Wudda U Think Now and Dylan Davis team for second straight stakes victory in Sunday’s Say Florida Sandy at Aqueduct. NYRA Photo.

Rudy Rodriguez came into Sunday’s $97,000 Say Florida Sandy at Aqueduct knowing Wudda U Think Now would face a tall order against the likes of New York-bred champions Bankit and My Boy Tate. He also came into the 7-furlong stakes knowing the 5-year-old Fast Anna gelding had run his best races at the Big A.

Wudda U Think Now improved on that record in the stakes named for the two-time New York-bred Horse of the Year and multiple divisional champion, fending off Market Alert and Bankit for his second straight victory. Dylan Davis rode the gelding for Rodriguez and owner Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group.

“He’s a really big horse and he travels well,” Davis said. “He’s really aggressive in the mornings and the same in the races. He’s a little easier to manage during the races than in his breezes when he’s a little tougher.

“What I’ve noticed is that he’s a hard-trying horse that will give you everything he’s got, but you’ve got to know how to ride him because he doesn’t have a big turn of foot and he’s just a real steady grinder.”

Wudda U Think Now, sent off as the 9-5 second choice in the field of five off his win in the Dec. 17 Alex M. Robb, improved to 7-for-11 at Aqueduct with the grind-it-out style.

The grind was far from slow, however.

Wudda U Think Now and Davis set a strong pace from the start, leading an attentive Market Alert by a half-length on his outside to the opening quarter-mile in :22.96 with Bankit and My Boy Tate tracking side-by-side up the backstretch.

Market Alert inched within a head to the half in :45.58, and the two separated from the other three around the far turn. Bankit, the 6-5 favorite coming off a victory in the Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes in early December, made a run just before the straight but couldn’t match the top two.

Wudda U Think Now cut the corner and opened up in the lane, extending his advantage to a half-length in midstretch and past 6 furlongs in 1:10.50. Bankit continued to gain on the outside from there, and rallied with Market Alert in deep stretch before running out of racetrack.

“I was really trying to manage what I could get away with,” Davis said. “Kendrick [Carmouche, aboard Market Alert] was pressing me and he kept the pace honest for me. Because he shortened back up from the mile, I knew he handled the distance and I could ride him a little earlier. I really got into him once we got to the turn. He just kept finding more and more.”

Wudda U Think Now won in 1:24.23 for his ninth win in 20 starts, to go with four seconds and two thirds, and picked up $55,000 to pad his bankroll to $558,750. Market Alert held second, beaten three-quarters of a length and a head in front of Bankit. My Boy Tate and Reggae Music Man completed the field.

Bred by Mina Equivest LLC and foaled at Five Oak Farm in Saratoga, Wudda U Think Now is out of the stakes-placed Unbridled Jet mare Unbridled Grace.

Grant purchased Wudda U Think Now for $60,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He’s one of five winners from five foals to race out of Unbridled Grace. In addition to Wudda U Think Now, Unbridled Grace is the dam of New York-bred stakes performers James Jingle and C d’Cat. She is also the dam of the New York-bred Yes It’s True gelding Dean Verdile, who won 12 of 69 starts with 16 placings and earned $239,160.

City Man and Joel Rosario cruise to rail-skimming victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale. Lauren King/Gulfstream Park Photo.

City Man started his 2022 season with an open company stakes victory, and did one better in his finale.

The 5-year-old New York-bred son of Mucho Macho Man delivered on New Year’s Eve for owners Dean and Patti Reeves of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Peter and Patty Searles and trainer Christophe Clement, coming up the inside under Joel Rosario to win Saturday’s 66th renewal of the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

City Man improved to 5-for-8 with the victory – all stakes wins – and added the Fort Lauderdale to prior open company wins in the Danger’s Hour in early April at Aqueduct and Grade 3 Forbidden Apple at Saratoga Race Course. He also inched closer to the seven-figure earnings mark, collecting $115,320 to boost his bankroll to $987,120, ahead of a more lucrative start in the January 28 $1 million, Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream.

“He was running so well up in New York and we just felt like he was really on top of his game,” said Dean Reeves. “I’ve never seen him run this well. We thought, ‘Let’s run another race and really see how he does against open company in a Grade 2,’ and if we did well there we’d look probably to go to the Pegasus. Christophe stables at Payson Park, so we’ll leave him here in Florida and get him ready for the Pegasus.”

