General Banker Sparks Derby Dreams for Ferraro, Forma

Jimmy Ferraro has been a trainer since 1977 when he landed in the winner's circle with his very first starter, a horse by the name of Talking Partner.

In the course of those 46 years, he's never been to Churchill Downs. Not with a starter. Not even as a fan.

"I've been to Keeneland for the sales a few times," the 66-year-old New York-based trainer said, "but never to Churchill Downs."

Depending on what happens April 8 in New York's definitive Kentucky Derby (G1) prep, that could change in rather dramatic fashion. After finishing third in each of the first three legs of the New York Racing Association's Road to the Kentucky Derby for 3-year-olds, a fourth straight third—or better—in the $750,000 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack should ensure General Banker , as well as Ferraro and 81-year-old owner-breeder John Forma (Seacoast Thoroughbreds of New England) of a spot in the opening leg of the Triple Crown.

"I had no intentions of ever going to the Kentucky Derby until this year," Ferraro said. "It was the last thing I was thinking about."

In a setting full of Goliaths with horses from the sport's top stables, the New York-bred General Banker and his connections are surely the David in the mix. Ferraro has a stable of about 15 horses while Forma has just six in training and, despite a combined 94 years in the business, the only graded stakes win for either came in 1996 when Ferraro won the Cotillion Handicap (G2) with Double Dee's.

A quiet but respected New York backstretch presence for decades, Ferraro's small stable has never won more than 19 races in a year. He posted 13 wins last year—matching his highest total since 2005.

General Banker also defied the odds to earn a spot on the Triple Crown trail. A son of Central Banker  , he lost his first seven starts and is still chasing an initial open stakes win. Ferraro and Forma rolled the dice in December and entered General Banker in the $500,000 New York Stallion Series Stakes as a maiden. When he registered an 8 1/2-length victory on a muddy track at 10-1 odds in the seven-furlong stakes, it opened eyes and led to a start in NYRA's first Kentucky Derby prep of 2023, the Jerome Stakes. 

"The Stallion Stakes was designed to draw attention to the New York breeding program," Ferraro said. "Now it would be really something if we can compete on a world level down in Kentucky. It would give them more bang for their bucks for that race than they realized."

A third in the Jerome was followed by a third in the Withers Stakes (G3), at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as Saturday's Wood. Finally, a third in the March 4 Gotham Stakes (G3) at a one-turn mile left him with 24 qualifying points used to determine the 20 spots in the Derby field May 6 at Churchill Downs. 

General Banker is currently 25th on the leaderboard, but with 100-40-30-20-10 points up for grabs in the Wood, finishing in the top three should safely nestle him in the top 20 with at least 54 points and give Ferraro and Forma cause to get their bags ready for what seemed unthinkable a year ago: a trip to Louisville.

"It's like a feeling of how did I get here? What am I doing with this bunch? When you consider the trainers we're going up against and what they paid for their horses," said Forma, who bought his first horse in 1975 and owns breeding shares to the McMahon of Saratoga stallions Central Banker and Solomini  . "You have a $20,000 mare and a New York State stallion and you're competing with them and beating some of them. That's what's interesting about all of this."

If Ferraro taxes his memory, he can recall 1988 when Dr. Carrington, his best horse until General Banker came around, won the Whirlaway Stakes as a 3-year-old and ignited momentary hopes of reaching the Kentucky Derby. But they were quickly extinguished with three straight unplaced finishes. Now, the Kentucky Derby is a month away and the American classic is not an impossible dream.

"It's a great feeling. It's something I've never experienced before," said Ferraro, whose family has been involved in racing for more than 100 years. His father, James, was a trainer and bloodstock agent and he has a winner's circle photo from 1917 when his great uncle was a trainer. "There's pressure, but I've been trying to keep busy and not think about it."

Aside from pressure, there's confidence heading into the Wood. Since the Gotham, which Forma called General Banker's best race, the son of the Johannesburg mare Elusive Jozi turned in a stellar 1:00 bullet work March 30 that was a one-second improvement over his previous work.

"He's doing good right now. He's gotten bigger and stronger, which is what you look for at this time of year. He's put more muscle on and is relaxing more. He used to be nervous in the paddock," Ferraro said. "His last race was surprising. That was a real good field. After running a mile, I think he shouldn't have a problem with the mile-and-an-eighth. He has a nice, long stride and covers a lot of ground when he's running.

"I'm proud of him, for sure."

For Forma, success at such a high-level sport has been a long time coming. Now living in Portsmouth, N.H., he grew up in New York and first attended the races with his mother when he was 14. That interest in Thoroughbreds over the years has seen him oversee a small string of nine stalls at Belmont Park, own a farm in New York State for 20 years, and build a small broodmare band that includes Elusive Jozi, a $20,000 claim by Forma who has produced three winners from as many foals, with General Banker being the most recent and successful.

So far General Banker has posted a record of 1-3-3 through 11 races with $429,600 in earnings. Forma estimates he's received about $130,000 more in owner/breeder bonuses.

Yet beyond the money he has earned, the Central Banker 3-year-old has also sparked some dreams. For people like Forma and Ferraro, who have been content until now to watch the Kentucky Derby on television, he has given them the opportunity to experience what the lyrics of the Dan Fogelberg song say about the Kentucky Derby: "The chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance."

He also has given Forma a reason to fondly remember one of the contributions to the stable by his late wife, Patricia O'Brien. She designed the stable's silks which feature a certain flower; one that will be a focal point on the first Saturday in May.

Yes, it's roses. Adding just one more layer of emotion to an amazing journey that will reach a crucial moment Saturday when General Banker runs in the Wood.