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.

Spirit of St Louis joins elite company as the latest New York-bred Grade 1 winner and millionaire in Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Turf. Coglianese Photo/Ryan Thompson.

Chad Brown sent Spirit of St Louis to Kentucky last fall convinced the New York-bred gelding could not only fit in but potentially win a Grade 1.

That didn’t work out for the son Medaglia d’Oro, who endured a troubled trip and finished fifth behind his accomplished stablemate Carl Spackler and eventual Breeders’ Cup Mile winner More Than Looks in the Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes at Keeneland. Brown didn’t throw in the towel and gave Spirit of St Louis another try at the top level and this time came away with a victory in Saturday’s $984,000 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes presented by Qatar Racing at Gulfstream Park.

Under Tyler Gaffalione, Spirit of St Louis won the 9-furlong Pegasus Turf by a neck over Integration for Brown and owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Richard Schermerhorn. He won in 1:44.45, just off the course record, passed the $1 million mark and became the 88th New York-bred Grade 1 winner to the delight of his connections.

“The horse had been training super,” Brown said. “I’m just fortunate the horse got in the race because without a lot of graded stuff next to him and no graded wins, he could have easily gotten excluded. I’m happy he was in the race and he fired. Tyler, just another brilliant ride.”

Pegged at 20-1 on the morning line against a field that included Grade 1 winners Nations Pride, Formidable Man and Win for the Money, Spirit of St Louis came into the Pegasus Turf off an almost three-month freshening following a victory in the Mohawk Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in late October at Aqueduct.

Horseplayers bet Spirit of St Louis down to just under 8-1 and the fifth choice in the field of 12.

Spirit of St Louis bumped 5-2 favorite Nations Pride at the start then settled into midpack under Gaffalione. Formidable Man, winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, set the pace from his inside draw and clicked off strong early splits of :22.74 and :46.20 over the firm turf. Formidable Man still led by a half-length through 6 furlongs in 1:09.29 as the field started to bunch up around the far turn approaching the stretch.

“I loved where he was, but the fact that he found himself between horses down the backside, I’d rather either be on the rail or two deep,” Brown said. “Right in between two horses can get a little tight at times, so I was mildly concerned. I loved where he was in relation to the leader and the pace, but I didn’t know how he was going to track from there.”

Integration made his run at the quarter pole and took command in the lane, ahead of Win for the Money, Mi Hermano, Major Dude and a retreating Formidable Man.

Gaffalione kept Spirit of St Louis toward the center of the course through the lane, picked off rivals in the stretch and edged Integration at the finish. The winning time was just off Warm Heart’s victorious 1:44.45 in last year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf. Chasing Crown, the longest shot on the board at 64-1, finished 1 1/4 lengths back in third.

Gaffalione, second in the Championship Meet rider standings with 35 victories, loved his trip and was thankful to watch the competition throughout.

“I needed to keep an eye on them all around me, especially when William [Buick aboard Nations Pride] went up the fence and gave me a good target,” he said. “I just kind of waited for my spot and coming into the stretch I was able to work my way out and the horse did the rest.

“I’m so happy for the connections and thankful for the opportunity. It’s incredible. This is home for me and it’s good to see so many friendly faces and it’s good to be back in the winner’s circle.”

A full brother to New York-bred Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold, Spirit of St Louis improved to 10-for-14 with three seconds and picked up $498,000 to push his bankroll to $1,267,150. That total puts him just outside the top 40 all-time leading New York-bred earners.

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman and foaled at their Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, Spirit of St Louis is also a half brother to stakes-placed New York-breds Land Mine and Homeland. Khancord Kid, a Grade 3 winner, has produced five winners. She’s also the dam of a 2-year-old full brother to Spirit of St Louis.

The Bromans bought Khancord Kid’s dam, Confidently, in 2000 for $1 million at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Out of Grade 1 winner Key Phrase, Confidently is a full sister to multiple stakes winner Yankee Gentleman with her dam a half-sister to the dam of champion Shared Belief.

