Soontobeking slips up in the inside to win Saturday’s Gander Stakes at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

George Weaver watched the pace battle unfold in Saturday’s $125,000 Gander Stakes down the backstretch and liked what he saw.

“They were stacked three or four across kind of scrumming a bit and I was happy to see that because we needed some pace,” said Weaver, represented by Soontobeking in the 1-mile stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds.

Weaver got the pace – solid fractions of :23.87 and :47.98 set by Givememythememusic, Mo Plex, Skytown and National Identity – and Soontobeking did the rest. The son of New York-based sire King for a Day cut into the lead around the far turn, continued his prolonged run through the lane and came up the inside to edge National Identity and Mo Plex at the wire for his first stakes victory.

“I was just happy to see the horse sustain the rally,” Weaver said. “I’ve never been quite sure if the mile is his best distance, but he just kept coming and that’s what we love about the horse. He just gives 110 percent every time and doesn’t stop trying and fighting. He wants to win, so he’s earned a special place in our hearts winning that race. Man, he’s a cool dude.”

Sent off as the 6-1 fourth choice under Eric Cancel, Soontobeking won by a nose over 6-5 favorite National Identity with graded stakes winner Mo Plex a half-length back in third. Soontobeking won in 1:41.26.

“He’s a pretty tricky horse,” Cancel said. “You just have to let him be wherever he wants to be and sit patient with him. Once you think it’s time to go and you start asking him, he picks it up. He knows his job and I’m really happy he got the job done.

“I saw the other two horses in front of me battling it out and they were kind of getting out a little bit in the stretch, so I decided to tip in and if I get there, I get there and if not, at least I did the right thing. He’s very hard-knocking. Every time he comes out to run, he shows up. It doesn’t matter the competition he runs in; he always gives 200 percent. I have a lot of confidence in him. It was just a matter of the timing and today the timing was right.”

Soontobeking won for his breeders and owners Our Blue Streaks Stable and Steve Venosa’s S G V Thoroughbreds. Weaver also owns an interest in the colt, who breezed an eighth in :10 before last year’s OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training and was reported sold for $80,000 to J U Racing Stables.

Soontobeking raced for his breeders and Weaver from his first start May 10 at Aqueduct, where he finished third before returning two weeks later to win for trainer Mitch Friedman in an off-the-turf open-company maiden event. Back with Weaver from there, Soontobeking competed in six straight stakes after that win, finishing second in the Funny Cide at Saratoga and Aspirant at Finger Lakes and third in the Sleepy Hollow and Notebook at Aqueduct.

Weaver gave Soontobeking some class relief in his first start of 2025 and the colt won a 6 1/2-furlong state-bred allowance-optional January 12 at Aqueduct. He finished third behind Sand Devil and National Identity last time out in the February 8 Damon Runyon Stakes going 7 furlongs.

Foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater, Soontobeking is the first foal out of the winning New York-bred Freud mare Swayed. Campaigned by Our Blue Streaks Stable, Swayed went 4-4-2 in 21 starts and earned $143,328. She’s out of the Johannesburg mare Easy Erin, a daughter of champion New York-bred and graded stakes winner Dancin Renee.

Swayed is also the dam of a 2-year-old New York-bred colt by Cairo Prince and was bred to Leinster in 2024.

“His mother was Swayed, who we trained as well,” Weaver said. “She was a sway-backed filly that Sanford Bacon had bred and he didn’t want to stay in on her, so she was kind of a house horse. She was a hard-trier as well and she knocked out her races at a lower level for the most part. She was hard-trying and put that in this horse.

“We got him from the 2-year-old sale and he worked well there, and he’s been straightforward ever since. He’s been sound, we’ve been able to run him, and this horse has put together quite a string of races for a young horse. He likes what he does.”

Soontobeking’s first stakes victory also provided his sire with his first stakes win. King for a Day, a 9-year-old son of Uncle Mo out of the French Deputy mare Ubetwereven, stands for $5,000 at Irish Hill and Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Stillwater.

King for a Day finished second on New York’s freshman sire list in 2024 – siring three winners and the earners of $423,421. Soontobeking, who placed in four stakes as a 2-year-old, finished the season as King for a Day’s leading earner with a bankroll of $197,878. King for a Day came into Saturday ranked second on New York’s second-crop sire list with $240,474 in progeny earnings, less than $1,000 behind 2024 freshman sire leader Honest Mischief.

