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.

Stonewall Star collects her fifth stakes victory in Friday’s Bay Ridge at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

Stonewall Star returned to the New York-bred ranks, overcame a hesitant start and bounced back from a graded stakes try 20 days earlier with a victory in Friday’s $100,000 Bay Ridge Stakes at Aqueduct.

Barry K. Schwartz’s homebred 4-year-old daughter of Flatter picked up her second win of 2024 with a 2 1/4-length score over odds-on favorite Sterling Silver and seven others in the 1-mile stakes.

Dylan Davis rode the winner for trainer Horacio De Paz, adding more highlights to the respective career best seasons for the jockey and conditioner. Stonewall Star, the 9-2 third choice coming off a distant seventh in the Grade 3 Go For Wand Stakes December 7 at Aqueduct, won in 1:35.02.

“She had been breezing so good – 47 and change last weekend,” said De Paz, who inched closer to the $4 million mark for purses earned by his stable in 2024. “She’s really been doing good all year. I told Barry that she was really thriving and her coat looked really good. It was just a matter of the break situation. When the overnight came out and we drew the one and it was 12 horses, I was like, ‘really?’ You know you have a gate issue horse but the guys at the gate do as good a job as they could do with her.

“She still wants to be competitive. Honestly, we were just trying to run in this spot to see where she fits now. I’ll talk to Barry and see what he decides to do. But if she’s doing well, I’d imagine he’ll keep her running. We’ll see.”

Bon Adieu came away with the lead shortly after the break and before the field made their way to the main track out of the chute, just ahead of 4-5 favorite Sterling Silver and Sweetest Princess. Stonewall Star, who came away last, ran up the inside over the first quarter-mile and took command just after the opening split of :23.55.

“Horacio has been trying to work with her in the morning and they thought that grabbing the tail in the gate was giving her issues there – the stumblings and the misbreaks,” said Davis, the winner of 208 races and more than $16.1 million in purses in 2024. “We tried no tail today, and she was standing well for me, but she just got antsy there when the last one went in, and she tried to push back on the back doors and then she charged the front. It just finally adjusted there, and we were able to break the best we could, but she has a little bit of an attitude there. When she came out of there, that’s the first time for me a horse ever double-barreled or tried to kick the gate coming out at about the second or third jump. Once she was able to get her feet under her, I was able to ride my race from there.

“With not the best break, I was just trying to get as forwardly as possible and stay on the rail at the same time – just breaking and getting that position, and I just kept finding better position and found myself on the lead. I was happy with where I was.”

Stonewall Star, who came into the Bay Ridge on a five-race losing streak, continued on the lead up the backstretch and to the half in :46.15 with Bon Adieu still giving chase and Lisa’s Vision inching into contention.

Davis let Stonewall Star lengthen her stride around the far turn and she gave the field the slip, opening up by 3 lengths at the quarter-pole and past 6 furlongs in 1:09.98. Stonewall Star continued on in the lane as Sterling Silver, the runner-up last time out in the Empire Distaff Stakes on Empire Showcase Day, launched her rally from the outside under Junior Alvarado.

Stonewall Star held sway in deep stretch and held off Sterling Silver at the finish. Midtown Lights, a daughter of Redesdale and a 35-1 longshot under Sofia Vives, rallied up the inside to finish third with 13-1 Golden Rocket fourth.

“We wanted to just let her run where she’s comfortable and she’s usually pretty comfortable on the front end or close to the pace,” De Paz said. “The way the track has been playing, the rail seemed pretty live, so that was a great spot for her.

“I expected the break to be better, but that’s been her trouble all year – bad breaks. In the morning she doesn’t get unsettled in there, but in the afternoon, Dylan said she was really good right up to the last horse that loaded and then she got a little unsettled in there which cost her the break. We got lucky that it stayed open, and he was able to come up the rail like that.”

Bred and foaled at Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm in Granite Springs, Stonewall Star improved to 6-for-18 with two seconds and four thirds in the Bay Ridge. A stakes winner at 2, 3 and 4, Stonewall Star picked up $55,000 to boost her bankroll to $467,398.

Stonewall Star is the fourth foal and one of three stakes winners along with Whatlovelookslike and La Fuerza out of the Proud Citizen mare Jonata.

Whatlovelookslike, a 5-year-old daughter of English Channel, is 5-4-3 in 18 starts with earnings of $485,350 for Schwartz and trainer Todd Pletcher. Fifth last time out in the Grade 3 Long Island Stakes at Aqueduct and scratched from Thursday’s Via Borghese Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Whatlovelookslike won last year’s Port Washington Stakes at Belmont Park and has placed in three other stakes.

