River Thames, a dominant winner in his first two starts this winter at Gulfstream Park, steps up in Saturday’s 150th Preakness Stakes. Coglianese Photo/Ryan Thompson.

New York-bred River Thames takes his turn in the 2025 Triple Crown when he takes on eight others in the 150th running of the $2 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.

Owned by WinStar Farm, CHC Inc., Pantofel Stable and Wachtel Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher, River Thames drew post six in the field of nine for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the son of Maclean’s Music, who is pegged as the 9-2 third choice behind 8-5 morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby runner-up Journalism and 4-1 second choice and Arkansas Derby winner Sandman.

River Thames comes into the 1 3/16-mile Preakness with two wins in four starts and placings in the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park and Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. The Fountain of Youth loss came by just a neck to eventual Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty.

River Thames earned sufficient points to land a spot in the starting gate for the May 3 Kentucky Derby but his connections opted to wait, giving the colt six weeks between starts.

“He has proven that he has held good company,” Pletcher said. “We’ve been able to give him a little space here, after his first three races were all pretty close together. So hopefully that little extra time from [the Blue Grass] to the Preakness and being fresh, gives him a chance to make a move forward.”

Pletcher breezed River Thames three times between the Blue Grass and Preakness, including a half-mile tightener in :48.25 last weekend on the Belmont Park training track.

“We are happy with his condition,” Pletcher said after the work. “He has bounced out of the Blue Grass well. He has been training consistently here. He has put on a few pounds, so we are happy with the way he is coming into it.”

Bred by CTR Stables LLC and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, River Thames sold to CHC, Siena Farm and WinStar’s Maverick Racing for $200,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He’s the first foal out of the winning Discreet Cat mare Proportionality, a half-sister to stakes winner Miss Interpret from the family of Grade 1 winners Paulassilverlining and Dads Caps.

The Preakness, broadcast by NBC, goes as the 13th of 14 races Saturday with post time set for 7:01 p.m. ET.

• Waterville Lake Stable’s homebred Loon Cry, a finalist for champion New York-bred turf female honors in 2024, makes her first start since early November in Friday’s $100,000 The Very One Stakes sprinting on the turf. Trained by Christophe Clement and foaled at Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, the 5-year-old daughter of More Than Ready won one of her two stakes on the Maryland circuit last year when she took the 6-furlong Sensible Lady at Laurel Park. She’s the 9-5 favorite on the morning line for jockey Flavien Prat, not including potential main track only runners if the race is moved off the grass. Post time for The Very One, which goes at 5 furlongs on the turf, is 4:38 p.m.

Whatchatalkinabout lands first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s John A. Nerud at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Whatchatalkinabout returned to stakes company for the first time since October 2023 and came away with a gritty victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $169,750 John A. Nerud at Aqueduct.

Owned by Ice Wine Stable and trained by Wesley Ward, the 4-year-old son of Dialed In also returned from an almost five-month layoff to win a three-way photo in the 6-furlong Nerud. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Whatchatalkinabout, who edged Silver Slugger to his inside and Surveillance to the outside.

Bet down to even-money favoritism, Whatchatalkinabout broke well and relinquished the lead early to Silver Slugger up the backstretch. Silver Slugger led through the opening quarter-mile in :21.89 over the fast track, just ahead of Whatchatalkinabout with Surveillance and Full Moon Madness right behind the top pair.

Silver Slugger and Whatchatalkinabout continued their battle around the far turn and to the half in :44.84 with Surveillance ranging up three wide at the top of the lane. The trio flashed past the eighth pole heads apart in :56.67 for the 5 furlongs and threw it down in deep stretch.

Whatchatalkinabout edged clear of Silver Slugger just before the wire for his second stakes score and fourth overall win from seven starts. Whatchatalkinabout, scratched at the gate before last month’s Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland, won in 1:09.03.

“He’s a good horse, talented,” Ward said. “He ran a gutsy race. I was proud of him. That horse on the inside [Silver Slugger] ran a big one and also the grey horse on the outside [Surveillance]. To be in the middle of those two and for him to gut through it really showed something.

Ortiz came away equally impressed.

“He was good. I was supposed to ride him last time and we scratched at the gate,” he said. “He was much better at the gate. That helped, we broke so good, he put me right in the race, and after that I was closer than I thought, and I go from there. He was game at the end. He felt the outside horse and fought. Then the inside horse came back, and he fights back and by the time we hit the wire he had his head in front. He was game, he was fighting.”