Spirit of St Louis, a $300,000 purchase by BSW/Crow out of the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale, made his first two starts for owner Peter Brant and Brown. He won his debut on the dirt in mid-February 2023 before a second in a 9-furlong allowance on the dirt, both at Aqueduct. Dubb purchased Spirit of St Louis for $280,000 shortly after that effort, at the Keeneland April horses of racing age sale. He’s won nine of 12 since, including a run of five straight stakes from late 2023 to the summer of 2024.

Brown, who picked up his fifth Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding trainer Thursday, won his fourth race of the meet and was quick to credit his rider.

“Honestly, I haven’t had a good meet here,” Brown said. “Tyler’s ridden a bunch of them, and I don’t think I’ve had one bad trip. Tyler’s just been in the right spot at every pole in every race, at least for my horses that I’ve watched. Just phenomenal riding. He’s in career form. Just so happy for the partners that are here today. It’s just a great day here at Gulfstream.”

The Wine Steward, off since last year’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, wins Saturday’s Fifth Season at Oaklawn Park. Coady Photography/Renee Torbit

The Wine Steward returned from a more than seven-month layoff and topped open company for the second time in Saturday’s $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The 4-year-old son of Vino Rosso, off since last year’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, tracked Patriot Spirit early before putting that rival away in the lane on the way to a narrow victory under Juan Hernandez.

Owned by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher, The Wine Steward prepped for his return with trainer Mike Maker’s string at Gulfstream Park. He shipped to South Florida from Churchill Downs in early December and put in six 5-furlong works over the main track in Hallandale Beach, including a bullet 1:00.31 December 31 and a :59.64 tightener January 6.

Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in the field of nine behind 6-5 favorite Liberal Arts, The Wine Steward and Hernandez set up shop just off Patriot Spirit heading into the first turn and to the opening quarter-mile in :23.86. They stayed a length back up the backstretch and to the half in :48.08 before ramping up the pressure around the far turn, inching within a head through 6 furlongs in 1:12.77.

The Wine Steward and Patriot Spirit continued their battle into the short stretch before the former edged clear at the finish. The Wine Steward won the 1-mile Fifth Season in 1:38.98 over the fast track. Liberal Arts recovered from his poor start to finish 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

The Wine Steward improved to 4-for-8 with three seconds and picked up $81,000 to boost his bankroll to $548,260. He started his career with three straight victories, including the Bashford Manor against open company at Ellis Park and the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. A close second in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland Race Course solidified his credentials for champion New York-bred 2-year-old male honors in 2023.

Patriot Spirit (inside) and The Wine Steward (second from left) cut the corner heading for home in the Fifth Season. Coady Photography/Riley Crow.

The Wine Steward finished second in back-to-back graded stakes to start his 3-year-old campaign last year – the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington at Keeneland and Grade 3 Peter Pan at Aqueduct – to earn a spot in the field for the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga. He finished ninth in the Belmont before going to the sidelines.

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds, Lakland Farm and Mark Toothaker and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, The Wine Steward is the first foal out of the To Honor and Serve mare Call to Service.

The Wine Steward originally sold for $70,000 to Oldham Bloodstock at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He later brought the third highest price for a New York-bred – $340,000 – at the 2023 OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training out of the Sequel Bloodstock consignment.

Call To Service is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Isotherm and stakes-placed winners Gio Game and Giant Game. Cotteau Grove Farms purchased Call to Service in foal to Authentic for $350,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. She produced Acknowledge, a Louisiana-bred by Authentic, about a month later. A $310,000 out of the 2024 OBS March sale, Acknowledge broke his maiden in his third start December 13 at Fair Grounds and finished fourth in an allowance race there January 19 for owner Repole Stable and trainer Joe Sharp.

Call to Service is also the dam of a 2-year-old filly by Curlin and a yearling colt by Justify, both bred by Coteau Grove Farms. Call to Service was bred to Uncle Mo in 2024.

New York horsemen are excited for the two-part plan to provide purse parity for racing in the state starting in 2026. Coglianese Photo.

New York-based horsemen have expressed their support for the two-part plan unveiled by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) to provide purse parity for New York-breds.