Bernieandtherose wins fourth straight – and second consecutive stakes – in Saturday’s Maddie May at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Another Saturday, another stakes win at Aqueduct for a daughter of the Freud mare Berning Rose.

Bernieandtherose did it this time, adding the $125,000 Maddie May Stakes for 3-year-old fillies to her resume four weeks removed from winning the $121,250 East View Stakes. The daughter of Accelerate also added to the wintertime haul for her owners and breeders, Robert Rosenthal and Brad Bernstein, who celebrated two weeks ago when Bernietakescharge topped open company foes in the Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes. Dominick Schettino trains both fillies.

Under regular partner Katie Davis, Bernieandtherose won her fourth straight dating back to a maiden-winning score November 3 during the Belmont at the Big A meeting. She added an allowance-optional three weeks later before the February 8 East View going 7 furlongs.

Stretched out to 1 mile in the Maddie May, Bernieandtherose hounded 47-1 longshot Howling Wind throughout before taking command around the far turn en route to a 3 1/4-length victory over 6-5 favorite Lottie Margaret. Bernieandtherose, the 5-2 third choice, earned $68,750 for the win and boosted her bankroll to $231,750. She won in 1:41.35 over the fast track.

“I don’t think my friend and trainer gets enough respect,” Rosenthal said. “He’s done a phenomenal job with this horse, with Bernietakescharge and their dam Berning Rose. We are just blessed to have horses like this giving us so much pleasure and this is really special.

“I can’t give enough credit to Domenick and to Katie, who gets on the horse every day. They know the horse and are developing her and she just keeps getting better and better. We’re ecstatic.”

Foaled at Indigo Farm in Stanfordville, Bernieandtherose is the third foal out of Berning Rose. Her first foal, the Honor Code mare Berning Honor, went 1-3-1 in 10 starts and earned $82,573 for the same connections. Bernietakescharge, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy, improved to 5-for-15 and $354,580 in earnings with her victory in the Heavenly Prize. She finished third in last year’s Maddie May and second in last year’s East View.

Berning Rose is the dam of the New York-bred 2-year-old Always Dreaming filly Roseberns Dream and a yearling colt by Central Banker. Berning Rose was bred to Americanrevolution in 2024.

A daughter of the multiple stakes-winning Flying Chevron mare Peach Flambe, Berning Rose went 2-for-3 racing for Rosenthal, Bernstein and Schettino including the 2017 Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

“I’ve been in the breeding and racing business for more than 30 years, and I have to say this is just an incredible thrill,” Rosenthal said. “She’s now won four in a row and we’ve won seven of the last eight races between the two [half-sisters], three stakes. … It’s just incredible and it’s what you’re in this business for. It’s a tribute to Domenick and the patience he has with young horses and the way he develops them. From Galloping Grocer, who was one of my homebreds back in the day, to these horses now, it’s been great.”

Mi Bago rolls to third stakes victory of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet in last weekend’s Colonel Liam. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Stuart Morris went to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale in 2017 with fairly specific instructions from his father Jeff about a mare. And ignored them.

The intended purchase didn’t measure up, for whatever reason, and Stuart spent $12,000 on Wabanaki instead. Consigned by Sequel Thoroughbreds, the New York-bred daughter of Indian Charlie never raced and neither had her three foals. Carrying a foal by New York sire Freud, the bay mare traced to a deep female family though, and Stuart liked what he saw. Dam New Harmony had produced six winners. Second dam Battle Creek Girl had produced 15, topped by Canadian champion Wavering Girl and graded winners Tricky Creek, Parade Ground, Parade Leader and Speed Dialer.

Going on eight years later, Wabanaki’s son Mi Bago is blossoming into a New York-bred star after winning the Colonel Liam Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 1.

The $215,000 turf stakes for 3-year-olds turned into a showcase for the son of Vekoma, who led at every call for Irad Ortiz Jr. and won by 4 1/2 lengths in a quick 1:32.51 for a mile. Trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber, the bay colt won his second stakes of 2025 and his third consecutive race while improving to 5-for-7 lifetime with $387,850 in earnings.

