Central Banker’s Bankit lands another stakes in Thunder Rumble

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Bankit and Jose Lezcano, winners of Sunday’s Thunder Rumble division of the NYSS. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.

Bankit returned to the form that landed him a stakes victory in August and a championship last year with his seventh stakes victory in Sunday’s $121,250 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series Sunday at Aqueduct.

Bankit also bounced back from a defeat to Somelikeithotbrown in the off-the-turf West Point Stakes in late August at Saratoga, defeating that foe by 3 1/4 lengths with 2021 champion New York-bred male sprinter My Boy Tate another 3 1/4 lengths back in third. Jose Lezcano rode the 6-year-old son of leading New York sire Central Banker to victory for trainer Steve Asmussen.

“He’s a nice horse,” Lezcano said of last year’s New York-bred champion older dirt male. “I’ve ridden him about three or four times and every time I’ve ridden him, he’s given me a good effort.”

Bankit turned in another good one Sunday and picked up an additional $68,750 toward his already seven-figure bankroll. The leading earner for leading New York sire Central Banker, Bankit came out of the Thunder Rumble with career earnings of $1,258,405 from a record of 8-11-5 in 36 starts.

Toby Sheets, Asmussen’s year-round assistant in New York, has been around the 6-year-old for several seasons when he’s been at Belmont Park and knows what it takes for Bankit to deliver his usual top effort.

“He’s been doing phenomenal,” Sheets said. “He loves it here and he loves Belmont and loves the track there. He’s just been doing really well. I know his little ins and outs and he looks like a summer horse today – he had a glow about him.”

Sent off as the 2-1 third choice in the field of five behind 7-5 favorite My Boy Tate and 8-5 second pick Somelikeithotbrown, Bankit broke on top but Lezcano was content to let Somelikeithotbrown take the lead up the backstretch. Somelikeithotbrown, a 6-length winner over Bankit in the West Point, led through opening splits of :23.13 and :46.29 with Bankit just to his outside. Chowda and My Boy Tate raced as a team behind those two.

Bankit poked a head in front just past the half-mile mark and turned for home in front. He opened up a 2-length lead in midstretch and widened from there, winning in 1:23.24 over the muddy and drying out main track. Bankit added the Thunder Rumble to his victory in the Evan Shipman Stakes in August at Saratoga this season.

“He broke pretty well,” Lezcano said. “Other times, I feel like he’s a better horse when he’s on the outside. He broke pretty clear and put him right there and when I asked him, he kicked on and won the race. He had no one outside of him, so he felt more confident. He jumped into the bridle right away and when I asked him, he went on with it.”

Bred by Hidden Brook Farm LLC and Blue Devil Racing and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, Bankit is campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing. He’s the first foal out of the Colonel John mare Sister in Arms and originally sold out of the Hidden Brook consignment to SGV Thoroughbreds for $85,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Bankit was purchased by Winchell Thoroughbreds for $260,000 at the 2018 OBS March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training sale.

Central Banker, a 12-year-old Grade 2-winning son of Speightstown, will stand the 2023 season for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. He was well clear on the New York general sire list – which he also topped in 2021 after a runner-up in 2020 – with progeny earnings of more than $4.68 million heading into Sunday.

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bankit-NYSS-JoeLabozzetta.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/12/04/central-bankers-bankit-lands-another-stakes-in-thunder-rumble/

Mission Impazible mare Impazible Donna wins Staten Island

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Impazible Donna, a 5-year-old daughter of Sequel-based Mission Impazible, scores first stakes win in the Staten Island division of the NYSS. NYRA Photo.

Flying P Stable’s Impazible Donna overcame a somewhat adventurous trip to land her first stakes victory in her first stakes try in Sunday’s $116,250 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 5-year-old daughter of Mission Impazible bobbled behind one of her three rivals early before running wide into the stretch under Javier Castellano. Impazible Donna won by 1 3/4 lengths from Silken Dollar in 1:24.92 over the muddy and harrowed main track.

“She was on the wrong lead and when she did that, she made an adjustment and she leveled off,” Castellano said of the mare’s misstep early.

Impazible Donna handled her business from there, tracking Bank On Anna and Silken Dollar through the opening half-mile in :46.34 and circling those two while running in the five path around the far turn. She took the lead from Silken Dollar outside the eighth pole, battled briefly with that rival inside the furlong marker and drew off late. Silken Dollar held second, 9 ½ lengths in front of Bank On Anna with Sedona Rocks fourth of four.

“She trains like a really nice horse,” winning trainer Bruce Levine said. “I was afraid to run her seven-eighths and now I can’t wait to run her a mile. We’re going to try her at least. She’s training better than she’s run in her life. Now, she’s gone seven-eighths twice.”

The 6-5 second choice behind favored Bank On Anna, Impazible Donna improved to 3-for-17 with five seconds and four thirds with the victory and boosted her bankroll to $266,340. She’s the second leading earner in 2022 for Mission Impazible, a 15-year-old multiple Grade 2-winning son of Unbridled’s Song who stands for $2,500 at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson.

Bred by Twin Creeks Farm, Impazible Donna is the fourth foal out of the stakes-placed Silver Deputy mare Pink Lollipops. She was originally offered at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale but not sold on a bid of $14,000.

Impazible Donna made her debut for Flying P and Levine during the 2019 Saratoga Race Course meeting. She finished second in her debut before going to the sidelines for more than a year. She returned in late August 2020 at Saratoga, finishing second again, before a victory going 6 1/2 furlongs in early October 2020 at Belmont Park. Her next victory came three starts later in late January 2021 at Aqueduct.

“She showed so much promise in her very first start she ran for us as a 2-year-old,” said Flying P’s Jay Provenzano. “She was going 5 1/2 [furlongs] and she spotted the field about 12 lengths and just missed getting up at the wire and then pulled up past the wire, so we gave her about a year layoff.”

Impazible Donna raced exclusively in state-bred allowance-optional company from then until the Staten Island, placing six times in 10 starts until the Staten Island. Impazible Donna hadn’t raced since back-to-back seconds to Mosienko in allowance-optionals Aug. 6 and Sept. 2 at Saratoga Race Course.

“She’s been a little hard luck,” Levine said. “The biggest thing is she’s not a good doer and you have to space her out and really train her light. That’s just the way she is. But she’s been good to me.”

Endnotes:

[Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/ImpazibleDonna-nyss.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2022/12/04/mission-impazible-mare-impazible-donna-wins-staten-island/