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.