La Fuerza, a full brother to Stonewall Star, won three stakes carrying his owner and breeder’s black and white colors in 2018. He won four of eight and earned $261,610. Jonata is also the dam of New York-bred winner Citizen K, a gelding by Mizzen Mast with a record of 4-2-3 in 25 starts and a bankroll of $208,522.

A $100,000 purchase by Schwartz at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale, Jonata won two of 17 starts with five placings and $140,800.

Sacrosanct (inside) fends off National Identity and improves to 4-for-4 in Saturday’s Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Chelsea Durand.

Sequel Stallions New York’s Honest Mischief, already well on the way to topping New York’s freshman sire list in 2024, added to his haul with a pair of victories in Saturday’s rich New York Stallion Series events at Aqueduct.

Sacrosanct kicked things off in the $500,000 Great White Way division, putting away a front runner and fending off a late challenger to stay unbeaten in four starts. Stone Smuggler completed the double about 30 minutes later and led a 1-3-4 finish for her sire in the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division.

Honest Mischief, an 8-year-old son of Into Mischief who stands for $7,500 at Sequel, came into the day with more than $859,000 in progeny earnings from his first crop of 68 named foals and 28 runners. He’ll add $450,000 from the two winners’ shares, plus $113,500 from the other placings and minor awards in the two stakes.

Honest Mischief’s total of more than $1.42 million would be enough to make the top 10 among all North American freshman sires according to the latest BloodHorse statistics.

Sacrosanct delivered at 1-2 odds for owners Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie LLC and Schwing Thoroughbreds and trainer Brad Cox in the Great White Way. He came in with victories during the Belmont at the Big A meeting in September in the Bertram F. Bongard and in October in the Sleepy Hollow on Empire Showcase Day.

“He’s got a good mind,” said Lady Sheila Stable’s Sheila Rosenblum. “He and Manny Franco are becoming a good team together. The program [New York Stallion Series] needs this and is spectacular. I was always so pro-New York and the turnout – it’s wonderful to see the people out.

“It’s a great program and we’re lucky to be a part of it. I’m incredibly pleased with what he’s doing. Sacrosanct is a good talent.”

Sacrosanct came away with the rest of the field as New York Breeders’ Futurity winner Bold Fortune took control for Dylan Davis.

Bold Fortune edged away before Sacrosanct and Franco got within a half-length through the opening quarter-mile in :22.30 with National Identity and Smilensaycheese tracking a little further back. The front two continued as a team around the far turn, with Bold Fortune clinging to a neck advantage through the half in :45.01.

Sacrosanct put away Bold Fortune turning for home and braced for the late run of National Identity. That foe, a son of Solomini coming off a maiden victory November 2 at the same 7-furlong trip, engaged Sacrosanct on the outside put couldn’t get past in deep stretch. Sacrosanct won by a head in 1:24.10.

“I was a little worried because I knew the pace we set was honest,” Franco said. “At the same time, my horse was OK outside that horse [Bold Fortune] and when he made the lead, I knew that I got a little bit more. I knew he’s going to give me that extra run down the lane.

“This is a nice horse, since the beginning when I got on him in Saratoga. We knew we had a great New York-bred, so he didn’t disappoint.”

National Identity finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of the Solomini colt Smilensaycheese in third with Soontobeking, a son of King for a Day who encountered traffic trouble trying to come up the rail inside of the retreating Bold Fortune in the lane

Bred by Burleson Farms, McKenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson, Sacrosanct is the fourth foal out of the unraced Unbridled’s Song mare Vibrato.

Sacrosanct was purchased for $260,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-olds in training sale. Vibrato is also the dam of Navit, a graded stakes winner in Puerto Rico, and the four-time winner All The Diamonds. She’s also the dam of a yearling New York-bred Instagrand colt, also bred by Thoroughbreds Sequel, Farm Burleson and McKenzie Bloodstock; and a New York-bred weanling colt by Honest Mischief bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Burleson Farm.

Stone Smuggler caps big day for Honest Mischief with victory in the Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo/Chelsea Durand.

• The team behind Stone Smuggler said they had the NYSS Fifth Avenue in mind when they paid what now looks like a bargain $57,000 for the Honest Mischief filly at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale.

