Barese Back to the Winner's Circle in New York Derby
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Photo: SV Photography
Barese wins the New York Derby at Finger Lakes
With $150,000 on a Monday up for grabs, top New York trainers Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, and Mike Maker and star riders John Velazquez, Manuel Franco, and Ricardo Santana Jr. temporarily departed their Saratoga Race Course summer base for the New York Derby July 18 at Finger Lakes.
The 3-hour trip proved to be well worth it for Maker and Santana Jr., who teamed up to take Finger Lake's biggest prize with Paradise Farm and David Staudacher's Barese .
A multiple stakes winner against state-breds, Barese hadn't seen the winner's circle since landing the Gander Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in February. He had finished a distant fourth in the Ohio Derby (G3) against open company in his prior start to Monday's 1 1/16 mile test for New York-bred sophomores.
Santana never let Brown's front-running Aggregation far from his sight as Barese hounded the even-money favorite through fractions of :23.88, :48.07, and 1:12.30. Under encouragement as they wheeled into the lane, Barese drew even and then kicked clear of Aggregation, striding towards the wire a 4-length winner.
Mike Repole and St. Elias Stable's Best Idea , third for most of the journey, grabbed second for Pletcher over a tiring Aggregation in third.
Barese ($4.90) stopped the timer in 1:45.70 on a track labeled good (sealed).
Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm, the son of the late Laoban is out of the Successful Appeal mare Right Prevails, making him a full sibling to stakes-placed Breakfastatbonnies .