Bred by the Morrises’ Kentucky-based but New York-supporting Highclere operation, Mi Bago was foaled at Dr. Jerry Bilinski’s Waldorf Farm in North Chatham in 2022 and was raised at Highclere in Lexington. In 2023, the colt sold as a short yearling for $62,000 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky’s February mixed sale as part of the Stuart Morris consignment.

“He was always a really cool horse,” said Stuart. “He was a bit unassuming, very simple, uncomplicated. The horse didn’t have a lot of flash about him. He was one you forgot about because he took care of himself so well. You liked looking at him, he moved well, he was a correct, simple, uncomplicated horse. All you had to do was feed him and vaccinate him and let him be himself.”

The strategy has paid off at every step.

Original buyer Carlos Munoz tried to pinhook Mi Bago at Fasig-Tipton’s New York-bred yearling sale at Saratoga, but he failed to meet his reserve on a bid of $90,000. A year later, with Munoz as owner/trainer, Mi Bago dominated maidens in his debut sprinting on the dirt at Colonial Downs in Virginia. Barber bought the colt privately after that win and sent him to Casse. Twenty-four days out of the maiden win, Mi Bago finished sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes against fellow New York-breds – his only start in the program – at Saratoga.

Casse regrouped and moved Mi Bago to the turf. In October, he won the Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine. A month later, he finished fifth in a stakes on Breeders’ Cup Weekend at Del Mar. A month after that, he won the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream and added the Dania Beach on the Florida track’s synthetic surface on New Year’s Day.

For a substitute mare, Wabanaki did her part. Her foals now include five winners, three sold by Highclere for a combined $147,000. In foal to Highly Motivated, she sold for $45,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s December 2024 digital sale.

For Stuart Morris, the success has been fun to watch. Mi Bago joined racing Hall of Famer Silverbulletday, 2019 New York-bred turf male champion Gucci Factor and a slew of others on the farm’s roster of stars.

“Mi Bago is another cool horse to come off that farm,” he said of Highclere, a former cattle farm his father purchased in 1979. “We moved there when I was 4 years old and I just turned 50. It’s been a pretty remarkable run.”

The story could get even cooler, as Casse and Barber nominated Mi Bago to the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket May 3.

RACING NOTES: Mi Bago was one of three New York-breds to win open stakes last weekend. At Aqueduct Saturday, Bank Frenzy won the Stymie for LSU Stable and trainer Rudy Rodriguez. Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, the Central Banker gelding won for the seventh time in 15 starts and improved his career bankroll to $506,670 . . . Central Banker completed a weekend double a day later when Sunday Girl won Aqueduct’s Correction Stakes for Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable and trainer David Duggan. Now a six-time winner, Sunday Girl was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds (where Central Banker stands) and Spruce Lane Farm. Mitre Box bought her for $100,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale in 2023 . . . New York-breds have won eight open stakes (through March 4) this year.

River Thames (inside) finishes second to Sovereignty in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of. Youth Stakes. Coglianese Photo/Angelo Lieto

New York-breds earn Kentucky Derby points

Sovereignty and Journalism hogged most of the attention this weekend among the national 3-year-old leaders on the road to the Kentucky Derby, but New York-breds took their swings too.

In the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park Saturday, River Thames led in deep stretch but couldn’t hold off Sovereignty’s late charge. Bred by CTR Stable, River Thames was beaten a neck while settling for second, and earned 25 points toward a spot in the Derby field for CHC and WinStar Farm.

Unraced at 2, the Maclean’s Music colt won a 6-furlong maiden race January 11 and followed up with a 1-mile allowance score February 1 for trainer Todd Pletcher. CHC, Siena Farm and WinStar’s Maverick Racing paid $200,000 for the colt, out of the Discreet Cat mare Proportionality, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale in 2023.

At Aqueduct Saturday, Chester Broman’s homebred Sand Devil finished second in the Grade 3 Gotham for trainer Linda Rice, earning 25 Derby points as well. The son of Violence and the Mineshaft mare Mineralogist (a multiple New York-bred stakes winner) won his first three starts including the Damon Runyon Stakes in February. Sand Devil represents a deep Broman family through his dam, granddam Seeking The Ante and third dam Antespend (a 1997 purchase from Kentucky’s Elemendorf Farm as a 2-year-old).

