Rinaldi delivers front-running tour de force in NYSS Cab Calloway

By Sarah Mace

Bond Racing Stable’s Rinaldi (Posse) is wasting no time making a name for himself in the New York-bred sophomore ranks. In his third career start he dealt seven rivals a sound defeat in Wednesday’s $100,000 Cab Calloway division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series which was run at one mile over a “good” turf course at Saratoga. This was his second stakes victory.

On June 6, owner/trainer James Bond saw enough to like about his charge’s third-place finish in his Belmont debut to jump straight into stakes company when the opportunity offered. Rinaldi passed the test with flying colors with a convincing three-quarter-length win in the 7-furlong Spectacular Bid Division of the New York Stallion Stakes on June 23 after closely shadowing the pacesetter.

Four weeks later, reunited with Luis Saez who has been aboard since the beginning, Rinaldi added an extra furlong in the Cab Calloway and demonstrated conclusively that his first stakes win was no fluke.

Exiting post two like a shot, Rinaldi (3-1 second choice) was the first to show the lead, only to be joined by Smooth Tales, whose hand was forced by his outside draw.

Saving ground through the clubhouse turn, Rinaldi led by one length along the backstretch run. Meanwhile, 9-5 favorite Funny Guy tracked another length back in third as the quarter ticked by in 23.93 and half went in 48.51.

Moving well under a loose rein, Rinaldi continued to blaze the trail through the far turn. Smooth Tales receded and Funny Guy began to loom as a clear and present danger at the head of the stretch.

Rinaldi repelled the favorite’s bid and began to put more daylight between himself and rest, ultimately opening up to a 4 1/4-length advantage by the time he crossed the wire in a final time of 1:36.28.

“He broke great, Saez said. “He was sharp and put me right there. He kept me clean all the way. At the half-mile pole, I felt that I had a lot of horse. Turning for home, he just took off for home and exploded. He’s really talented.”

Bond added, “He’s just stepping up the ladder slowly. We were hoping he would handle the distance and course and he answered that call. Luis [Saez] did his usual great job and made us all look good. I left it up to Luis because I’m not the one out there on that turf course. It [depends on] how they’re handling it going into the turn, and Luis has seen and done a lot more than I have.”

Bond feels that he has lots of options with his talented sophomore but won’t be rushing anything. “We’ll see where we go. We’re New York-bred, so we won’t be too overzealous. He’ll [run on] dirt, too. He handles the dirt very well in the morning.”

Bred by Barry Ostrager, Rinaldi is one of six winners from eight foals to start out of Kentucky-bred mare Dynamite Cocktail, a six-figure earner by Dynaformer. She has produced two other stakes horses, led by Hollinger (Black Minnaloushe), 2009 Sovereign Award Champion 2-year-old colt and earner of over $700,000. Rinaldi is Dynamite Cocktail’s most recent reported foal. Bond astutely picked the gelding out as weanling for only $5,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale in Saratoga.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/07/24/rinaldi-cab-calloway/

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Bankit resurgent in New York Derby

By Sarah Mace

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing’s Bankit, by New York sire Central Banker, has traveled further afield than most of his age-mates in the 2019 New York-bred sophomore class, racing on six different tracks in the first 11 starts of his career. He made the first tilt at his seventh racetrack, Finger Lakes, a winning one, coming from off the pace to score a decisive 1 1/4-length victory in Wednesday’s 47th running of the $150,000 New York Derby.

Bankit waged an extremely promising juvenile campaign for trainer Steve Asmussen, winning his second start, a Saratoga dirt sprint, by six-plus lengths. Second by a nose in the Funny Cide Stakes later in the meet, and unplaced in the Bertram F. Bongard at Belmont in the fall, he earned his first black type win with a good-looking 5 3/4-length closing score in the Sleepy Hollow on Empire Showcase Day.

The Sleepy Hollow performance prompted Bankit’s connections to take him on the road. On December 16 he turned heads when he finished second by a head to Kentucky Derby-bound Long Range Toddy in the open Remington Springboard Mile Stakes. Bankit’s next three starts also came in formidable company; the Smarty Jones and Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Unplaced in these three races, he returned to the state of his birth and New York-bred foes.

Not relishing a wide trip in the slop in the New York Stallion Stakes Times Square on April 20, Bankit followed up with a solid third to New York Derby Rival Blindwillie McTell in the Mike Lee Stakes on May 27. Jockey Eric Cancel made the trip to Finger Lakes to take the call in hopes of guiding his mount to his first victory of the year.

Bankit (5-2 second choice in the betting behind odds-on speedster Not That Brady), got out of the gate cleanly and spent the first half mile of the New York Derby in the rear guard, as Not That Brady led the field through early splits of 23.35 and 47.42, pressed along by 39-1 longshot Almendro.