Sent off as the 3-1 second choice in the field of 12 behind last year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf winner and even-money choice Colonel Liam, City Man and jockey Joel Rosario tracked in third early. Winfromwithin, a 34-1 longshot under Chantal Sutherland, set the pace on an open lead through splits of :23.62 and :46.92 ahead of Decorated Invader, City Man and Colonel Liam.

Winfromwithin continued to lead through 6 furlongs in 1:10.11 over the firm ground with Decorated Invader within a half-length and City Man and Rosario looking for room on the inside.

The room eventually came as the field turned for home and City Man spurted clear on the rail. He drew off from there, widening his advantage inside the final eighth as Decorated Invader held second in a four-way photo with Street Ready, Winfromwithin and Good Governance. The latter two finished in a dead-heat for fourth and Colonel Liam checked in sixth.

City Man, the winner of nine of 26 in his career, won in 1:46.10.

“It was a good trip,” Rosario said. “He came out of the gate well so I could get a good position. I was in a good spot. He did the rest after that.”

City Man made it three straight in the Fort Lauderdale, after victories in the Ashley T. Cole Stakes and Mohawk Stakes, both over New York-breds during the Belmont at the Big A meeting at Aqueduct. He also finished second in the Grade 3 Bernard Baruch Handicap on Closing Day at Saratoga Race Course this season.

Clement was pleased with the performance, of City Man and his rider.

“The idea was to be forward with him. I told [Rosario] not to fight him and be comfortable, and he won well,” Clement said. “It’s a nice race, a prep for the Pegasus. That would be the plan. He’s a New York-bred, so I gave him a break [in the winter] in the past. But this year, I just thought we had never run in the Pegasus and I told Mr. Reeves, ‘Why don’t you try to run in the Pegasus?’ It’s a beautiful turf course, well done by Gulfstream. They got it right. All the jockeys have been very positive about it, and I’m delighted.”

Bred by Moonstar Farm, City Man is the fourth foal out of the winning City Zip mare City Scamper. A half-sister to New York stakes winner Alysinstilettos and stakes-placed Always For You, City Scamper is also the dam of the five-time winning and $105,017-earning New York-bred Majestic Warrior mare Go Kelly Go and two-time winning and $61,687-earning New York-bred Laoban ridgling El Mayor.

City Man originally sold for $20,000 as a weanling at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed sale. He showed up in the OBS April sale 18 months later and was purchased by Dean Reeves for $185,000. He was in the second crop of Mucho Macho Man, whom Reeves campaigned to a victory in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

City Scamper also produced a New York-bred colt by Hoppertunity in early March 2020 and is the dam of the yearling full sister to City Man, Miss City Girl, born April 7, 2021. Moonstar Farm bred those two, along with a weanling filly by Vino Rosso born May 10, 2022.

General Banker picks the right day to break his maiden, taking the $500,000 Great White Way division of the NYSS at Aqueduct. Chelsea Durand/NYRA Photo.

By Paul Halloran

Prior to Saturday, John Forma’s biggest thrill in a half-century in horse racing was when his Take the El Train won at 128-1 odds at Aqueduct in 2013. The winner’s share of $21,600 was nice, but Forma recalls collecting even more at the mutuel window.

“That was my biggest accomplishment,” said Forma, who races under Seacoast Thoroughbreds of New England.

Make that second-biggest.

General Banker, a homebred son of leading New York sire Central Banker, made a sweeping move on the far turn and pulled away to an 8 1/2-length win in the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct. The $275,000 winner’s share brought his career earnings to $345,600.

The Great White Way was the first win in eight starts for General Banker, who is out of Seacoast’s broodmare Elusive Jozi and was bred and foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs.

“Imagine, breaking your maiden for half-a-million dollars,” Forma said. “That’s crazy.”

Crazy good, that is.

Trained by Jimmy Ferraro and ridden confidently by Eric Cancel, General Banker sat off a pace set by longshot Playingwithmatches and favorite Vacation Dance, went five-wide on the turn and took the lead at the stretch call before running up the score. The winning time was 1:25.49 for 7 furlongs over the muddy and sealed surface.

“I thought he was in a great spot,” Ferraro said. “Those Central Bankers love the mud. At Saratoga, he was still really green. He’s still learning things.”

He gets a straight-A for his performance Saturday, much to the delight of his owner, a Brooklyn native who has lived in Portsmouth, N.H., for 25 years and named his stable accordingly.

