Impazible Donna Prevails in NYSSS Staten Island
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Impazible Donna wins the Staten Island Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
Flying P Stable's Impazible Donna returned from a three-month layoff Dec. 4 to capture the $125,000 NYSSS Staten Island, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares 3 years old and upward, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Bruce Levine and ridden by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the 5-year-old daughter of Mission Impazible made her stakes debut a winning one in her 17th career start with a determined outside rally to beat Silken Dollar by 1 3/4 lengths.
"Right now, she's in the best form she's ever been," said Flying P Stable's Jay Provenzano. "She's carrying good flesh. Today, she showed that she doesn't have to be on the lead."
Impazible Donna rallied wide late on the turn and was full of run as she took aim at Silken Dollar while Bank On Anna retreated. Impazible Donna would not be denied the victory and stopped the clock in 1:24.92 on a track rated muddy. Silken Dollar completed the exacta by 9 1/2 lengths over Bank On Anna.
Castellano was proud of Impazible Donna's performance.
"I like the way she developed down the backside little by little and I liked the way she finished," he said. "She hooked up with those two horses at the top of the stretch and I liked the way she responded."
Levine also was encouraged.
"I was afraid to run her seven-eighths and now I can't wait to run her a mile," he said. "She's training better than she's run in her life."
Bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Impazible Donna, out of the stakes-placed Silver Deputy mare Pink Lollipops , banked $68,750 while improving her record to 17-3-5-4. She returned $4.70.
Video: New York Stallion Series S. (BT)
Bankit Scores in $125K NYSSS Thunder Rumble
Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's millionaire New York-bred Bankit added a seventh stakes score to his impressive resume when he stalked and pounced to an open-lengths victory in the $125,000 NYSSS Thunder Rumble for eligible state-sired 3-year-olds and up.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 6-year-old son of leading New York sire Central Banker stalked the pace set by fellow New York-bred millionaire Somelikeithotbrown and easily took command at the top of the stretch to storm home 3 1/4 lengths in front under Jose Lezcano. He ran 7 furlongs in 1:23.24 in the mud.
Bankit wins the Thunder Rumble Stakes at Aqueduct
"He's been doing phenomenal. He loves it here and he loves Belmont and loves the track there," said Toby Sheets, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Asmussen. "I know his little ins and outs and he looks like a summer horse today—he had a glow about him."
Somelikeithotbrown held second by 3 1/4 lengths over My Boy Tate , with Ocala Dream and Chowda rounding out the order of finish.
Bred in the Empire State by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, Bankit returned $6.90 and earned $68,750, boosting his total to $1,258,405 with a record of 8-11-5 in 36 races. The $260,000 Ocala Breeders Sales Company March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the Colonel John mare Sister in Arms, a half sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Quiet Meadow .