Navigating the clubhouse turn in the two-path, Bankit advanced into third along the backstretch as Not That Brady enjoyed a solo one-length lead.

Blindwillie McTell took the first run at the leader in the far turn, but by the head of the stretch had company. Just Right made a bid at the fence, Bankit was looking to come between horses in the two path and Blindwillie McTell came widest of all. With three-sixteenths to go, the four stacked up across the track.

Just past the furlong marker, Bankit – undaunted by close quarters and some late-stage bumping – began to draw off as the quartet sorted themselves out.

Bankit drove clear, hitting the finish line a 1 1/4 length winner in a final time of 1:45.97. Not That Brady persisted, holding well to finish second, while 11-1 shot Just Right got third another half length back. Blindwillie McTell (5-2) completed the superfecta. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

The New York Derby was originally scheduled to be run last Saturday, but the card was cancelled due to excessive heat.

Bred by Hidden Brook Farm, LLC in partnership with Blue Devil Racing, Bankit is the first foal and lone starter to date out of Sister in Arms, a Florida-bred mare by Colonel John. Blue Devil purchased the mare, as a Saratoga preferred yearling in 2012 for $125,000. She went on to win a pair of turf contests before moving on to broodmare duty. Since foaling Bankit, she has produced a juvenile colt by Awesome Again named Clifton Park and a yearling filly by Animal Kingdom. She did not bring her Hard Spun foal to term in 2019.

Bankit, who has now earned an impressive $468,625 in 12 starts from three wins, three seconds and a third, was well-received in two trips through the sales ring. As a yearling he brought $85,000 from SGV Thoroughbreds at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale. The following year he sold to Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC for $260,000 after turning in a furlong move in :10 2/5 at OBS March sale.

 

 

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/07/24/bankitnew-york-derby/

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Wait a Minute springs upset in New York Oaks

By Sarah Mace

Richie Rich Racing Stable and Jackie Stauffer’s Finger Lakes-based Wait a Minute carried the local hopes into Wednesday’s 33rd running of the $75,000 New York Oaks for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Given a 5-2 chance to beat her three rivals and overshadowed in the betting by downstate invader and 1-5 favorite Espresso Shot, Wait a Minute, who is also trained by Jackie Stauffer, pressed the pace early, took control along the backstretch and turned back the favorite’s bid before posting a 2-length victory.

A bay daughter of Discreetly Mine, Wait a Minute has been facing stakes company ever since her winning debut on October 1, 2018, with the best result to date coming when, in her first start against winners, she ran second to the talented Sassy Agnes in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes last October. The filly rounded off her ju[2]venile campaign in the Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct where she made no impact.

Returning to competition at three in Finger Lakes’ Niagara Stakes on June 17, Wait a Minute appeared to need a race, finishing 13 lengths behind winner Miss Lily. Next out, however, she put Farmington on notice. Stretching out to two turns for the first time and going 1 mile and 70 yards, she absolutely demolished a “non-winners of two lifetime” allowance field, posting an eye-popping 23 1/4-length victory.

Sharp out of the gate, Wait a Minute began the 1 1/16-mile journey of the New York Derby by pressing pacesetter Awillaway to her inside through an opening quarter mile in 23.81. Two-wide through the clubhouse turn, early along the backstretch Wait a Minute put away Awillaway, opened up a length and completed the half-mile in 47.45 on the lead.

Late-running Espresso Shot, who stumbled at the start, began her bid on the backstretch and advanced from last into second at the rail, getting on nearly even terms with Wait a Minute by the head of the stretch.

[3]The two battled in upper stretch, but in the final furlong Wait a Minute dug in two-wide, under jockey Jose Baez, reclaimed a clear lead and cruised home unchallenged to win by 2 lengths. Espresso Shot had to settle for second, finishing 5 lengths ahead of Elegant Zip in third who finished well in advance of Willaway.

After a mile in 1:48.17, the final time for the 1 1/16 miles over the fast track. Presumptive favorite Newly Minted was scratched. [VIDEO REPLAY[4]]

The New York Oaks was originally scheduled to be run last Saturday, but the card was cancelled due to excessive heat.

Bred by Gary and Stacy Machiz and foaled at Majestic View Farms International in Gardiner, Wait a Minute is the most recent reported foal out of Brazilian-bred Ess Brilha (Roi Normand). She produced seven winners from eight foals to start and Wait A Minute is her first offspring to earn black type. Her most outstanding foal previously was New Jersey-bred Papadopalous, a gelding by Mutakddim who has earned $214,873 in 44 starts.

Wait a Minute changed hands once at public auction, bring $10,000 form Nick J. Hines at the 2018 OBS open horses of racing age sale. From three wins and a second-place finish in six starts she has earned $83,329.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/07/24/wait-a-minute-new-york-oaks/

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