Whatchatalkinabout started his career with two wins in three starts, including a debut score in mid-May 2023 at Belmont Park and the New York Breeders’ Futurity in mid-October at Finger Lakes. He also finished third behind The Wine Steward and El Grande O in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day during his juvenile season.

Off until last October, Whatchatalkinabout returned with back-to-back seconds at Aqueduct before an 8-length victory in mid-January at Aqueduct. Ward purposely waited until this spring to bring Whatchatalkinabout back to the races.

“He ran such a big number in his last race, I just wanted to give him a bunch of time,” Ward said. “I’ve learned a lot over the 35 years. When I started, I had black hair and now it’s white, so, I’ve learned what not to do. It’s hard to be patient, especially when he ran a big one like that.”

Bred by Newtown Anner Stud, Whatchatalkinabout is the sixth foal out of the unraced Super Saver mare Super Savvy. A half-sister to Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Don’t Forget Gil, Super Savvy is the dam of 10-time winner and $354,215-earner Prince James and winner Stopdropandroll.

Super Savvy is also the dam of the 2-year-old New York-bred Sharp Azteca colt Hamilton’s Reason and a colt by Maxfield born February 12 in Kentucky. Newtown Anner Stud bred both colts.

Originally consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale, Whatchatalkinabout left the ring unsold on a bid of $38,000. Reoffered by Blake-Albina at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale, Whatchatalkinabout sold to Ward for $82,000.

Whatchatalkinabout earned $96,250 for the Nerud victory to boost his bankroll to $335,328.

Manny Franco celebrates victory aboard Spirit of St Louis in $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Saturday. Churchill Downs/Coady Media.

Spirit of St Louis vaulted to the top of the North American male turf division Saturday with a rousing victory in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs.

Reunited with Manny Franco – who rode the Medaglia d’Oro gelding to six stakes wins in 2023 and 2024 – Spirit of St Louis added the Turf Classic to his victory two starts back in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park. He also bounced back from a close fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes in late March at Fair Grounds.

Sent off again as the favorite – this time 3-1 against nine others over the saturated turf course labeled good – Spirit of St Louis closed from the back of the field to win a six-way wild finish by three-quarters of a length over Mercante and Highway Robber. Franco angled Spirit of St Louis wide into the lane, avoiding any trouble down inside to give owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Richard Schermerhorn the win in the traditional Derby Day fixture.

“I was so happy in the last 200 yards because I thought I made the right move,” Franco said. “There were a lot of horses back in the same spot and I never had to stop and that was the key.”

Brown also praised Franco’s ride, which provided the trainer with his fifth victory in the Turf Classic following scores with Program Trading (2024), Domestic Spending (2021), Digital Age (2020) and Bricks and Mortar (2019).

“He was standing flat-footed and he didn’t break all that well,” Brown said. “But Manny did a good job of saving ground with him in the first turn and then got him running late. I was confident today with this horse because he does real well on soft turf. I’ve been following his numbers and he is getting better and better. But he has surprised me with how far he can run.”

Spirit of St Louis improved to 3-for-4 at 9 furlongs, winning in 1:48.20. A full brother to New York-bred Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold, Spirit of St Louis also improved to 11-for-16 with three seconds in the Turf Classic. He earned $530,110 to boost his bankroll to $1,809,250, good for 14th on the all-time list of New York-bred earners.

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Spirit of St Louis is also a half-brother to stakes-placed New York-breds Land Mine and Homeland. Khancord Kid, a Grade 3 winner, has produced five winners. She’s also the dam of a 2-year-old full brother to Spirit of St Louis named Kid’s Khanclusion.

The Bromans bought Khancord Kid’s dam, Confidently, for $1 million at the 2000 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Out of Grade 1 winner Key Phrase, Confidently is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Yankee Gentleman with her dam a half-sister to the dam of champion Shared Belief.

Spirit of St Louis, a $300,000 purchase by BSW/Crow out of the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, made his first two starts for owner Peter Brant and Brown. He won his debut on the dirt in mid-February 2023 before a second in a 9-furlong allowance on the dirt, both at Aqueduct. Dubb purchased Spirit of St Louis for $280,000 shortly after that effort, at the Keeneland April horses of racing age sale. He’s won 10 of 13, including a run of five straight stakes from late 2023 to the summer of 2024.