“We ended up buying four Honest Mischiefs pretty early at the weanling and yearling sales,” said Dan Zanatta of NY Final Furlong Racing, which co-owns Stone Smuggler with Sunset Ridge Racing Stable. “They were all really balanced … they all had tremendous hips, great girths, great toplines and great walking motion. We love New York-sired horses to go after because typically we can buy the best ones. … We bought [recent maiden winner] Oklahoma Smoke and we bought her as the two best Honest Mischiefs we found of the filly crop and it’s worked out for us.

“We have never had a horse in this race before. Over the past two or three years, we specifically went out and bought horses for this race. We bought this filly at the yearling sale with this race in mind. So, 18 months later to be in this race, never mind win it, is a success. Very rarely do you buy a horse a year and half before a race target and actually get there.”

Stone Smuggler improved to 2-for-4 with her second stakes victory in the Fifth Avenue. Third in the Key Cents last time out, Stone Smuggler broke her maiden in the Lady Finger Stakes two starts back at Finger Lakes following a strong second behind the highly regarded With the Angels in a Saratoga maiden race in her debut.

The 5-2 second choice in the field of 11 behind 8-5 favorite and Maid of the Mist runner-up Boston’s Phinest, Stone Smuggler raced sixth early from her extreme outside post in the field of 11.

Bam’s Bliss Kiss came away with the lead from the rail after a five-way scrimmage early with Stunning Sugar, Mischief Lady, Blossoming Erudite and D’s a Rock. Bam’s Bliss Kiss eventually led by a head over Mischief Lady through the opening quarter in :22.72. Those two continued through the backstretch and into the far turn to the half in :46.59.

The Fifth Avenue field bunched up approaching the stretch and five fillies fanned out turning for home, including Stone Smuggler five paths off the rail in third.

Lezcano pushed Stone Smuggler to the lead at the three-sixteenths pole and she held a half-length lead from Princess Mischief at the eighth pole. Stone Smuggler kept clear of Princess Mischief in deep stretch and finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of the late-running Central Banker filly Material Girl at the finish. She won in 1:24.90.

“She really ran well,” winning trainer Jorge Abreu said. “I was as a little concerned about the seven-eighths with her. I didn’t know if she could go that far, but she did it. I was a little bit concerned [about the outside post] but the race had a lot of speed inside of her, so that worked out well.

“I said to Jose ‘whoever takes the lead, just park right outside of them.’ Stretching out I didn’t want to see her fighting for the lead. Jose rode a great race.”

Stone Smuggler picked up $275,000 for the victory and boosted her bankroll to $364,347.

Bred by Eaton & Thorne Inc. and foaled at Thorndale Farm in Millbrook, Stone Smuggler was sold out of the Eaton Sales consignment at last year’s Saratoga New York-bred sale.

Stone Smuggler is the seventh foal out of the winning Bustin Stones mare Bustinattheseams. She’s the dam of five other New York-bred winners, including $146,899-earner Limit Up, $120,110-earner Fat N Bitter and the 3-year-old Destin gelding, two-time winner and $44,115-earner Seams Like Destiny.

Eaton & Thorne Inc. also bred a yearling full brother to Stone Smuggler who sold for $60,000 at this year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale.

Roanan Goddess, a 3-year-old daughter of Leofric bred by Chad Carter, wins her third stakes of 2024 in Saturday’s Safely Kept at Laurel Park. Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club Photo.

Mens Grille Racing’s Roanan Goddess returned from a short freshening and collected her third stakes victory – all in 2024 – in Saturday’s $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park.

J. G. Torrealba rode the 3-year-old daughter of Leofric to a three-quarter-length win over Discreet Ops and five others in the 7-furlong Safely Kept. The 5-1 fifth choice, Roanan Goddess added the Safely Kept to her victory in the Xtra Heat Stakes in late January and the off-the-turf Searching Stakes in early August, both at Laurel for trainer Hamilton Smith.

Roanan Goddess came into the Safely Kept off more than two months on the shelf, after finishing a close third in the 6-furlong Weather Vane Stakes September 22 at Laurel. She finished well back in the $150,000 Camptown for Virginia-restricted runners August 31 at Colonial Downs prior to the Weather Vane.

“It was the last 3-year-old filly stake of the year, and we just waited for this,” Smith said. “She needed a little time between races and it worked out great. She ran well,” Smith said. “Beyond 7 furlongs might be a problem, but she’s a middle-distance horse. She’s doing awfully good.”

Dazzling Move, the 8-5 favorite for trainer Mike Trombetta, took the early initiative in the Safely Kept and opened up a 3 1/2-length advantage through the opening quarter-mile in :22.55. Dazzling Move still led by 2 lengths over Discreet Ops around the far turn and to the half in :45.32, with Kissedbyanangel, Sheilahs Warcloud and Roanan Goddess giving chase.