Hip 42, a colt by Yaupon bred by Gabrielle Farm and Saratoga Glen Farm, sold for $250,000 to top Fasig-Tipton February digital sale. Photo courtesy of De Meric Sales.

February Digital sale success

Another New York-bred made headlines to bring February to a close, this time in the digital sales ring.

A 2-year-old colt by freshman sire Yaupon out of New York-bred champion Frosty Margarita sold for $250,000 to top the Fasig-Tipton February digital sale. Shane Yeager purchased the topper with bloodstock agent Dennis O’Neill handling the bidding. The colt was sold as Hip 42 as the property of De Meric Sales and off a traditional virtual inspection and video of an untimed gallop at De Meric Farm in Ocala, Florida.

Bred by Gabrielle Farm and Saratoga Glen Farm and foaled at Saratoga Glen Farm in Stillwater, the colt is the second foal out of the multiple stakes-winning Frost Giant mare Frosty Margarita. The same partnership bred her first foal, the placed Malibu Moon gelding Malibu Margarita.

Gabrielle Farm bred and raced Frosty Margarita, an eight-time winner who earned $599,876. She earned New York-bred champion 2-year-old filly honors in 2015 and won four stakes during her 36-start career.

Katie Davis shows Sunday Girl some love after winning Sunday’s Correction at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Susie Raisher.

Sunday’s $121,250 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct naturally belonged to Sunday Girl.

The 4-year-old daughter of four-time leading New York sire Central Banker nosed out St. Benedicts Prep for her second stakes victory in the 6-furlong open-company event for fillies and mares.

Owned by Mitre Box Stable, Clear Stars Stable and Eighth Note Stable and trained by David Duggan, Sunday Girl added the Correction to her score in last year’s Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct. Katie Davis rode Sunday Girl, the even-money favorite in the field of five who won in 1:13.50.

“What a race,” Duggan said. “That was some game effort by St. Benedicts Prep. I knew if we were taking her on that today was the day, but hat’s off to her.”

Longshot Disco Ebo took the lead from post two just to the outside of Sunday Girl and withstood pressure from that foe through the opening quarter-mile in :23.39. Sunday Girl continued to hound Disco Ebo around the turn down inside as St. Benedicts Prep inched into contention ahead of Shop Lifting.

Sunday Girl came on even terms with Disco Ebo past the quarter-pole and the half-mile split in :47.46 before edging ahead turning for home. Sunday Girl put the early leader away approaching the eighth pole, opened up and braced for the late run from St. Benedicts Prep.

“I knew [Disco Ebo] wanted to go with us, but at that point I was half-way in and half-way out and I didn’t want to take out at that point,” Davis said of staying on the inside early aboard Sunday Girl. “I hit the turn and we started to move and if he [Abner Adorno on Disco Ebo] made any slight move, we would have been bouncing off the fence. But she’s so game, she ran right through that, she don’t care.”

St. Benedicts Prep made one final run just outside the finish but Sunday Girl hit the wire in time. Disco Ebo finished 2 1/2 lengths behind the top pair in third.

“I got nervous that last jump because she started mellowing out just a touch, but she held on,” Davis said.

Sunday Girl won for the third straight start and improved to 6-for-8 overall with earnings of $394,988. Her lone defeats came when seventh in the Bouwerie Stakes last summer at Saratoga Race Course and second in the Staten Island division of the NYSS in late November at Aqueduct.

“She’s stepping up but she’s coming along and become a more mature filly. That was a game effort,” Duggan said, adding that targets in upstate New York would again be on the agenda for Sunday Girl. “We will more than likely press the pause button now and look toward Saratoga.”

Sunday Girl brought the highest price for a New York-bred in the open portion of the 2022 OBS October yearling sale on a bid of $43,000 from Kathryn Martin. Mitre Box Stables purchased her for $100,000 about seven months later at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, out of the de Meric Sales consignment.

Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC and Spruce Lane Farm and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, the chestnut filly is out of the winning Harlan’s Holiday mare Lady Daphne.

