Bank Frenzy eyes the finish line while winning Sunday’s Evan Shipman Handicap at Saratoga Race Course. NYRA Photo/Chelsea Durand
By Alec DiConza
Bank Frenzy cashed a big check Sunday when winning the $125,000 Evan Shipman Handicap, rescheduled from Aug. 9 due to torrential rain from Tropical Storm Debby, for owner LSU Stable and trainer Rudy Rodriguez at Saratoga Race Course.
The 4-year-old New York-bred Central Banker gelding was purchased shortly after his last race, a 5 1/4-length win in a May 26 state-bred allowance-optional at Aqueduct, from Phil’s Racing Stable.
After Bank Frenzy prevailed in a four-horse battle in the Evan Shipman, run at 1 mile for New York-breds 3-years-old and upward, LSU Stable’s Randy Sarf reflected on the win’s significance for his family.
“This means a lot to us as a family,” he said in the winner’s circle. “We have been coming here since 1991 and this is the first time that my mom, dad and I have had the opportunity to be here and take a picture together in the winner’s circle. I think we won a race here once, but I don’t know if I was here. This just means a lot to (my) family. This horse is a nice horse.”
Bank Frenzy broke from post three in a field of six. After getting pinched between Cicciobello and eventual pacesetter Maker’s Candy a few strides into the race, the chestnut settled in fifth under Flavien Prat behind fractions of :24.57 and :48.25. Able to make up some ground on the turn, Bank Frenzy dove to the rail early in the stretch and continued his momentum to rally to a 1 1/4-length score in 1:37.27. Maker’s Candy held second and was followed by Sheriff Bianco and Cicciobello.
“I was hoping to get a clean break and get myself going, but was just not quick enough, so from there I went to plan B,” Prat said. “I kept him outside for the most part. Once I got down the backside, he took a bit of dirt but felt comfortable. It felt like I was able to drop in and he made a nice rally from there.”
After winning in wire-to-wire fashion last time, Bank Frenzy showed a new dimension in coming from off the pace in the Evan Shipman.
“I was concerned when he broke and they squeezed him pretty good out of the gate, but he showed us that he doesn’t need the lead, for sure,” Rodriguez said.
Waiting an extra nine days to run the Evan Shipman proved only a minor inconvenience as Bank Frenzy had no trouble getting the job done after the delay.
“(The owners) have been very patient with the horse and we’ve been very patient to get the race to go, but thank God they used the race,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a nice horse. He knows how to win and he showed that. He’s a good horse.”
For trainer Lisa Lewis and Phil’s Racing Stable, Bank Frenzy won three times – a 2022 maiden race at Tampa Bay Downs, an Aqueduct allowance in 2023 and an optional claimer at Aqueduct again in May.
Rodriguez said the Empire Classic, a major race on the New York-bred calendar run Oct. 27, could be in the cards for Bank Frenzy.
“Right now, that’s the key,” he said. “Hopefully he comes back good, and we’ll just take it step-by-step.”
Bank Frenzy is out of the Tiznow mare Storm Now and was bred by Chester and Mary Broman, who bought her for $110,000 in 2015. Storm Now has produced three other foals with racing experience, including winners Broadway Joe and City Mischief. The latter is an Into Mischief gelding trained by Mark Casse and an earner of $131,830 over the course of his 16 starts. Storm Now has also produced an unraced 2-year-old filly by Instagrand named Farm House who sold for $100,000 last year. She had an Instagrand filly again last year, did not get in foal this year and was bred to Jackie’s Warrior for 2025.
