Disco Deano scores massive upset in Barker

Disco Deano lit up the Finger Lakes tote board in his first start in more than seven months, upsetting Monday’s $50,000 George W. Barker Stakes.

The 6-year-old Verrazano gelding won the traditional Memorial Day stakes and opening stakes of the 2023 Finger Lakes season at 37-1, holding off defending champ and 11-1 Flying Emperor and 48-1 third-place finisher Writer’s Regret to trigger monster exotic payoffs. Owned and trained by M. Anthony Ferraro, Disco Deano won for the ninth time in 27 starts and improved to 8-for-18 at Finger Lakes in the Barker.

Disco Deano and jockey Keibar Coa also survived a steward’s inquiry and jockey’s objection from Nazario Alvarado, aboard fourth-place finisher and even-money favorite Lady’s Golden Guy.

Disco Deano swept to the lead in the 6-furlong Barker around the far turn, taking over from Lobsta after the half-mile in :46.29. Lady’s Golden Guy, prominent throughout, came up the inside to reach contention before Disco Deano responded to the challenge in deep stretch. Disco Deano won by head in 1:12.39 over the fast track. Flying Emperor finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Writer’s Regret with Lady’s Golden Guy another three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Senbei, Winston’s Chance, Neava York, Lobsta and Samay completed the field.

Bred by Joe DiRico and out of the unraced Disco Rico mare Nurse Disco, Disco Deano sold for $36,000 out the Harry L. Landry Bloodstock consignment at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. Ferraro has trained the gelding throughout his career, including in his winning second start at 2 that earned appearances in the Aspirant Stakes and New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes.

Disco Deano finished unplaced in those two events and didn’t make a stakes appearance again until last year’s Leon Reed Memorial in early October at Finger Lakes. He finished fifth in the Reed, which also marked his final start of 2022.

Ferraro prepped Disco Deano for his return with three works at Tampa Bay Downs in April and four more back home at Finger Lakes, including a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 May 17 and a 3-furlong tightener in :37.10 May 23.

Alfred DiRico purchased the New York-bred Nurse Disco for $30,000 as a yearling out of the Flying Zee Dispersal Phase I in October 2011 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky. Disco Deano is the third foal out of Nurse Disco, who is also the dam of three-time winner and $174,384-earner Quai Voltaire.

Disco Deano collected $30,000 for the victory and boosted his earnings to $196,788.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2023/05/29/disco-deano-scores-massive-upset-in-barker/

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