Discreet Ops shrugged off the favored pacesetter turning for home, while Roanan Goddess continued her run while wide into and through the upper stretch. Roanan Goddess snatched the lead inside the sixteenth pole and pulled away late over a stubborn Discreet Ops. Sheilahs Warcloud finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in third with Goodnightngodbless fourth and Dazzling Move fifth. Roanan Goddess won in 1:23.63 over the fast track.

“I told (Torrealba) … just get her out of there good and see where you are and ride your race. He did just that,” Smith said. “I thought she was little further back than I expected her to be but she came a running.”

Bred by Chad Carter, foaled at Rockridge Stud in Hudson and out of the winning Midnight Lute mare Night Madam, Roanan Goddess improved to 3-for-8 with three thirds this season. She also picked up $60,000 for winning the Safely Kept to pad her career bankroll to $289,240.

Roanan Goddess is the second foal out of Night Madam, who is also the dam of the eight-time winning New York-bred Alpha mare Madam Alpha. Night Madam is also the dam of an unraced West Virginia-bred 2-year-old full brother to Roanan Goddess named Snowy Night and a weanling Virginia-bred weanling colt by Capo Bastone named Night Call.

Roanan Goddess originally sold for $30,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. Mens Grille Racing purchased the filly for $60,000 about eight months later at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale. She’s won five of 14 starts overall.

Mi Bago collects second stakes win in last three starts in Friday’s Pulpit at Gulfstream. Coglianese Photo/Lauren King.

Gary Barber’s Mi Bago bounced back from a troubled and better-than-appeared run over Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar with a victory in Friday’s $100,000 Pulpit Stakes on the second day of Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet in South Florida.

Fifth and beaten only 2 lengths at 45-1 last time out in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes, Mi Bago took control of the Pulpit from the start and held off all his rivals to win as the 9-5 favorite. Ridden by Edwin Gonzalez, the 2-year-old son of Vekoma won by 5 lengths over 7-2 second choice Hit That Review and 6-1 Bucaro in third. Mi Bago won in 1:27.06 for the 7 1/2 furlongs on firm turf.

Mi Bago led from the break and into the first turn, opening up 1 1/2 lengths over Enterdadragon through the opening quarter-mile in :23.50. Mi Bago widened that advantage to 3 1/2 lengths through the half in :46.24 with Hit That Review, Discreet Dancer and Como among the closest pursuers behind Enterdadragon.

Past 6 furlongs in 1:09.61, Gonzalez gave a look over his shoulder turning for home as Mi Bago maintained his 3-length advantage over Bucaro in midstretch. They widened again from there and finished well clear. Hit That Review edged Bucaro by a neck for second, with Discreet Dancer fourth.

“Honestly, I kind of left it up to Edwin. He said he was going to break and try and get himself into a good position,” Casse’s assistant Nick Tomlinson said. “He broke running, and I was a little worried about how fast they were going. But he really quickened impressively. He ran really well today. It was a great race.”

Mi Bago improved to 3-for-5 with the victory and picked up $58,900 to boost his earnings to $178,910.

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) and Weyron (Goldencents).

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. Mi Bago won his debut in a 5-furlong dirt maiden at Colonial Downs August 1 for owner CM Thoroughbreds and trainer Carlos Munoz.

Barber purchased Mi Bago privately after that effort and moved him to his primary trainer Casse. 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.

“He’s got the talent. Especially for a 2-year-old to go three-quarters in 1:09, that’s a lot to ask of them,” Tomlinson said. “The performance today was extremely impressive. We’ll definitely keep him on the grass. There’s a lot of good 3-year-old stakes coming up. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out and go from there.”

Cast a Coin (inside) fends off Notfanutin to win Monday’s Tin Cup Chalice Stakes at Finger Lakes. SV Photography.

Gold Bear Farm’s Cast a Coin improved from his only other try in stakes company and added another stakes winner to his sire’s resume with a victory in Monday’s $45,000 Tin Cup Chalice at Finger Lakes.

The 2-year-old Central Banker gelding rated off the pace, tipped off the rail and outfinished his foes between horses late to win the 6-furlong stakes by a neck over Notfanutin. Steven Fret rode Cast a Coin for trainer Jacqueline Falk.

Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC and Spruce Lane Farm, Cast a Coin sold for $27,000 at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale after originally bringing $15,000 as a weanling at the 2023 OBC winter mixed sale.