The Turf Classic marked just the fourth graded try for Spirit of St Louis, who also finished a troubled fifth in last year’s Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile at Keeneland. He bounced back from that effort to win his second straight Mohawk Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in late October to close his 5-year-old campaign and set up a strong start to 2025.

Early On, a daughter of Union Rags bred by John Lauriello, leads the New York-bred contingent this weekend at Churchill Downs and starts in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. Churchill Downs/Coady Media.

A trio of runners will fly the flag for the New York Thoroughbred breeding program at Churchill Downs in Grade 1 events on this weekend’s Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby cards.

The group includes Early On in Friday’s headlining $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks, which lost a New York-bred Thursday morning following the scratch of potential contender Five G.

Early On, a 3-year-old daughter of Union Rags bred by John Lauriello, will start from post one in the 9-furlong Oaks for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owners C2 Racing Stable, Ken Reimer and Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch and Bradley Kent. She finished second by a nose behind Ballerina d’Oro last time out in the Grade 3 Gazelle April 5 at Aqueduct and is listed at 30-1 on the morning line for the Oaks.

“This is unbelievable. She’s going to be in the Kentucky Oaks,” Lauriello said last month. “I’m 77. I’ve been in and out of the horse business in a small way for 50 years. This is just a miracle. That filly has really done well. Sometimes you get lucky, not often.”

Lauriello lives in Alabama and keeps a small band of broodmares as a hobby. He purchased the winning Distorted Humor mare Sally O’Brien, carrying Early On in utero, for $75,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Sally O’Brien later sold in foal to Corniche for $55,000 to Fortune Farm at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Early On, who also finished second behind fellow Oaks entrant Fondly in the Virginia Oaks March 15 at Colonial Downs, was foaled at Hickory Hill Farm Thoroughbreds in Fort Edward and sold for $20,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

“I love the New York program,” Lauriello said. “The New York breeding program is second to none in my opinion. I’ve been involved in horse racing with some folks from Birmingham and upstate New York, but the breeding was as much or more fun. The people from Birmingham got old and stopped their horse racing business, still fans, but didn’t want to breed or race, so I started about 15 years ago buying broodmares.

“I grew up in Amsterdam. The Sanford family had a farm there. When the season started at Saratoga, we used to hitchhike, and when kids couldn’t get in, we’d stand on the hoods of cars and look over the bushes to see the track. From the time I was a kid in Amsterdam going to the Sanford farm, I got bit early. Long story short, I got the bug.”

The New York program lost its other Oaks entrant, Grade 1 Gulfstream Parks Oaks winner Five G, when trainer George Weaver scratched the daughter of Vekoma after she reportedly backed off her feed and didn’t train to his satisfaction. The Gatsas Stables’ homebred figured to be one of the potential threats to favorites Good Cheer, Quietside, La Cara and Ballerina d’Oro.

“This is the type of race where you’ve got to be 110 percent and we don’t feel like she is,” Weaver told Daily Racing Form’s David Grening Thursday morning.

The Kentucky Oaks goes as the 11th of 13 races Friday with post time set for 5:51 p.m. ET.

The other two Grade 1-bound New York-breds run on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Day card.

• Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, the winner of three straight stakes to end 2024 and start this season, leads things off when he takes on a full field of 13 other 3-year-olds in the newly upgraded $1 million American Turf presented by Ford. Bred by Highclere Inc., the son of Vekoma drew post four in the full field for the 1 1/16-mile turf event that goes as the ninth race at 4:06 p.m.

Mi Bago won the Pulpit Stakes on the turf in late November, Dania Beach on synthetic on New Year’s Day and Colonel Liam back on the grass in early March, all at Gulfstream for trainer Mark Casse. Foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham and out of the Indian Charlie mare Wabanaki, Mi Bago is 10-1 on the morning line for jockey Jose Ortiz.

• Spirit of St Louis, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf two starts back, could give the Empire State its best chance of the weekend in the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes. Campaigned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Richard Schermerhorn, the 6-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding is the 9-2 second choice in the field of 12 entered in the 9-furlong stakes.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown and out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Khancord Kid, Spirit of St Louis reunites with Manny Franco for the Turf Classic. Franco rode the gelding to six stakes victories in 2023 and 2024, including back-to-back editions of the Mohawk on Empire Showcase Day. Trained by Chad Brown, Spirit of St Louis drew post 10. The Turf Classic goes at 5:39 p.m., leading in as usual to the headlining Kentucky Derby at 6:57 p.m.

Notes: Buck Butler’s homebred My Mane Squeeze was entered in Saturday’s $1 million Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery but reportedly will scratch in favor of next Saturday’s Grade 2 Ruffian at Aqueduct. The 4-year-old daughter of Audible is trained by Mike Maker and co-owned by WinStar Farm.

Mo Plex guts out another stakes victory in Saturday’s Bay Shore at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo//Susie Raisher.

R and H Stable’s Mo Plex returned to the winner’s circle – back against open company for the first time since last fall – in Saturday’s $145,500 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 3-year-old graded stakes-winning son of Complexity dueled for the lead early outside of Faster Gator early and shrugged off that foe in the stretch for his second open stakes victory. The win was Mo Plex’s first in four starts since taking the Funny Cide Stakes in late August at Saratoga Race Course.

“That was great,” winning trainer Jeremiah Englehart said. “The whole team did a great job. He looked great in the paddock. His groom, and Harlem [Johnson] and Dana [Saul, assistants] did really well with him. It was nice to get him back in winning fashion. The 3 horse [Faster Gator] ran a hell of a race and so did the West Point colt [No. 1, Pascaline]. They both look like horses with bright futures so hopefully he moves onward and upward from here.”

Faster Gator, who entered a 2-for-2 record at Laurel Park, made the lead from post 3 under Arnaldo Bocachica but it was 6-5 favorite Mo Plex and jockey Manny Franco who pressured from the outside and put a head in front through an opening quarter-mile in :23.09 over the fast main track.

Pascaline attempted an inside move approaching the turn with New York-bred maiden winner Share the Ludt and McKellen trying wide bids as Faster Gator battled back to gain a half-length advantage after a half in :45.55.

Mo Plex put his head back in front at the stretch call, but a stubborn Faster Gator continued to find more as the field straightened away. Mo Plex, game and determined, would not be denied the narrow win by head in a final time of 1:21.96. Pascaline completed the trifecta with Share the Ludt and McKellen rounded out the order of finish.

“He was [game]. You’ve got give credit to the horse from Anthony [Farrior, trainer of Faster Gator] – he was tough to go by, but at the same time, I feel my horse was running for me, so I was happy,” Franco said. “I was happy with where I was. [Faster Gator] broke on top, I let him take it and just sit right next to him and put the pressure. I knew that I got Javier [Castellano, aboard McKellen] outside, so he wanted to get close to me and I let my horse go a little bit. I had a lot of horse under me the whole way.

“He’s getting more mature, more intelligent. He liked to get out before, but now it seems like he’s straightening out a lot better this year.”

Bred by Avi and Rhoda Freedberg’s Everything’s Cricket Racing and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, Mo Plex is the first foal for the Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy. He was offered but listed as an RNA for $27,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Englehart and Legion Bloodstock purchased Mo Plex for R and H Stable for $45,000 out of last year’s OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale.

A finalist for New York-bred champion 2-year-old male honors, Mo Plex won his debut against state-breds by 10 lengths last June at Aqueduct before a victory in the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes on opening weekend of the Saratoga Race Course meeting. Mo Plex ran his record to 3-for-3 with a victory in the $200,000 Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on Saratoga Showcase Day. He finished the season with a third in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes and a runner-up finish in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes on Empire Showcase Day, both at Aqueduct.

Mo Plex improved to 4-for-7 with Bay Shore victory and boosted his earnings to $445,000.

“Any time that you get a horse who looks very precocious as a 2-year-old, and goes on and wins his first three races, obviously he’s going to be running against tougher competition,” Englehart said. “He got beat a couple of times, but if you look at who beat him, they are no slouches. His last race was his first race off a layoff going a flat mile. You want them to back up what you think of them, and I’m glad to get another ‘W,’ and kind of re-affirm what we have thought all along about him.”

Storm Changer and Jose Gomez emerge between rivals to win the Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Sunday at Aqueduct

Peter Kazamias’ homebred Storm Changer, one of 13 foals from the first crop of Name Changer, came between rivals in the lane to upset Sunday’s $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct.

Jose Gomez rode the filly, making her first start for trainer Carlos Martin after previously running for the suspended Dimitrios Synnefias. Dismissed at 12-1 in the field of eight reduced by the scratches of Fedupwiththefed and Lazy Y Legacy, Storm Changer improved to 2-for-5 with the victory.

Storm Changer finished second two starts back in the 7-furlong East View Stakes February 8 at Aqueduct and a distant fifth last time in the 1-mile Maddie May Stakes March 7 at Aqueduct. Martin admitted he didn’t do much to get the filly ready for the 6 ½-furlong Park Avenue.

“Jose, we’ve had some luck together with Patricia Ann and some other horses. He always tries hard for us,” Martin said. “He had worked her the other day, she went an easy half in :49 (April 5 on the Belmont Park training track). She came in great shape from Dimitrios, we didn’t want to re-invent the wheel too much. I thought cutting her back would be pretty good for her.”

Howling Wind hustled to the lead ahead of 9-5 favorite Bam’s Bliss Kiss early and led that foe through the opening quarter in :22.40 over the muddy and sealed surface. Bam’s Bliss Kiss inched up within a half-length of the leader midway around the turn, just ahead of Forever to Go and Decree and Declare through the half in :46.37.

Gomez kept Storm Changer in the clear on the outside in fifth around the bend.

“I wasn’t worried,” Gomez said. “That was the game plan; just save some ground and everything has seemed to be running well in the middle of the racetrack.”

Dylan Davis took another route aboard Disco Star, coming up the inside approaching the stretch and took the lead turning for home. Gomez countered that move on the outside while Eric Cancel did similar Princess Mischief even wider out from the rail.

Storm Changer emerged from the three-way battle for the lead inside the sixteenth pole to win by a half-length over Princess Mischief, who nosed out Disco Star for the runner-up spot. Decree and Declare, Howling Wind, Bam’s Bliss Kiss, Royal Event and Forever to Go completed the field. Storm Changer won in 1:18.39.

“She ran great first time out [to win on debut in November],” Gomez said. “Last time I rode her [two starts back in the East View], it might have been a bit long for her, but Bernieandtherose is a pretty decent horse. After that they gave her to Mr. Martin and from then she’s been a different type of horse. She’s a lot more calm.”

Storm Changer picked up $110,000 to boost her bankroll to $183,750.

Grade 3 winner Name Changer, a 12-year-old son of Uncle Mo out of the Northern Afleet mare Cash’s Girl, stands for $2,500 at Kaz Hill Farm in Middletown. The sire of 29 foals of racing age, including a group of 16 current 2-year-olds, Name Changer finished third on the New York freshman sire list in 2024 thanks to two winners from five starters.

Storm Changer is the sixth foal out of the unraced Stormy Atlantic mare Stormin Sistas, who was purchased in foal to classic winner Palace Malice for $27,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Stormin Sistas is the dam of seven-time winner Atlantic Princess, three-time winning New York-bred Kaz Palace and the 4-year-old New York-bred Bank Heist filly Stormin Heist. Kaz Hill Farm also bred Storm Changer’s full brother, the 2-year-old Name Changer colt Hurricane Kaz, out of Stormin Sistas.

Prince Valiant skips over the mud en route to victory in Sunday’s NYSS Times Square. Coglianese Photo.

Red Oak Stable’s Prince Valiant kept it simple and maintained his winning ways with a front-running victory in Sunday’s $194,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 3-year-old won his first stakes and also became the second stakes winner for his sire King for a Day, a son of Uncle Mo who stands for $5,000 at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater. King for a Day’s first stakes winner – Soontobeking, who took the March 8 Gander at Aqueduct – finished second in Sunday’s Times Square.

Dylan Davis rode Prince Valiant for trainer Todd Pletcher, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong restricted stakes.

“He’s a really cool little horse,” said Pletcher’s assistant Stu Hampson. “Both in his works in the mornings and in the afternoons, he just seems to keep progressing and getting a little bit better every time. His last two months, his works have steadily improved, and his efforts in the afternoons have also.

“It’s a pleasure to have a horse like this for Red Oak and it’s nice when what we see in the mornings adds up to good performances in the afternoon.”

Bred by Sugar Maple Farm and the second foal out of the D’Funnybone mare Lizzy’s Fun, Prince Valiant sold to Red Oak Farm for $50,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Unraced at 2, Prince Valiant finished third in his debut behind eventual stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Sand Devil in early December. He rattled off back-to-back victories by a neck in a January 11 maiden and February 23 allowance-optional before making his stakes debut Sunday.

