Bank Frenzy edges Doc Sullivan late to win Alex M. Robb

LSU Stables’ Bank Frenzy continued to show his determination and fondness for a wet track with a narrow victory over Doc Sullivan in Saturday’s 47th renewal of the $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 4-year-old son of three-time leading New York sire Central Banker collected his second stakes victory of 2024 with his nose win over the front-running Doc Sullivan and five others in the 1-mile Alex M. Robb. Bank Frenzy, now 4-for-4 on wet tracks, won the Evan Shipman Handicap in mid-August in the mud at Saratoga Race Course shortly after being purchased privately by LSU Stables and transferred to trainer Rudy Rodriguez’s barn.

“He loves the wet track,” said LSU Stables’ Larry Sarf. “When it’s wet, you can’t beat him. He was carrying more weight than all of the other horses, so it makes it a little tougher.

“He likes a little more distance, but he made the way. He stalked the lead and the big thing was he wasn’t getting any splash back, because he was laying on the outside. It was a great ride by Manny [Franco].”

Dismissed as the 6-5 favorite ahead of the 3-year-old El Grande O, making his return to stakes company and against New York-breds for the first time since October 2023, Bank Frenzy dueled with the foe in second and third as Doc Sullivan took the early initiative.

Doc Sullivan, fourth in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes in late November, led those two and the others through the pouring rain past the opening quarter in :22.73 over the sloppy track. Doc Sullivan and Jose Lezcano continued to lead up the backstretch to the half in :45.60 and around the far turn toward the 6-furlong split in 1:10.29.

El Grande O yielded first behind the free-wheeling front runner, leaving just Bank Frenzy and Sheriff Bianco as the closest pursuers into the stretch. Doc Sullivan opened up early, passed the eighth pole 2 lengths clear as Bank Frenzy continued to cut into his lead approaching the finish.

“I was traveling fine,” Franco said. “My horse broke good. Sometimes he doesn’t break, but today he broke with the field, so I took advantage of that. I put him right next to [El Grande O].”

Bank Frenzy put his nose in front three jumps from home and held on at the finish. He won in 1:36.81 and improved to 6-for-14 in his career.

“The one on the lead was tough to go by. I got to give credit to that horse, too,” Franco said. “My horse was trying, giving all he had, and I got him right there at the wire.”

Bank Frenzy also picked up $55,000 – boosting his bankroll to $424,170. Those dollars also figure to be worthwhile as Central Banker hunts down a fourth straight leading sire title in the Empire State.

Central Banker, a 14-year-old son of Speightstown who stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs, came into the day leading the New York general sire list with $5,362,263 in progeny earnings. He held a narrow lead over Bucchero at $5,278,396.

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman and foaled at their 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 3-year-old Practical Joke filly Funny Forecast and 2-year-old Instagrand filly Farm House, a $100,000 purchase by Final Furlong Racing Stable at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sale. The Bromans bred all of those runners in New York, along with Storm Now’s yearling filly by Instagrand.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2024/12/28/bank-frenzy-edges-doc-sullivan-late-to-win-alex-m-robb/

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