Sunday Girl is a half-sister to Lady Jasmine, a New York-bred daughter of Cairo Prince also bred by McMahon and Spruce Lane who won her debut in 2022 at Saratoga Race Course. She’s won two of 17 starts with two other placings and earned $101,988.

Lady Daphe is also the dam of the winning New York-bred Laoban mare Proper Grammar, who earned $60,984 through the end of 2024.

Lady Daphne, purchased by McMahon of Saratoga for $17,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, is also the dam of the 3-year-old Solomini colt Brimsley and a 2-year-old full brother to Sunday Girl who was a $29,000 RNA at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred sale. McMahon of Saratoga and Spruce  Lane also bred a yearling full brother to Sunday Girl and Lady Daphne was bred back to Central Banker last season.

Central Banker, a 15-year-old son of Speightstown, stands for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs. He topped last year’s New York general sire list with progeny earnings of $5,436,573.

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.

Landed shows no sign of rust off the layoff to win Sunday’s Broadway at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Lael Stable’s Landed returned from a four-month layoff to pick up her third stakes victory in Sunday’s $125,000 Broadway for older New York-bred fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Employing her successful front-running style under Frankie Pennington, Landed controlled the 7-furlong Broadway from the start and won by a length over the late-running Sweet Brown Sugar. Off since finishing third in an open allowance-optional going 9 furlongs October 23 at Keeneland, the 4-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach won in 1:24.78.

Trainer Wesley Ward prepped Landed for her return at his main Kentucky bases at Keeneland and Turfway Park.

“She’s a win machine, that filly,” Ward said. “She just keeps on winning. She kind of bounces out of there and if we can get there [to the front], then she just keeps running. She’s just a sweetheart of a filly to train. She does everything right and has no issues at all.

“She’s one of those horses that’s right up at the front of the stall ready to go. I had her at Keeneland pointing for this race from her last start and we just gave her some time off – meaning she was still in her stall, just backing off her a little. She was always up at the front of the stall saying, ‘I’m ready to go.’ She’s a really cool horse to be around.”

Sent off as the 5-2 second choice in the field of six behind, Landed and Pennington took control early out of the chute and led Speightful Lily and 2-1 favorite My Magic Wand through the opening quarter-mile in :23.17. Those three maintained that position to the half in :46.59, with Landed up by a half-length over Speightful Lily.

Landed cruised into the stretch, spurted away from those early challengers and opened up by 2 1/2 lengths in midstretch. Multiple stakes winner Sweet Brown Sugar and Lane Luzzi made a run at the leader late but couldn’t make the ground at the finish to be a clear second. Speightful Lily finished another 2 1/4 lengths back in third, followed by Caldwell Luvs Gold, Tough Street and My Magic Wand.

“She broke sharp. She was wanting to go, so I went ahead and let her go,” Pennington said. “It was just a waiting game with her. She ran very big off the layoff.

“She has natural speed, so I wanted to be forward anyways, but it just happened to work out perfectly for me. I can’t ask for anything else. I’ve been watching all day, and speed has been holding, but I’ve seen them come from a little off of it, too, so I saw she could run off the pace, too. She ran good from off of it in her first start, but with her natural speed and when she broke, since I had the opportunity to go on with the lead, I took it.”

Bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, Landed is a half-sister to New York-bred champion, multiple stakes winner and millionaire Venti Valentine out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold. Landed improved to 5-for-8 with the victory and boosted her bankroll to $366,760.

Lael Stable purchased Landed for $500,000 out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale of selected yearlings, making her the most expensive New York-bred of the sale.

Landed is the seventh foal out of Glory Gold, who was purchased by Final Furlong for $13,000 in foal to Venti Valentine at the 2018 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Glory Gold is also the dam of multiple stakes winner and $516,625-earner Espresso Shot, a $69,000 purchase by Final Furlong Racing out of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale, and two other winners.

Bernietakescharge dominates Saturday’s Heavenly Prize Invitational. Coglianese Photo.

Robert Rosenthal’s and Bradford Bernstein’s homebred Bernietakescharge took control from the start and didn’t relinquish the lead en route to her first stakes victory in Saturday’s $145,500 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct.

The 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy overcame a bump at the start from odds-on favorite Weigh the Risks and led throughout the 1-mile trip of the Heavenly Prize for a 6 1/4-length victory over that foe under Romero Maragh. Trained by Domenick Schettino and sent off as the second longest shot of the five runners at 17-1, Bernietakescharge picked up her second straight victory in third in her last four starts. She won in 1:38.53 over the fast track.

“It was fast up front, but she runs like that. That’s the way she likes to run,” Schettino said. “When she gets to the quarter pole, if she’s still in front, a lot of times she’ll kick away and she continues to go forward.

“I [saw] the favorite [Weigh the Risks] sitting there third, I was like, ‘well with his half a mile, maybe the favorite’s going to come.’ But then when I saw the quarter pole and I [saw] the favorite start to really, the jockey was working on her, I [saw] my filly just taking a little breather, I knew we had a good shot once we turned for home.”

Maragh said taking the lead from the start was always the plan. He’s ridden the half-sister to recent stakes winner Bernieandtherose for her last four starts, including a nose victory and a 6 1/4-length score going 9 furlongs, and that knowledge and time in the morning paid off.

“The goal was definitely to get the lead with her because she’s a quirky filly,” Maragh said. “As long as she’s clear or on the lead, she’ll give her honest, best effort. When horses come up to her, it pushes her even more and that was the game plan to establish the lead early.

“I’ve worked her in the mornings, too, and when she works by herself, you wouldn’t think she would win a stakes. She just goes by herself at a nice galloping speed. When she’s with company, she’s a completely different horse. So, I could tell by how she is in the morning that the afternoons are different with her.”

Bernieandtherose, also a homebred for Rosenthal and Bernstein trained by Schettino, won the East View Stakes February 8 at Aqueduct. The same ownership and trainer tandem campaigned the dam of those two fillies, the Freud mare Berning Rose.

Berning Rose won two of three starts, including the 2017 Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Park.

“It’s great,” Schettino said. “Bob Rosenthal and his family, I trained every horse; the mom, all the siblings. Jan Durrschmidt, where we raise the horses at Indigo Farm. It’s a special feeling.”

Berning Rose’s first foal, Berning Honor, went 1-3-1 in 10 starts and earned $82,573. Bernietakescharge improved to 5-for-15 with two seconds and two thirds and earnings of $354,580 in the Heavenly Prize. Berning Rose is also the dam of the 2-year-old Always Dreaming filly Roseberns Dream and a yearling colt by Central Banker. She was bred to Americanrevoluation in 2024.

Bernietakescharge was entered in Sunday’s Broadway Stakes at 7 furlongs, but Schettino liked the distance and setup of the open-company Heavenly Prize better for the filly.

“The distance and a shorter field, and seeing the horse on the outside [Aussie Girl] had never been on the dirt, that’s a question mark there. ,” he said. “She was training super, and once she was training the way she was, I told Bob Rosenthal, ‘let’s take a shot in this race here.’ Plus, she had a better post position in this race than she does tomorrow.”

Sheriff Bianco rolls to his first stakes victory at 14-1 in Saturday’s Say Florida Sandy at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Sheriff Bianco returned on seven days’ rest and ended a 21-race losing skid with a victory through light snowflakes in Saturday’s $125,000 Say Florida Sandy Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 7-year-old Speightster gelding came away with his first stakes victory in the 7-furlong Say Florida Sandy, upsetting his five rivals at 14-1 under Ruben Silvera. Owned by A Bianco Holding Limited and trained by Linda Rice, Sheriff Bianco finished third last Saturday in an open-company 7-furlong allowance-optional at Aqueduct.

“He loves 7 furlongs,” said of Sheriff Bianco, who improved to 1-2-1 in six starts at the distance. “It is a New York-bred, 7-furlong [stakes] and frankly, I’ve had the horse quite a while, and here and there it has looked like he’s tailed off at times.

“We’ve given him a few breaks and I ran him for a claiming price last time out. I was pretty happy with that performance, I thought it was an uptick in his performances, and because of that I said, ‘let’s give him a shot in the New York-bred stakes because seven-eighths is probably his sweet spot.’ ”

Sent off as the second longest shot on the board at 14-1, Sheriff Bianco raced fourth early as Mama’s Gold set the pace ahead of Shipsational and Doc Sullivan through the opening quarter-mile in :23.64.