“I told the trainer to get him a massage and let him feel great (after his last race),” Forma said. “Between the blinkers (added three races back), the massage and good training, we got the win.”

It was a 1-2 finish for McMahon of Saratoga stallions as Ramblin’ Wreck, a son of Redesdale, finished second.

“Central Banker has been so much fun,” Joe McMahon said. “His oldest horses are 5 now and he just keeps coming up with nice horses. It’s a real credit to our syndicate, our help, and everybody. We’re having a great run.

“And Redesdale, too. A Redesdale ran second in the other race [Midtown Lights in the NYSSS Fifth Avenue] as well. He’s a very well-bred stallion. He won 3-of-4 starts and all four Beyers over 90. I’m glad to see his book picking up as well.”

Forma claimed Elusive Jozi for $20,000 at Belmont Park in 2013 with the intention of turning her into a broodmare. She had her first foal in 2016, Wailin Josie, also by Central Banker, who earned $249,863 in 42 starts and will become a broodmare next year, Forma said. Olivers Fortune, a 4-year-old gelding by Laoban, has won twice in 29 starts. General Banker was the third foal for Elusize Jozi, who died earlier this year.

“I own some shares in Central Banker with Joe McMahon so all my horses are bred in-house,” Forma said. “I have a lot of Central Bankers. I have four on the track now.”

Forma is a longtime participant in the New York breeding program and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I don’t know if I’d want to be in Thoroughbred racing if not for the New York breeding program,” he said. “It gives you such an edge. The residual income (from breeder awards) makes a big difference.”

Wudda U Think Now and jockey Dylan Davis head to the winner’s circle after Saturday’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. Joe Labozzetta/NYRA Photo.

Wudda U Think Now loves Aqueduct. The Elkstone Group’s 5-year-old Fast Anna gelding came into Saturday’s $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes for older New York-breds with five wins in nine starts at the Big A – not counting a decent fourth last time out in the Hudson Stakes on Empire Showcase Day at the so-called Belmont at the Big A meeting.

Wudda U Think Now added a sixth win in the 1-mile Alex M. Robb, saving ground most of the way and giving the field the slip turning for home en route to a 3 1/4-length win over Sea Foam as the second longest shot on the board. Sent off 9-1 in the field of seven, Wudda U Think Now won his third stakes of 2022 after taking the 6-furlong Hollie Hughes in February and the 6-furlong John Morrissey in August.

“We were a little concerned about the distance, but he went a mile at Aqueduct [as a 3-year-old],” winning trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “He loves Aqueduct and he loves the winter. As soon as the winter gets to him, he gets stronger in the mornings. He’s a nice horse to be around.”

Wudda U Think Now also pushed his earnings past $500,000 for owner Stuart Grant, adding $55,000 from the Alex M. Robb to go to $503,750 in his career from eight wins in 19 starts.

Dylan Davis, who also rode Venti Valentine to victory in the Bay Ridge Stakes Saturday, came away impressed in his first ride on the gelding.

“I’m always happy with one [stakes win], and if I can get a second one for the day, it’s always a bonus,” Davis said. “I’ve been working this horse a couple times and I’ve been very impressed with him. He’s aggressive, strong and I’m happy I got on him because he’s a horse where if you fight him too much, he’s going to get aggressive with you.”

Wudda U Think Now and Davis battled early for the lead from the inside with Empire Classic winner Dr. Blute to their outside and Sea Foam tracking in third. The top pair clicked off strong splits of :22.96 and :45.72 before Wudda U Think Now opened up by a length through 6 furlongs in 1:11.23.

Wudda U Think Now drew off from there, opening up 4 lengths in midstretch as Sea Foam rallied past Dr. Blute and into second. Sea Foam held second at the finish, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Perfect Munnings with Market Alert fourth and 2-1 favorite Barese sixth of seven. Wudda U Think Now won in 1:39.33 over the muddy and sealed main track.

“I was a little concerned because the other horse, Sea Foam, he’s a nice, solid horse, too,” Rodriguez said. “When I see him sitting third, I said, ‘Oh my God, we’re just setting the race up for him.’ But I think the track has changed a little bit. I thought the inside was a little tiring, but Dylan took him outside. I was a little concerned with him changing leads, but I think he changed leads because they went fast early and he was kind of tiring. But we got the job done.”