The programs will be offered starting in 2026 at both Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct as well as at the new Belmont Park, which will open in the fall of 2026.

In October 2023, NYRA announced that beginning January 1, 2026, all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds [foals of 2024] on the NYRA circuit will offer purse amounts matching their open-company counterparts.

On December 30, NYRA further announced that effective January 1, 2027, all New York-bred overnight races will be run for purse money equal to their open-company counterparts, allowing the New York-bred foal crop to benefit from the financial reward of purse parity throughout their racing careers.

Boyd Browning Jr., President and CEO of Fasig-Tipton
“It’s a fantastic move by NYRA that further strengthens the New York-bred program both from a racing standpoint and from a sales standpoint. It also reiterates the cooperative nature and strengths of the racing community, breeding community and the sales community in the State of New York. This will continue to make the New York-bred sale one of the strongest in the United States and also continue to enhance the value of every New York-bred produced. It should also provide further incentive for more people to breed in the state of New York. We look forward to continuing to devote significant resources to the sales at Saratoga.”

Joe McMahon, McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds
“As a longtime breeder and owner of racehorses in New York State, I would say this is a wonderful addition to the already great NYRA and New York Breeding and Development Fund awards. We’ve been in business here for over 50 years, and it’s certainly one of the biggest advancements we’ve made in that period. It should impact the industry for New York racing very positively. The awards to breeders are going to be based on a higher amount of money, so that’s more money in their pockets.”

Lere Visagie, Rockridge Stud
“It’s obviously very important for us to have it. It’s very good news for all of New York. We’ll see what impact it will have on us this year, but it’s very encouraging for us to say [to clients] that New York-breds will run for the same money as open company.

“There’s a little bit of a disconnect still between New York and Kentucky because it’s a regional market, but we’ve definitely kind of stopped the exodus of people going to Kentucky. There’s a lot more people staying in New York, and with the quality of stallions that are here now, there’s a wide variety for them to stay local. This [purse parity] is all the more reason to stay.

“The last three years, we’ve been stepping it up every year with better and more stallions, because we felt with the new Belmont, there’s a lot of positives that we can build off.”

Harlan Malter, Managing Partner of Ironhorse Racing Stable, Ironhorse Stallions and Bucchero 
“When we moved Bucchero up to New York, it was an unusual move. Usually, it is Florida to Kentucky, or New York to Kentucky. It was very intentional; we felt that he was on the uptick. We saw how strong he was in open company, and we would hear rumblings of the plans coming down the pipeline for Belmont and the plans of purse parity being talked about. That is one of the things that has been on the top of my mind: New York is on its path to be, if not the premier racing jurisdiction in America, the co-premier racing jurisdiction, with the new Belmont and Saratoga. I’ve found in other jurisdictions the state-bred programs are just something on the side that they try to keep going, whereas New York I think has the opportunity to make it a central part of the racing program.

“It feels like the stallions in New York are being upgraded on a consistent basis, and the beauty of this purse parity is that we wanted to come along with it. As stallion owners, as breeders, it is important for us to start to elevate New York sires, so we can have New York-sired compete with New York-breds, who compete with open horses. The strength of the New York program in the future is how strong can we make our New York-sired horses, and can they be competitive with open horses? That was one of the reasons we brought Bucchero to New York. It is a premier racing jurisdiction that is taking all the steps necessary to not just have two levels of racing.”

Dan Zanatta, co-managing partner of NY Final Furlong Stable
“This has already been front of mind for us. We’ve done a few things strategically as we started to think about the program. One, the foals that our broodmares had this year – we sold as weanlings – because we thought there would be a little more demand from the investment side. We definitely saw the market react to the news that had already been released.

“We also started to think about the need to increase the quality of our stock and we’re willing to increase the max threshold ceiling of what we would be willing to pay for horses. We bought a $150,000 Yaupon weanling filly at Keeneland November which is typically in the upper bounds of what we would be paying for a yearling. If we’re going to be able to compete for purses that are up to 20 percent higher than what they are now, then we reshape our focus and improve what we are willing to pay for horses.