Cast a Coin, fifth in his other stakes try in the Aspirant Stakes over a sloppy track September 23 at Finger Lakes, became the latest stakes winner for Central Banker in the Tin Cup Chalice. Central Banker, a 14-year-old son of Speightstown, stands for $7,500 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs. He started the day ranked second on the New York general sire list – which he’s topped the last three seasons – and less than $40,000 behind the leader Bucchero, who stood the 2024 season at McMahon before heading to stand at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater for 2025.

Coming off a 4-length tally in a 5 ½-furlong open-company maiden last time out on October 16 at Finger Lakes, Cast a Coin went to post for the Tin Cup Chalice as the 5-2 second choice behind Blamicker.

No Factor, the lone filly in the field of seven, took the early initiative up the backstretch and zipped through the opening quarter-mile in :22.68 ahead of the tracking Blamicker and Cast a Coin. Blamicker and jockey Andre Worrie made the first run at the leader around the far turn and took command approaching the half-mile split in :46.37.

Fret kept Cast a Coin inside until the field turned for home, then tipped out a few paths off the rail while Notfanutin made a move to his outside and Mr. Sugar Daddy made up ground to the inside. Cast a Coin hung tough in deep stretch and edged Notfanutin at the finish in 1:12.97 over the fast track. Mr. Sugar Daddy finished three-quarters of a length back in third with Blamicker, No Factor, Sobieski and One Morerep completing the field.

Cast a Coin picked up $27,000 for the win to boost his earnings to $55,717 from a record of 2-1-0 in four starts.

Cast a Coin is the fifth foal out of the Into Mischief mare Light the Dynamite, a homebred for Chester and Mary Broman picked up by McMahon and Hill Bloodstock, agent for $10,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale.

Light the Dynamite is the dam of three winners – six-time winner and $133,250-earner Summer Sangria, Iron Horizon and Boom Boom Thunder, a 3-year-old full brother to Cast a Coin. She’s also the dam of Cast a Coin’s New York-bred yearling full sister Hawkeyejet and his Iowa-bred weanling full sister Gun Champion born April 15.

With the Angels overcomes adversity to keep unbeaten record intact Sunday in the Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct. Coglianese Photo.

By Alec DiConza

With the Angels did not appear to be a lock to win Sunday’s $100,000 Key Cents Stakes at Aqueduct despite her 1-5 odds as the eight-horse field turned for home.

After breaking from post one and not showing quite enough early speed to get to the front, the 2-year-old daughter of Omaha Beach sat behind horses for the first time in her career and had to negotiate her way through traffic rounding the far turn under Jose Ortiz. Nevertheless, With the Angels once again proved to be too much for her competition and won the 6-furlong stakes event for 2-year-old New York-bred fillies by 2 lengths, improving her unbeaten record to 4-for-4 for trainer Linda Rice.

The change in tactics wasn’t a surprise for Rice, who knew the race featured a lot of horses with early speed.

“I told Jose the one-hole kind of wasn’t ideal, and I anticipated a lot of speed in this race and that it was probable we’d want to take the opportunity to sit off of it and see how she handled that,” Rice said.

What did present a cause for concern was how With the Angels could not get clear running room coming around the far turn and found herself sitting fifth with less than three-eighths of a mile to go. Any anxiety about her chances was quickly washed away when the filly owned by Winning Move Stable, John Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford Robbins unleashed a powerful late kick to mow down the frontrunners and win with what appeared to be plenty left in the tank. She finished the 6 furlongs in 1:10.56.

“It looked like the five horse was backing up into her and this and that, and she worked her way around it,” Rice said of her filly’s trip. “She was a little wide coming down the stretch, but I was happy to see her run (them) down. It really helps us going forward next year, and we know she’ll do that (rate). It’s a great way to cap off her 2-year-old season, so we’ll send her home and give her a couple months off.”

The Key Cents victory was the third straight stakes win for With the Angels, who already boasted a strong 2024 resumé with triumphs in the Joseph A. Gimma and Maid of the Mist.

Ortiz, who has ridden With the Angels in each of her starts, credited the filly’s connections for managing her well and getting her ready for a 3-year-old campaign in 2025.

“She is a nice filly,” Ortiz said. “Linda and the owners have done an amazing job managing her and picking the right spots. They are developing a nice filly so hopefully next year she keeps getting better.”

With the Angels has now earned $283,250 in her career.

Bred by Joseph DeRico and foaled at River Valley Farm in Gansevoort, With the Angels is out of the three-time winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret. She’s the dam of three other foals to race, including stakes-placed filly Maggy’s Palace. With the Angels sold for $350,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale.