Barese runs down Bold Journey late to win Gander

By Tom Law

No chance turning for home.

Still pretty slim with an eighth of a mile to run.

A sixteenth? Maybe, but still not likely.

Just before the wire? Book it.

Such was the scenario that unfolded in Saturday’s $100,000 Gander Stakes at Aqueduct with Barese attempting to run down a loose-on-the-front Bold Journey in the stretch. Barese indeed got up in time, continuing a determined rally despite losing a slight stumble and losing a shoe to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

The 3-year-old son Laoban stayed perfect in the 1-mile stakes for New York-bred sophomores, adding Saturday’s win to his come-from-behind win in the $100,00 Rego Park in early January at Aqueduct. Barese won in 1:39.26 over the fast track.

“He definitely handled the mile great,” said winning jockey Dylan Davis. “The distance was not a problem for him. He’s just a horse that now I’ve learned it just takes him a little while to get his run going. Once he does and he lays it down – and he did it late again that last eighth of a mile. He stretches out nicely and gets the job done.”

Bold Journey, a son of Hard Spun coming off a sharp maiden victory going 6 furlongs in his second start, sparred with G Munning up the backstretch through the opening quarter-mile before taking over after a half in :47.51. He and Kendrick Carmouche led by a half-length at that point while Barese, last out of the gate, tracked in third.

Bold Journey continued on the lead around the far turn and opened up a 2 1/2-length advantage through 6 furlongs in 1:12.32. He widened the margin further in the stretch, drawing 4 lengths clear approaching the eighth pole.

“I was cruising,” Carmouche said.

Davis, who didn’t realize Barese lost his left front shoe until he came back to unsaddle, never panicked.

“I got into him early at the three-eighths pole and Kendrick kind of spurted away at the quarter pole and I thought I was riding for second at that time – even the owners said that,” Davis said. “For some reason, like he does, he gets that run going again and that last eighth of a mile he made up a lot of ground and ran a great race.”

Barese sliced into the lead inside the eighth pole while Bold Journey stayed one-paced. Four lengths became 3 in a blink, then 2 and 1 and eventually Barese in front and drawing away.

“I thought he didn’t run as good as I worked him the other morning,” Carmouche said. “With that being said, I do think I was sitting easy next to the lead but I think he wants to have a target to look at. I know he had it easy in his first couple starts but I feel like going around there today, he was just loping. He never picked it up and he never slowed down – he just stayed the same.”

Bold Journey held second as the 3-5 favorite, 5 1/4 lengths in front of Geno with 50-1 longshot Doin’ittherightaway fourth in the field of seven.

Bred by Becky Thomas’ Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lewis Lakin’s Lakland Farm, foaled at Sequel Thoroughbreds in Hudson, Barese is the third foal out of the unraced Successful Appeal mare Right Prevails. Trainer Mike Maker purchased the colt for $150,000 out of Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock consignment at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Barese made his winning debut for Maker and owners Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher in one of the first two New York-bred maiden special weight races run last year, taking a 5-furlong event by a half-length May 21 at Belmont Park. Off until Jan. 9, Barese improved to 2-for-2 in the 6 1/2-furlong Rego Park.

“He tries hard every race and just when you think he’s had enough, he just gives you that last gear,” said Paradise Farm Corp.’s Peter Proscia. “It was great. He’s moving forward and Dylan did a great job keeping him together, so we’re very pleased. I didn’t think he was going to get there. My friends here had all the faith in the world, but it was a little sketchy. When he started rolling after the last seventy yards, it was a good feeling.”

“We’ve got three [wins] now – one as a 2-year-old and two stakes as a 3-year-old. It’s good. I’m not sure what the next spot is, but we’ll talk with Mike and the group and see what happens.”

Right Prevails, a full sister to Grade 3 winner and 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument, had produced one winner from two starters at the time of the Gulfstream sale. Her first winner, Barese’s 5-year-old full sister Breakfastatbonnies, is 3-for-5 and makes her stakes debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway at Aqueduct. An $80,000 purchase by OWL Stable at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training, Breakfastatbonnies has earned $152,140. Thomas’ Sequel Bloodstock sold Barese and Breakfastatbonnies.

Right Prevails is also the dam of a 2-year-old filly by The Lieutenant and a New York-bred yearling colt by Mission Impazible, both bred in New York and co-bred by Sequel and Lakland.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/02/12/barese-runs-down-bold-journey-late-to-win-gander/

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Bank On Shea bounces back in Tampa’s Pelican

By Tom Law

Bank On Shea rebounded from a close loss in his 2022 debut – and first start in almost nine months – with a gutsy victory over heavily favored Baby Yoda in Saturday’s $75,000 Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

The 5-year-old son of 2021’s leading New York sire Central Banker collected his third stakes victory in the 6-furlong Pelican for owners She D Boys Stable. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and making his second start for trainer Carlos David, Bank On Shea won by a neck over Baby Yoda in 1:09.61 over the fast track.

One of three stakes winners sired last year by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds’ Central Banker, Bank On Shea became his sire’s second thus far in 2022 along with Bank Sting. Bank Sting and Bank On Shea were both foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds and both earned nominations for champion New York-bred honors in 2021, the former in the older dirt female and female sprinter categories and the latter in the male sprinter category.

Bank On Shea earned his consideration off his front-running victory in the Affirmed Success to open last year’s Belmont Park spring-summer meeting. He finished fourth, beaten 3 lengths after racing within a length or less of the lead through most of the race, in an open allowance-optional going 6 1/2 furlongs Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park.

Ortiz employed different tactics in the Pelican, racing off the early pace of R Mercedes Boy and 2020 Tampa Bay Derby winner King Guillermo. That pair led the field through the opening quarter-mile in :22.45, with 3-5 favorite Baby Yoda and Jose Ortiz just behind in third with Pudding fourth of seven.

Bank On Shea raced fifth through the opening quarter before inching up with an inside run. R Mercedes Boy still led through the half in :45.63 before Bank On Shea cut the corner leaving the half-mile pole. Bank On Shea led by a half-length with a furlong to run and braced for the challenge of Baby Yoda, a flashy two-time winner at Saratoga last summer coming off a distant second behind Flightline in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park.

Baby Yoda put his head in front inside the furlong grounds before Bank On Shea battled back to win as the 7-2 second choice. Baby Yoda finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Pudding, with Cajun Cassanova another half-length back in fourth.

Bred by Dr. Scott W. Pierce, Bank On Shea is the first foal out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Miss Moultree. Shea D Boy Stable purchased Bank On Shea for $110,000 at the 2019 OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training after the colt breezed an eighth in :10 during presale workouts.

Miss Moultree sold in foal to Central Banker for $2,200 at the 2017 Keeneland November breeding stock sale to Ellen Caines. She did not produce a foal in 2018 or 2019 but did in 2020 – the now 2-year-old Oklahoma-bred Home of the Brave filly Givealittlegee last April. Miss Moultree was bred to Thousand Words in 2021.

Bank On Shea improved to 5-for-7 with a second and a third with the Pelican. He earned $45,000 for the win to boost his earnings to $497,750.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/02/12/bank-on-shea-bounces-back-in-tampas-pelican/

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