“Do we want to have more broodmares and be more invested on the breeding side, as well? These kind of announcements force those discussions and make some of those investments a little easier.”

Michael Sternklar, Clear Stars Stable
“The New York program has always been great for New York-breds, between the increased purses with the casino and the bonuses for running against open-company horses. But you always looked at those other purses and said, ‘why is there a disparity?’ So this was, of course, great news, especially because we converted our stable about 10 years ago from one that did claiming and buying at the sales, to a pure breeding, yearling and 2-year-old stable. We might purchase 10 new 2-year-olds a year and they’re all going to be New York-breds, so this is wonderful news. The program has always been so much better than other states, and it’s not even comparable. This just makes it even better.”

Linda Rice, trainer and owner
“Anything that is good for the New York-bred program is good for me because I race in New York year-round. I’m a big supporter of the New York-bred program and it’s been very good to me for the past 10-15 years, since I started racing in New York for the majority of the year. I’m happy to see that and what’s good for the program is good for my stable as well. I think it will definitely attract more interest in the New York-breds [at the sales], but hopefully not so much interest that we can’t get them bought!”

David Donk, trainer
“It’s showing the strength of the New York-bred program which continues to get stronger where in some other jurisdictions it hasn’t, especially with the declining horse population nationally. It’s a great opportunity for people and there’s a lot of positivity – not just for owners, but for breeders. The state-breds are getting better and better all the time. There’s a lot of good New York-breds out there and it’s a big strength of NYRA’s program.

“There’s a lot of optimism with the new Belmont Park and this just adds to it. The state-breds are the backbone – especially with the winter program – and I think it leads into that winter of 2026. The New York-bred program has been very good to me and hopefully it continues to do so.”

Ray Handal, trainer
“It is huge for the New York-bred program. The New York-breds are getting better so it makes the racing more competitive and people are more inclined to breed to have New York-breds and race them here. I think it is good for everybody that there will be more contentious races. It will give incentive to breeders to bring more horses here and it will put money in all of our pockets for the guys that are dedicated to the New York racing program.

“Half of my barn is New York-bred, so they are a big part of it, and they are a big part of New York racing. Anything we can do to help promote that, is huge.”

Horacio De Paz, trainer
“It is a great incentive for the owners. I would say New York-breds are at least 80 percent of my barn, for the most part, because I train for breeders and owners here in New York. This is a great incentive for us and for them.

“This is going to make the program even better – maybe you will see some different sires start coming over here. It will open up things for people wanting to breed to have New York-breds.”

David Duggan, trainer

“It becomes an easier sell to people that are investing in New York. If you’re thinking of investing, you’re increasing the amount you’re going to invest based on return. It regenerates interest – the cost of doing business here can be a deterrent to people, and I think it’s an added bonus that’s needed to sustain people in regular business. The New York breeders need that boost, and I think this is a good avenue for that. I think it’s good.”

New York State has adopted rules that expand the reach of the New York-bred awards and benefits by clarifying a pathway for non-resident mares to gain residency status. Accordingly, a non-resident mare purchased in foal through public auction is deemed a resident mare provided the mare is purchased for at least $50,000 in the public auction; is present in the state of New York within 15 days after a sale in North America and 60 days at any public auction sale abroad; the foal is foaled in New York; and the mare thereafter is continuously in residence in New York from within 120 days after her last cover in the year of conception of another foal and remains in residency until foaling.

For additional information on resident and non-resident mares and their foals, visit https://www.nybreds.com/rules/resident-non-resident-mares.

To support the residency rule, NYRA and The New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYTBDF) provide up to $650,000 per year in purse bonuses to owners. The bonus offers $5,000 every time a New York-sired New York-bred wins at the maiden special weight or allowance level at NYRA’s tracks.

Mi Bago collects third stakes victory in Wednesday’s off-the-turf Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Gary Barber’s Mi Bago, already a stakes winner on grass and a winner on dirt in his debut, became a stakes winner on synthetic Wednesday in the $150,000 Dania Beach at Gulfstream Park.

