Surebet
He started his interest in pigeons when he was a boy in Cuba when he was 10 years old! Like so
Many of us, he had no idea then as an adult he would be thoroughly involved with the exciting
world or racing pigeons. At that time he had Spanish Pouters and a few of the old family
Stassarts to fly and train. He was involved with his birds up until the time he fled that
Country.
In 1980, he came to the U.S., Miami FL. to be specific, and eventually moved out to California in
1985. It was here; that once again his love for the birds was renewed. He started searching the
then fledgling Internet to once again get involved with race birds and the sport.
In 2001, he came upon the JEDDS supply house site, and through that link met up with Greg
McKnight, who would go on to become his mentor back into the sport. He purchased 6 birds from Greg
and started to breed from this stock to rebuild a new loft and family of birds.
In 2002, He found himself spending more and more time in the city of Las Vegas doing business
which ultimately led to his association and partnership with Infinity Chrysler, one of the
largest Chrysler dealerships in the Country. That same year, he attended the Vegas Classic event
held by Ed Sittner. At that time, the loft manager was Rick Phalen, the past AU Executive
Director and he hit it off with Rick almost immediately. Through that friendship, one day he was
at the lofts when Rick pointed out a bird that came home 2 weeks late from the race with a hurt
wing. Rick told him, "This bird has to have a lot of heart to make it all the way back in this
condition." He agreed, and loved the look of the bird and asked who bred it, and wondered if it
would be for sale. Rick checked the band number, GFL 662, and told him it was bred by Mike Ganus.
He asked Ed if he would contact Mike and ask if the bird was possibly for sale. Ed did, and Mike
called Victor at home that night and told him he doesn't usually sell birds out of races like
that, but if he liked the bird that much, he would sell it to him for $500.
(This would prove to be the BEST BUY ever made in the racing pigeon sport!!!!)
He says he was like a kid in a candy store when he bought the bird and found out it was down from
“Super Crack 699.”
It was about this time he bought property in Las Vegas and started the construction of his newly
formed loft, “Los Mambises Loft.”
The following year, he placed a couple of birds off his new cock bird in the VegasRace.com event,
with a total of about 1,600 birds in the race! Here is where the legacy starts!
That year, at the 150 mile toss, his bird, Jedds 079, came home 8 MINUTES ahead of the rest of the
birds! Loft manager, Suvit, was so impressed he called him to tell him the news! The following
week at the 200 mile toss, 079 was AGAIN was on the first drop with 3 or 4 other birds, and again
Suvit called to spread the news! Suvit told him, “I don't know what this bird is out of, but this
is one damn good pigeon!” At the final 300 mile race, 0179 was in the money and high up on the
final results!!
Excited about how his birds were performing, an ad was created to announce to the world what his
birds had done. It was during that process the sire of those winning birds was named “Sure Bet”.
The name was chosen because the offspring of this bird were almost a guarantee to win!
The following year, he placed children in the Snowbird Classic and won 19th and 20th! He also
entered the San Diego Triple Crown and won there as well! The hen that won 19th in the Snowbird
is now the world famous “Snow Queen” whose children have claimed over $20.000 each when bred back
to “Sure Bet”!
His handler for the Snowbird, Bruno Lascurain, wanted a daughter to breed from for himself, so
he supplied him with one who the following year bred the 1st PLACE SNOWBIRD WINNER!
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