Sent off the narrow 7-5 second choice behind the 6-5 National Identity, Prince Valiant went to the front from the start and controlled the terms by a length over Soontobeking through the opening quarter in :22.67 over the muddy and sealed track.

“I saw us as main speed. Just didn’t really know about the break,” Davis said. “He broke well with me, was able to get to the lead comfortably and he was doing it well. He drifted out a little bit down the backside, but I was able to straighten him up into the turn, and then he just started getting on.”

Prince Valiant stayed up by 1 1/2 lengths over Soontobeking through the half in :46.28 and turned for home with a widening advantage. Davis stayed busy in the stretch and Prince Valiant opened up by 2 lengths at the eight pole. Soontobeking maintained his spot in second and finished 5 1/2 lengths clear of National Identity. Huggy and In the Chase completed the field. Prince Valiant won in 1:16.73.

“I knew he was a fighter so if anyone were to challenge him late, he’d fight on again for me,” Davis said.

Prince Valiant earned $110,000 for the win to boost his bankroll to $201,500.

“He’s naturally finding himself on the front end of races and he’s doing it that way, but he’s such a fighter,” Hampson said. “Any time a horse eyeballs him, he just wants to put his head back in front. As he’s matured, he’s relaxed a little bit and depending on what we do with him, that could reflect in the afternoons as well. He’s running great, so we’re just trying to stay out of his way.”

Lizzy’s Fun is also the dam of the 3-year-old Tonalist colt Rafa’s Dream, who sold for $57,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He made five starts last season in Puerto Rico. She’s also the dam of two other New York-breds – a 2-year-old filly by leading New York sire Central Banker and a filly by Mind Control born February 7.

Bank Frenzy collects his third straight stakes win – and fourth overall – in Sunday’s Haynesfield at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

LSU Stables’ Bank Frenzy stretched his win streak to four – including three stakes scores – with a victory in Sunday’s co-featured $125,000 Haynesfield at Aqueduct.

The 5-year-old Central Banker overcame another ever-so-slight hesitation at start, took over after the opening quarter-mile and held off another son of Central Banker, General Banker, to win the 1-mile stakes by 2 1/4 lengths. Manny Franco rode the winner for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who continues to marvel at the gelding bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman.

“He’s as game as they come,” Rodriguez said. “You put him in the right spot, he shows up. He doesn’t need to take his track with him. He can run in the slop, on fast dirt maybe even on the grass, who knows. He’s a solid horse.”

Bank Frenzy, a finalist for champion New York-bred older dirt male honors in 2024, added the Haynesfield to his victories in the Alex M. Robb Stakes in late December and the Stymie Stakes March 1. He also improved to 8-for-16 and earnings of $575,420.

“He can be a little challenging in the morning, but you have to put the work in,” Rodriguez said. “We’re very blessed that Mr. Larry and Randy [Sarf of LSU Stables] put that horse in our barn.”

Bet down to 1-2 in the field of seven, Bank Frenzy chased early leader Just Step On It through the opening quarter in :24 before taking over from that foe.

Franco led Bank Frenzy open up after he seized the lead and they were 1 1/2 lengths in front at the half in :47.10. Radio Red took up the chase while Just Step On It started to retreat on the far turn. Bank Frenzy sailed past 6 furlongs in 1:10.97, still up 1 1/2 lengths as the field turned for home.

“He’s not the quickest out of there,” Franco said. “He’s getting better every race, and I saw he’s cruising there with the field, I thought they were going to give some separation from me, but I was on the best horse. I just let him pass the chute and I ended up on the lead. It was easy enough. He was doing it the right way, so I was happy where I was.

“Like I said, when I broke, the field was bunched up. Everybody was together. My horse was doing it so easily, the right way, I let him go. We ended up on the lead and he was happy after that.”

Bank Frenzy stayed in command through the stretch, passed the eighth pole 2 lengths in front while drifting out slightly inside the final furlong. He won in 1:35.83 over the muddy and sealed track. General Banker finished a neck in front of Locke and Key for the runner-up spot, with Radio Red, Sheriff Bianco, Wynstock and Just Step On It completing the field.