Taken off the grass following overnight rain, the 1-mile Dania Beach also marked the second straight win for Mi Bago. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven off a win in the Pulpit Stakes November 29 at Gulfstream, Mi Bago won by three-quarters of a length over Hammerhead.

Edwin Gonzalez, aboard for winning trainer Mark Casse, kept it simple on the 3-year-old son of Vekoma.

“Nick [Tomlinson] didn’t give me too many instructions for the horse,” Gonzalez said of Casse’s assistant. “Today I break out of the gate, he put me right there. He was pulling my arm. He wanted to keep going. I wanted to keep him in a nice and relaxed position, and he finished good. He’s a really good horse.”

Barber and his team identified that quality after Mi Bago won his debut in a 5-furlong dirt maiden at Colonial Downs last August for owner CM Thoroughbreds and trainer Carlos Munoz. Barber purchased Mi Bago privately after that effort and moved him to Casse’s care. Mi Bago finished a non-threatening sixth in the Funny Cide Stakes on Saratoga Showcase Day at Saratoga Race Course August 25 before moving to the grass to win the October 5 bet365 Algonquin Stakes at Woodbine.

Mi Bago missed out on the Breeders’ Cup after failing to draw into either the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf or Grade 1 Juvenile Turf Sprint. He finished fifth in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes on the Future Stars Friday undercard before returning to the East Coast to win the Pulpit.

Mi Bago led the field through splits of :24.23, :47.03 and 1:10.41 in his synthetic debut, putting away Hit That Review. Mi Bago opened up a 1 1/2-length advantage in midstretch and held off Hammerhead’s late run. Maui Strong finished third, with I Know I Know, Hit That Review, Nothingsubtle and Bucaro completing the field.

Mi Bago, who won the 1-mile and 70-yard test in 1:39.17, earned $91,140 for his lastest victory. He’s won four of six starts.

Bred by Highclere Inc. and foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Mi Bago is the fifth winner produced by the unraced New York-bred Indian Charlie mare Wabanaki. She’s the dam of seven-time winner and $227,242-earner Lady Macho (by Mucho Macho Man) and winners What Mightavebeen (Freud), Dawnland (Jimmy Creed), Weyron (Goldencents) and Fast Chaz (Fast Anna). The latter graduated in his 13 start on the New Year’s Eve card at Turf Paradise.

A $62,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February mixed sale in 2023, Mi Bago was a $90,000 RNA later in the year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

Five G cruises to victory in Wednesday’s $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Gatsas Stables’ homebred Five G returned to the main track and came away with a victory over open company in the $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Cash Run Stakes on the New Year’s Day program Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

The newly turned 3-year-old daughter of Vekoma, second in the Tepin Stakes on the turf in her most recent start in mid-November at Aqueduct, blitzed her six foes in the 1-mile Cash Run. Five G won by 9 lengths under John Velazquez, finishing in 1:38.11 over the fast track.

Five G also won a state-bred maiden race on the grass in early November at Aqueduct, after making her debut in a 6-furlong state-bred maiden August 22 at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer George Weaver put the filly back on the dirt after being impressed with her recent works at Palm Beach Downs.

“She worked very well on the dirt and when you’re trying to figure out what horses want to do and what’s best for them, you need to try things sometimes and she worked well enough on the dirt that we needed to try it,” Weaver said. “Obviously we’re happy, she likes the turf and the dirt. With that kind of performance, we’ll probably stick to the dirt now and try and get her on the (Kentucky) Oaks trail.”

Supplemented to the Cash Run, Five G broke well from the rail and stayed close to Andrea through the opening quarter in :24. Velazquez sent Five G to the front before the field hit the half-mile in :46.74.

Five G went on from there, widening her advantage around the far turn and running past 6 furlongs in 1:12.26.

“I left the race in the hands of Johnny,” Weaver said. “I said to just get her comfortable and see what she does. When they got into turn and he had the lead and the more they went on, other people were scrubbing and we weren’t scrubbing yet. I was like, ‘We might be all right here.’ ”

Five G cruised through the lane, increasing her advantage from 4 lengths in midstretch to 9 at the finish. Paradise City, sent off the 9-5 favorite, closed to be a distant second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Unchained Elaine. Yellow, Fallon, Sweet Note and Andrea completed the order of finish.

