St. Leger.
"I respect all of the people here — all the great owners and trainers and jockeys — and all of the horses we're running against, but I wouldn't trade places with anybody.
"[8] On a soft turf course, The Pizza Man struggled in the early going but made a strong move down the stretch to win by a neck over Big Blue Kitten.
Racing at the back of the field in the early going, he closed "like a freight train" down the stretch and fell just short, finishing a head behind Grand Arch.
"[22] The Pizza Man was next entered in the Breeders' Cup Turf on October 31, where he faced an outstanding field headed by Golden Horn, winner of the Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Found, a three-year-old filly who had run second in the Irish Champion and Champion Stakes.
"[24] Papiese had planned to send the Pizza Man overseas to contest the Japan Cup but the gelding came down with a lung infection and would not have been able to recover in time.
[27] He finished third in the Eclipse Award balloting for North American Champion Turf Male with 41 votes, behind Great Britain's Golden Horn and winner Big Blue Kitten.
[31] The Pizza Man next entered the Canadian International at Woodbine on October 16, finishing fourth behind Irish-bred Erupt.
[2] The Pizza Man was given a long layoff, then returned on June 17, 2017 in the Black Tie Affair Handicap, finishing fourth.
He next entered the Stars and Stripes Stakes for the fifth time, where he was made the favorite despite growing concerns that he had lost a step.
[33] The Pizza Man rated close behind a slow early pace then made his move in the final turn, hitting the lead in mid-stretch.
"[34] After a twelfth-place finish in the 2017 Arlington Million, Papiese announced that The Pizza Man had been diagnosed with a chip in his left front ankle and would be retired.
[36] Around June 2018, The Pizza Man returned to the backstretch at Arlington and the barn of Roger Brueggemann, where he is used as a stable pony during training hours.