Foaled at the Bromans’ Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Bank Frenzy is out of the Tiznow mare Storm Now. The Bromans purchased Storm Now for $110,000 at the 2015 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

Storm Now is the dam of two other winners – the Into Mischief gelding City Mischief ($131,830) and the Awesome Again gelding Broadway Joe ($15,228). She’s also the dam of the 4-year-old Practical Joke filly Funny Forecast, who made three starts last year and returned to the worktab at Belmont Park Saturday; and the 3-year-old Instagrand filly Farm House, a $100,000 purchase by Final Furlong Racing Stable at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. Farm House finished second, third and second in her first three starts, the latest in a maiden-optional March 28 at Aqueduct. She’s already earned $38,480.

The Bromans bred all of those runners in New York, along with Storm Now’s 2-year-old Instagrand filly named In Snows Way. Storm Now also delivered a colt by Jackie’s Warrior March 20 in New York.

Sterling Silver surpases the seven-figure earnings mark with victory in Sunday’s Biogio’s Rose at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

By Paul Halloran

Sterling Silver, who sold for $13,000 as a pandemic-era yearling, eclipsed $1 million in earnings Sunday with a workmanlike win in the Biogio’s Rose Stakes at Aqueduct.

Making the 29th start of her career, and the seventh since being moved to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, the 6-year-old grey mare sat behind a speed battle between Khali Magic and Bernietakescharge then ran down Sweet Brown Sugar to win by 1 3/4 lengths. The $68,750 winner’s share brought her earnings to $1,006,051.

“She’s very classy, a professional horse. We’ve had a lot of success together. I know her so well,” said jockey Javier Castellano, who has six wins in 14 starts aboard the daughter of Cupid. “She fit perfect today. It was a small field with a lot of speed and she came from behind and got it done.”

Sweet Brown Sugar and Bernietakescharge broke together, but Khali Magic rushed up the rail to take the lead. She and Bernietakescharge ran in tandem into the turn, with Sweet Brown Sugar, Caldwell Luvs Gold and Sterling Silver chasing through a quarter mile in :23.01 and a half in :45.63. Sweet Brown Sugar made the first move, looming on the outside through the far turn as Sterling Silver also hit her stride.

Sweet Brown Sugar took the lead at the quarter pole, but Sterling Silver had her in her sights and it was clear it was a matter of time before she went by, which happened inside the eighth pole. The winning time for the mile on the muddy track was 1:35.70.

“She’s a super cool horse – very consistent,” said Leana Willaford, Mott’s assistant. “I thought she ran really well today. They went pretty quick the second quarter, which was helpful, and she finished like she was supposed to.”

Sterling Silver, who was bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, became the 65th New York-bred millionaire. She was foaled and raised at Marlene Brody’s Gallagher’s Stud, where Mallory Mort serves as farm manager. Sterling Silver would have been in the ring at the 2020 Saratoga New York-bred sale but Fasig-Tipton held its yearling sales in Kentucky due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sterling Silver was an RNA and was later purchased privately by Mark Anderson for $13,000.

Sterling Silver is the fourth foal out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, whom Mallory Mort bought in foal to Midnight Lute for $14,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The foal, Midnight Comedy, sold for $45,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. Sheet Humor is also the dam of the winning Central Banker mare Helene Jacqueline, who brought $35,000 at the 2018 Saratoga New York-bred sale; and Ortiz, an unraced son of Speighster that sold for $210,000 at the 2019 Saratoga New York-bred sale.

The Morts sold Sheet Humor, in foal to Central Banker, for $3,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. Sterling Silver won her debut at Aqueduct and became a stakes winner in her second start in taking the 2021 Franklin Square Stakes. She has run in 10 graded stakes in her career, including the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. She crossed the line first in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in 2023, but was disqualified and placed second.

Not surprisingly, Sterling Silver has been a force to be reckoned with in races restricted to New York-breds, with a career line of 6-3-2 in 11 starts, all stakes except for her maiden score.

The last foal the Morts bred out of Sheet Humor was Rhetorical, a 3-year-old gelding by Not This Time who sold for $320,000 at the 2022 New York-bred yearling sale. He had a maiden win and ran third in an allowance at Saratoga last summer for owners Siena Farm and WinStar Farm and trainer Will Walden.

Gatsas Stable’s Five G rolls to victory in Saturday’s Gulfstream Park Oaks. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Mike Gatsas knew it was going to be a good day at Gulfstream Park Saturday when he ran into old friend John Assimakopoulos, a retired  trainer from New England and the son of legendary conditioner Charlie Assimakopoulos, who is responsible for Gatsas’ entry into horse ownership more than 25 years ago.

