Bank Frenzy scores second straight stakes win in Saturday’s Stymie at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.
Bank Frenzy returned from a short freshening and overcame a troubled start to win Saturday’s $150,000 Stymie Stakes against open company at Aqueduct.
The 5-year-old Central Banker gelding added the 1-mile Stymie to his victory in the December 28 Alex M. Robb for owners LSU Stables and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Manny Franco rode Bank Frenzy to a 3 1/2-length victory over Worchester in 1:40.29 over the fast track.
“He’s a very good horse,” LSU Stables’ Larry Sarf said. “He’s won two in a row and he’s won a stakes in open company now. Rudy trains this horse great. From 7 furlongs to mile, he’s effective.”
Bank Frenzy, who was bred by Chester and Mary Broman, improved to 7-for-15 and boosted his earnings to $506,670. He won four of seven starts in 2024, including the Evan Shipman at Saratoga Race Course, to earn one of the five nominations for champion New York-bred older dirt male.
“He had two state-bred stakes wins coming in and he has a chance to win the state-bred older horse of the year,” Sarf said. “Hopefully he’ll get it.”
Rodriguez didn’t race Bank Frenzy between the Alex M. Robb and Stymie, but kept the gelding in training with his string at Belmont Park. He breezed six times during that stretch, impressing his conditioner and jockey.
“He was training very good,” Rodriguez said. “Manny worked him a couple times and he was training good. To see the track fast is always a plus because when it’s sloppy there’s a lot of kickback and makes it more difficult for them to progress. I saw Manny by the five-eighths pole and the horse was already very keen – when they went to the outside, I said, ‘wow, he has a lot of horse.’ ”
Bank Frenzy raced in sixth after his tardy start while Winnin’onweekends and Concealed Carry battled through opening splits of :23.43 and :47.20.
Franco made his run toward the leaders while wide on the far turn. Bank Frenzy took command just inside the five-sixteenths, passed the 6-furlong split a length in front in 1:13.34 and increased his margin from there. Worchester finished 3 1/2 lengths clear of 2-1 favorite Coastal Mission for the place spot, with Curbstone fourth in the field of eight.
“He was impressive,” Franco said. “The horse did everything. I just sat behind the fast pace in front of me. I was happy with the way my horse was traveling. By the three-eighths pole, my horse jumped on the bridle without me asking to do that. I didn’t want to get into his way because I know he has a big stride, he is a big horse. I let him do it and he took me to the wire.”
Foaled at the Broman’s 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 and 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 in her January 30 debut going 1 mile and third in another New York-bred maiden at a mile Friday, both at Aqueduct.
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 was bred to Jackie’s Warrior in 2024.