Bred by Mina Equivest LLC and foaled at Five Oak Farm in Saratoga, Wudda U Think Now is out of the stakes-placed Unbridled Jet mare Unbridled Grace.

Grant purchased Wudda U Think Now for $60,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. He’s one of five winners from five foals to race out of Unbridled Grace. In addition to Wudda U Think Now, Unbridled Grace is the dam of New York-bred stakes performers James Jingle and C d’Cat.

Les Bon Temps wins second straight stakes in Saturday’s Fifth Avenue division of the NYSS. Susie Raisher/NYRA Photo.

Les Bon Temps delivered as the favorite and significantly padded her bankroll with a victory in Saturday’s $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct.

The 2-year-old daughter of the late Laoban, upset winner of the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day in late October during the Belmont at the Big A meeting, won the 7-furlong Fifth Avenue as the 6-5 favorite in the field of 10 under Jose Lezcano. Owned by Deuce Greathouse, Cindy Hutson and Brett Setzer and trained by Mike Maker, Les Bon Temps improved to 3-for-6 with two thirds with $462,260 in earnings.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables, foaled at Irish Hill Century Farm in Stillwater and out of the unraced Tapizar mare Winsanity, Les Bon Temps was purchased by Greathouse and Pura Vida Racing for $65,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling sale.

“She was a big, pretty filly,” Greathouse said of his first impressions of Les Bon Temps at the October sale. “People like Laoban. She didn’t have that huge, flowing walk at the yearling sale that everybody pays the real money for. If she had a big walk, she probably would have brought $125,000 or $150,000, but she just didn’t want to walk and that turned a lot of people off, I think, right away. Obviously, that doesn’t affect her running.”

Lezcano was content to let Les Bon Temps run seventh early as Gulfstream Park maiden winner Forces Sweetheart clicked off the opening quarter-mile in :22.86 ahead of Central Speed, Small Pebbles and Fema Funds.

Les Bon Temps inched up to fifth after a half in :46.92 as Forces Sweetheart continued to lead and Sweet Liberty ranged up on the outside. Sweet Liberty appeared poised to roll by the field until she bore out badly on the turn, all while Les Bon Temps continued to make progress toward the lead.

Midtown Lights came away with the lead in the stretch, just ahead of Little Linzee but couldn’t hold off Les Bon Temps inside the eighth pole. Les Bon Temps took over at the sixteenth pole and won by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:27.28 over the muddy and sealed main track. Midtown Lights held second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Little Linzee with Dream on Cara fourth.

“With this kind of filly, you have to use her,” Lezcano said. “You have to keep her in position. I had to keep waiting until making my move at the quarter pole. When I did, she went on and won the race. It was easy to get to the outside. She handled the track well. The only thing is I think she could have used somebody next to her to keep going more.”

Les Bon Temps made her first three starts for Norm Casse before being transferred to Maker, who prepped the filly for her New York startings out his Belmont Park barn.

Les Bon Temps finished third in her first start for Maker, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths in the Joseph A. Gimma in late September before her victory in the Maid of the Mist. She won her debut May 26 at Churchill Downs going 5 furlongs in the slop before a third to presumptive Eclipse Award winner Wonder Wheel in the Debutante and a fourth in the Seeking the Ante on Saratoga Showcase Day in late August.

“Honestly, when she ran at Saratoga, I don’t think the mud bothered her. She hadn’t run in a while and she just looked like she needed that race really badly,” Greathouse said. “Mike just worked her one time and ran her up here and she was on the lead and got a little tired. I thought her last start was us finally getting to see what kind of a filly she was, and obviously she built off that, so that was great.”

Les Bon Temps is the second foal out of Winsanity, who also produced the winning New York-bred 3-year-old Bodemeister gelding The Man to See, and a yearling full brother to the Maid of the Mist winner and a weanling New York-bred filly by Honest Mischief foaled March 1. The latter two foals were bred by Cypress Creek Equine.

Greathouse applauded the Stallion Series and hinted that Les Bon Temps could show up in some other top New York races after the New Year.

“It’s a great program they’ve put together and I wish there were more of these New York sire races,” Greathouse said. “We’re going to see what Mike says. At some point she deserves a chance [at open company]. She broke her maiden in open company. So, I don’t know, maybe the Busanda [January 14] or the Busher [March 4]. We’ll see what Mike says. Two turns is going to be her friend.”