The elder Assimakopoulos bought the first two horses Gatsas owned, in partnership with his brother, Ted – the ageless New York-bred Gander, who earned more than $1.8 million in a 60-race career, and Shadow Caster, who won the 2020 Forego Stakes at 50-1. John was his father’s assistant for many years and finished his career in Florida in 2018.

“There’s no better luck than that,” Gatsas said of the chance meeting, and the results proved him right.

Five G, a 3-year-old Gatsas homebred filly, was a gate-to-wire winner in the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks, punching her ticket to next month’s Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Five G is by Vekoma, Gatsas’ best horse ever, whom he owned in partnership with R.A. Hill Stables, out of Triumphant, a broodmare he bought for $57,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale.

“Racing is a lot of fun when you win,” said Gatsas, who still lives in his native New Hampshire. “When you have one who is your own and by a stallion you raced, it’s like having a little kid grow up to be a professional baseball player.”

Gatsas hit a home run with Five G, who was foaled at Rhapsody Farm in Plymouth, New York. After she ran seventh in a maiden special weight at Saratoga last August, trainer George Weaver moved her to the turf, where she broke her maiden at Aqueduct and ran second in the Tepin Stakes in November.

Weaver took her to Florida for the winter and, despite the success on the grass, told Gatsas he wanted to try her on dirt one more time. Gatsas’ son Matt suggested they do it as soon as possible, so they ran in the Fasig-Tipton Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year’s Day, a race she won by 9 lengths.

That put her on the road to the Oaks and earned her a trip to Oaklawn for the Grade 2 Honeybee Stakes February 23. Breaking from the far outside in a 13-horse field, Five G led for more than half of the 1 1/16-mile race, and when she was collared by Quietside, she yielded only after putting up a battle, finishing second by a length. That performance was flattered when Quietside came back to win the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Saturday.

“That was a great effort,” Gatsas said of the Honeybee. “She got beat by a real nice filly. We were excited coming out of that race.”

Weaver considered waiting for the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland this Friday, but preferred the spacing of the Gulfstream Park Oaks, on both ends.

“Five weeks since her last race and five weeks to the (Kentucky) Oaks,” Gatsas said. “We thought we had a real big shot in the Gulfstream Oaks.”

After jockey Tyler Gaffalione broke his ankle in a freak accident during a post parade three days before the Oaks, Weaver called on Manny Franco to pinch-hit and he could not have made a better decision.

“Manny rode her perfectly,” Gatsas said. “When I saw her on the backside with her ears pricked, I knew she was going to be a monster coming home.”

Five G – named for Gatsas’ grandchildren Calla, Adra, Matthew, Harper and Brody – broke alertly and made the lead without any serious urging from Franco. She was pressed by Anna’s Promise through moderate fractions (23.63, 47.11) and The Queens M G chased in third. It was a two-horse race around the far turn, but when Franco asked Five G for run as they straightened out, she responded and cruised to a 2¼-length win, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We’re right there,” Gatsas said. “The filly runs every time we put her on the track. She runs like her father. She didn’t give it up easy in the Arkansas race. I think she has that fight in her.”
As Gatsas brings a horse to the Kentucky Oaks for the first time, it is fitting he is doing it with a New York-bred, as a longtime supporter of the breeding program.

“Everything we breed, we drop in New York,” Gatsas said. “It’s a tremendous advantage to have a New York-bred. The program is amazing for owners. It gives you a leg up and you need every advantage you can get in this business. It’s the best program in the country.”

Gatsas maintained some breeding rights when Spendthrift Farm bought Vekoma, who ran in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and won the Met Mile and Carter as a 4-year-old before being scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Sprint due a fever.

Triumphant is again in foal to Vekoma. – Paul Halloran

RACING NOTES: New York-bred River Thames will look to lock up a spot in the Kentucky Derby field Saturday when he runs in the 101^st renewal of the $1.25 million, Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. The son of Maclean’s Music was pegged as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the field of seven for the 9-furlong Blue Grass. Trained by Todd Pletcher, River Thames sits 28^th on the Kentucky Derby points list with the 25 earned from his runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes in February at Gulfstream Park. Bred by CTR Stables LLC, River Thames was purchased by CHC, Siena Farm and Maverick Racing for $200,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. … Chester Broman Sr.’s. homebred Violence colt Sand Devil, ranked 29^th on the Derby list also with 25 points, represents the Empire State in Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct. … New York-breds have won nine open stakes (through April 1) this year.