Mama’s Gold continued to lead around the far turn with Shipsational ramping up the pressure approaching the half-mile split in :46.90. Mama’s Gold still led into the lane before Shipsational took over outside the eighth pole, past 6 furlongs in 1:11.80 under Eric Cancel.

Silvera kept Sheriff Bianco in the clear through the lane and the gelding rolled past Shipsational at the sixteenth pole. He widened his advantage from there, winning by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:24.94.

“I tried to follow the instructions and [Rice] told me, ‘stay behind the speed, comfortable,’ ” Silvera said. “I had a perfect trip and I come behind the speed waiting for the stretch. I tried switching the lead two times, but he never switched. I tried hard in the end and he won.”

Shipsational held second, three-quarters of a length in front of Doc Sullivan. Locke and Key, Mama’s Gold and Whittington Park completed the field.

Sheriff Bianco earned $68,750 for his first stakes victory and improved to 7-for-41 in his career with 23 placings and earnings of $811,863. Seven of those placings came in stakes, including a third three starts back in the Alex M. Robb and a runner-up effort in the 2023 Empire Classic Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.

Rice said Sheriff Bianco could return in the $125,000 Haynesfield for older New York-breds April 6 at Aqueduct.

“He’s good at one turn, whether it be 6 [furlongs] to a mile, it is really where he wants to be,” she said. “He’s even run well at a mile and an eighth at times. The seven-eighths is probably his best spot, but I would assume we will go to the Haynesfield next.”

Bred by SF Bloodstock LLC and foaled at Sugar Maple Farm in Poughquag, Sheriff Bianco is the fourth foal out of the Perfect Soul mare Summer Rules. A half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Peace Rules, Summer Rules is also the dam of stakes winner Never Gone South, a four-time winner an earner of $244,135; and Sister’s Duty, an earner of $79,213.

Summer Rules is also the dam of Nelson Gate, an unraced 3-year-old gelding by Kitten’s Joy who sold for $30,000 to Christophe Clement, agent, at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale. Nelson Gate has turned in three breezes this winter at Payson Park Training Center, including a 3-furlong drill in :38.60 February 10.

SF Bloodstock also bred a colt by Quality Road out of Summer Rules that sold as a weanling for $375,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale. Summer Rules returned to Quality Road for the 2024 season.

Bernieandtherose wins third straight in Saturday’s East View at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Robert and Brad Rosenthal’s homebred Bernieandtherose extended her streak to three straight victories Saturday with her first stakes win in the $121,250 East View Stakes at Aqueduct.

Making her stakes debut in the 7-furlong stakes, Bernieandtherose broke on top and took an early lead as the field of five ran out of the chute. The daughter of Accelerate’s lead didn’t last long with race favorite Naive Melody flying to the front as Bernieandtherose settled on the rail in third through the opening quarter in :23.53.

Naive Melody wasn’t challenged down the backstretch, but Storm Changer changed that on the turn when she grabbed the lead halfway around the bend. Storm Charger looked to have it wrapped up in the stretch with Naive Melody fading and Bernieandtherose a few lengths behind.

Bernieandtherose targeted Storm Changer as they flashed past the furlong pole and closed the lead with every stride. Jockey Katie Davis put the whip away in the final sixteenth as Bernieandtherose collared the leader and pulled ahead. By the time they reached the line, Bernieandtherose had a half-length advantage with the clock stopping in 1:26.35. Storm Changer finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of third-placed Naive Melody.

“You know, it’s funny, she popped right out of there, but knowing the other horses going into the race like Wesley Ward’s [Naive Melody] and the other horse, they could go a :45, and I wasn’t looking to go a :45,” Davis said. “Yes, she broke on top, but I wasn’t trying to rush her off her feet, because I don’t want to be in that speed duel. So, I let them go, sat the pocket for the first time ever with her, she didn’t mind it, and I tipped her out and she came running home.”

Trained by Domenick Schettino, Bernieandtherose’s only loss came on debut when third by just half-length in October. She broke her maiden one start later by 7 3/4 lengths before ending the year with an easy 6 1/4-length victory in an Aqueduct allowance-optional.

The filly may jump on the Kentucky Oaks trail for her next start, though Schettino didn’t commit to that route after the race.