“Pretty easy,” Velazquez said. “She broke really well, and I was trying to let the speed go. [Jockey Emisael] Jaramillo was on the outside [on Andrea]. When he got close to her she kind of went away from her, and I pulled her to be close to her and she got really on the bridle. After that I just let her get into her rhythm.”

Five G picked up $91,140 for her second victory in four starts, boosting her earnings to $160,290.

Weaver said he’d look at options for Five G going forward, with eyes on the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks March 30, including possibly the Grade 3 Forward Gal going 7 furlongs February 1 and the Grade 2 Davona Dale at 1 mile March 1.

“These Oaks and Derby horses, there’s a bunch of spots,” Weaver said. “We’ll just map out something we think is going to get her there the right way. There’s plenty of options.”

Five G is the second foal out of the Quality Road mare Triumphant, who was purchased by Gatsas Stables in foal to Runhappy for $57,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The resulting foal, the now 4-year-old Runhappy filly Six O Three, is winless in three starts. Triumphant is also the dam of a yearling full brother to Five G, also bred by Gatsas in New York.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. today announced its continued support of the New York-bred racing program with the expansion of previously planned overnight purse increases. Effective January 2027, all New York-bred overnight races will be run for purse money equal to their open-company counterparts.

As announced by NYRA in 2023, beginning January 1, 2026, all New York-bred overnight races for 2-year-olds on the NYRA circuit will offer purse amounts matching their open-company counterpart.

This year, NYRA ran 548 New York-bred races for total purses of $42,817,000 with the new program anticipated to increase New York-bred overnight purses by 15 percent compared to 2024 purse levels.

According to early breeding figures reported by The Jockey Club, the New York-bred foal crop is on pace for significant growth this year with 672 live foals reported through October 13, an increase of 13.9 percent compared to the same period last year when a total of 1,088 mares were bred with 590 live foals reported. Nationally, it is expected that the foal crop will decline by approximately two percent in 2024.

“The commitment to the New York-bred overnight program builds upon our previous efforts to support high-quality New York-bred racing,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA’s Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “Starting in 2026, the New York-bred foal crop will benefit from the financial reward of purse parity and will continue to reap those benefits throughout their racing careers.”

The programs will be offered starting in 2026 at both Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct as well as at the new Belmont Park, which will open in the fall of 2026.

As a result of the partnership between NYRA and FOX Sports, nearly every New York-bred contest is broadcast live to a national audience on the FOX Sports family of networks. Both Saratoga Live and America’s Day at the Races, which are produced by NYRA, have generated sustained ratings growth since they were launched nationally in 2016.

In addition to the lucrative purses offered by NYRA, a variety of owner, breeder and stallion awards are available to those who breed and race in New York. These incentives directly benefit thoroughbred breeding farms across the state.

“Thanks to the quality of New York-breds in the sales ring and at the racetrack, our foal crop numbers have trended positively in recent years,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director, New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “NYRA’s commitment to investing in the New York-bred program will support continued growth and is a clear statement on why it pays to breed, own, and race in New York.”

New York State has adopted rules that expand the reach of the New York-bred awards and benefits by clarifying a pathway for non-resident mares to gain residency status. Accordingly, a non-resident mare purchased in foal through public auction is deemed a resident mare provided the mare is purchased for at least $50,000 in the public auction; is present in the state of New York within 15 days after a sale in North America and 60 days at any public auction sale abroad; the foal is foaled in New York; and the mare thereafter is continuously in residence in New York from within 120 days after her last cover in the year of conception of another foal and remains in residency until foaling.

For additional information on resident and non-resident mares and their foals, click here.

To support the residency rule, NYRA and The New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYTBDF) provide up to $650,000 per year in purse bonuses to owners. The bonus offers $5,000 every time a New York-sired New York-bred wins at the maiden special weight or allowance level at NYRA’s tracks.

Bank Frenzy (outside) gets up late to defeat Doc Sullivan by a nose in Saturday’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. Coglianse Photo/Chelsea Durand.

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.