Bankit Shines as NY-Breds Take Center Stage at Belmont
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Bankit wins the Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park
Bankit secured millionaire status with a powerful score in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes on a May 31 card devoted to New York-breds at Belmont Park.
Featuring six state-bred stakes worth a combined $900,000, the special Memorial Day action saw six trainers and five jockeys share the spoils in front of a vociferous crowd.
"The thrilling on-track performances on Big Apple Showcase Day were a culmination of the hard work by everyone involved in our state-bred program," said Najja Thompson, executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders. "The depth and value of the New York-bred program, with lucrative purses offered, was fully on display and it's great to see the Empire State's owners and breeders celebrated along with awards from the tremendous opportunities available in the New York-bred program."
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Bankit dominated the ninth running of the Commentator under a stylish ride from Jose Lezcano for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
The 5-year-old son of Central Banker , bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing out of the Colonel John mare Sister in Arms, angled between pacesetting Winners Laugh and the tracking Mr. Buff late in the turn of the one-mile test and drew off to a 13 1/4-length win in a final time of 1:34.52 on a muddy track.
Bankit improved his record to 6-10-4 from 30 starts, with earnings of 1,027,875. He returned $6.90 on a $2 win wager.
Rounding out the order of finish were Danny California , Winners Laugh, Captain Bombastic , Mr. Buff, and Sea Foam .
Bank Sting Cashes In
Entering the $200,000 Critical Eye Handicap for older fillies and mares on a three-race win streak, Bank Sting broke on top and never looked back. The 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker was resilient in the stretch of the one-mile dirt race, fending off a stubborn Good Credence to complete the distance in 1:36.34.
Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds out of the Precise End mare Bee in a Bonnet, and owned in partnership by Hidden Brook Farm and Joseph and Anne McMahon, Bank Sting returned $10.40. The John Terranova trainee was followed home by Good Credence, 2-1 favorite Mrs. Orb , Timeless Journey , Dancing Kiki , and Espresso Shot . Singular Sensation was pulled up at the five-eighths pole and humanely euthanized on track.
Betsy Blue Soars
Cloud Nine Stable's Betsy Blue overtook pacesetter Secret Love in the stretch and powered home a 5 1/4-length winner of the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes for sophomore fillies sprinting seven furlongs.
Trained by Linda Rice and bred by Blue Devil Racing Stable out of the Yonaguska mare Honest to Betsy, the daughter of Tonalist won for the fourth consecutive time and posted a 1:24.33 final time on the muddy and sealed main track in her stakes debut. Off at odds of 3-1, she returned $8.10 with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons. Rice has trained five of the last six Bouwerie winners. Beach Banker finished in third, with Rainbow Gal , Pay Grade , and Laobanonaprayer completing the order of finish.
Robin Sparkles on Main Track
Stretch-out sprinter Robin Sparkles led wire-to-wire to take an off-the-turf edition of the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes, which was forced onto the main track due to extensive rain over the weekend. The race was run at one mile, with a much-depleted cast of older fillies and mares.
Robin Sparkles enters the winner's circle at Belmont Park following the Mount Vernon Stakes
A 4-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality bred by Hibiscus Stables out of the Dehere mare My Sparky, Robin Sparkles was sent off as an overwhelming favorite at odds of 1-5, but nearly ran out of gas late as she held on for a desperate victory over Kilkea , who hounded her throughout the race. The Bruce Brown trainee owned by Michael Schrader completed the distance on a muddy track in 1:38.47 and returned $2.70.
Vienna Code , Light in the Sky , and Dancingwthdaffodls rounded out the order of finish in the Mount Vernon.
River Dog Runs to Odds
Robert Hahn's River Dog ran to his 4-5 favoritism, besting runner-up Market Alert by 1 3/4 lengths to capture the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs.
The homebred Twirling Candy colt, who won his debut May 2, notched his second consecutive victory in a month, staying off Excellent Timing 's early fractions before overtaking him exiting the turn. The Jeremiah Englehart trainee then drew away to stop the clock in 1:23.38 under jockey Jose Ortiz.
River Dog, out of the Forest Wildcat mare Sterling Forest, returned $3.60. Lobsta ran third, while Excellent Timing, Dr. Blute , and Devious Mo completed the order of finish.
Vintage Hollywood Stalks and Pounces
Noda Brothers' Vintage Hollywood stalked pace-setting Mo Ready from the outset of the $125,000 Kingston Stakes before taking over turning for home and powering clear of late-charging Control Group in the 1 1/16-mile off-the-turf affair.
Ridden by Dylan Davis for trainer Orlando Noda, the son of Country Day finished up on the muddy and sealed main track in a final time of 1:44.30. The margin of victory was 5 1/4 lengths, with another 22 lengths separating Control Group and Mo Ready in a race that was scratched down from 10 to three competitors.
Bred by Harry Landry out of the Tactical Cat mare Hollywood and Wine, Vintage Hollywood was sent off at odds of 2-1 and returned $6.90 while winning for the sixth time in 32 starts.