“I’ll have to speak Mr. Rosenthal about that and see which way we go, if we stick with the New York program coming up or the Busher,” he said. “First of all, we’ll see how she comes out of this race and go from there. I don’t think distance is an issue – I think she’ll go two turns. The mare [Berning Rose] won the Maid of the Mist going a mile and the sister won going long, so I don’t think she’ll have a problem with it either down the road.”

Bernieandtherose is the second stakes performer out of Freud’s New York-bred stakes winner Berning Rose, who was also bred by the Rosenthals. Berning Rose is the dam of three winners from three to race.

Berning Rose’s other runners include last year’s East View runner-up Bernietakecharge, who has three stakes placings to her name. That 4-year-old Take Charge Indy New York-bred won her own 2025 debut in an allowance-optional January 11 at Aqueduct.

Berning Rose is one of seven winners out of her own stakes-winning dam Peach Flambe, who is also the granddam of multiple New York-bred stakes placed Bernt Again.

Berning Rose foaled a New York-bred Always Dreaming filly in 2023 named Roseberns Dream and a Central Banker New York-bred colt last year.

The mare was part of Americanrevolution’s first book in 2024 with that stallion standing for $12,500 at Rockridge Stud in Hudson. He sired his first foal January 19.

Sand Devil fends off National Identity to stay unbeaten in Saturday’s Damon Runyon at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

By Paul Halloran

It wasn’t nearly as easy as his first two starts or the tote board indicated it would be, but Sand Devil dug in down the stretch Saturday at Aqueduct to take the Damon Runyon Stakes and remain undefeated.

The Chester and Mary Broman homebred outlasted a game National Identity to win the New York-bred stakes 3-year-olds by a neck, a margin trainer Linda Rice thought was closer than necessary.

“I thought he should have opened up in the middle of the turn,” Rice said of jockey Jose Lezcano. “They went slow down the backside and we were inside the other speed horse. It is what it is. I thought he should have opened up more. He gave the other horse too much of a chance.”

A son of Violence out of the Bromans’ homebred Mineshaft mare Mineralogist, Sand Devil didn’t have to work too hard to get to the lead in the 7-furlong stakes. National Identity broke first, but Lezcano came up the rail to take the advantage heading into the turn through a quarter-mile in :24.52 and a half in :48.58.

He maintained a three-quarter-length advantage around the turn, but never extended it, as Rice would have preferred. National Identity almost pulled even at the eighth pole and, after Sand Devil regained some breathing room, came running again but couldn’t catch the winner. The final time was 1:24.66.

“Today was the first time he had a tussle and he dug it out,” Rice said. “That other horse can run a little bit, but, like I said, they went slow early and sprinted home, and it was a strategic mistake for Jose to give that horse a chance to get head-and-head. He’d already had an advantage, and he should have used it, but we got to the winner’s circle and we move forward.”

Sand Devil, who doesn’t actually turn 3 until February 15, is the fifth foal out of Mineralogist, a multiple stakes winner out of the graded stakes-winning and New York-bred champion Seeking the Gold mare Seeking the Ante. Mineralogist’s most productive progeny to date is the Broman homebred Can You Diggit, a stakes winner by Tiznow who banked $436,555 in a 20-race career. Pretty Clever, a daughter of Hard Spun, earned $179,480.

“The other horse gave me a good run, but my horse is very nice,” Lezcano said. “Today, we go slow and the horses sprinted hard home. My horse is a big horse and he isn’t that quick when you ask him – it takes him a couple strides to get into full stride, so this is why the other horse come very close to him. He kept responding every stride I asked him to. My horse had the advantage today, but still my horse had (to put up a good performance) to win. Every race, he improves more and more.”

Sand Devil arrived in Rice’s barn at Saratoga in July after a few setbacks. She said that within a few months he started to show some talent, but she took her time with him. He broke his maiden December 8 and followed that with a 12 1/2-length allowance score January 2, earning a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

Rice considered running in the Withers Stakes February 1, but opted to keep the colt in state-bred company and sprinting for one more start. Open company awaits, however, with the Gotham Stakes March 1, a 50-point Kentucky Derby prep race, a definite possibility, according to Rice.