Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's multiple graded stakes-placed Bankit will face two other reigning New York-bred champions in the $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Series Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired 3-year-olds and upward, Dec. 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The Thunder Rumble is slated as race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card, which also features the $125,000 NYSSS Staten Island division in race 7.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Bankit, a 6-year-old Central Banker bay, boasts a record of 7-11-5 in 35 starts with purse earnings of $1,189,655. The versatile horse has won at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles while posting wins at five different tracks.
He was named the New York-bred champion older dirt male last year for a campaign that included wins in the John B. Campbell Stakes at Laurel Park and a 13 1/4-length romp over fellow state-breds in the Commentator Stakes at Belmont Park.
"His talent and Steve's training ability to keep him on form as long as he has been and to keep him as sound as he is has made him a great asset to have," said David Fiske, racing manager for Winchell Thoroughbreds. "His biggest strength at this point is his soundness. He's able to train consistently. Just the fact that he's as sound as he is and competes as well as he does is a huge asset."
Bankit launched his 6-year-old season in February with a fifth-place finish at Oaklawn Park then had a sixth-place finish in the Godolphin Mile Sponsored by Nakheel (G2) at Meydan before two starts against state-breds at Saratoga Race Course, including a nose win in the Evan Shipman Handicap and a distant second to returning rival Somelikeithotbrown in the off-the-turf West Point Stakes Presented by Trustco Bank Aug. 26 over a muddy and sealed main track.
Fiske said that Bankit, who returns from a three-month layoff, will remain in training and in search of future stakes success at both Aqueduct and Oaklawn Park where he finished a close second in the 2020 Razorback Handicap (G3).
Bred in the Empire State by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, Bankit will exit the outermost post 8 under Jose Lezcano.
Skychai Racing and David Koenig's multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Somelikeithotbrown is the reigning New York-bred champion turf male. Though he has raced predominantly on turf, he took the West Point Stakes on dirt for trainer Mike Maker.
The field also includes My Boy Tate, the reigning New York-bred champion sprinter, plus Dreamer's Disease, Ocala Dream, Chowda, Neuro, and the maiden Cicciobello.
Stakes Winners Yo Cuz, Galaxina Battle Five Others in NYSSS Staten Island
New York-bred sophomore stakes winners Yo Cuz and Galaxina will attempt to regain winning form against five others in Sunday's 16th running of the Staten Island division of the NYSSS for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward going seven furlongs.
Dream Maker Racing's Yo Cuz brags field-best earnings of $401,675 through a record of 3-1-0 in six starts. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Yo Cuz has been away from action since finishing last of seven against fellow state-breds in the Bouwerie Stakes May 30 at Belmont Park, which was won by eventual multiple graded stakes-placed Sterling Silver.
The daughter of Laoban notched a hat trick of consecutive stakes triumphs at the Big A, beginning with a second-out graduation in the seven-furlong NYSSS Fifth Avenue last December where she defeated eventual multiple graded stakes-placed Morning Matcha by 1 3/4 lengths. She kept her upward trajectory afloat against state-breds when stretching out to a one-turn mile in the Maddie May Stakes Feb. 21, which she won by 3 1/4 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion, before cutting back to seven furlongs and posting a 5 1/4-length victory in the East View Stakes March 27.
Yo Cuz's hot streak came to a halt after stumbling at the start of the 6 1/2-furlong NYSSS Park Avenue on April 24, where she finished a distant fourth behind returning rival Galaxina.
Thomas Gallo, managing partner of Dream Maker Racing, said Yo Cuz deserved a freshening after providing the syndicate with a trio of stakes conquests over the winter. Yo Cuz was initially slated to make her comeback last month but developed a minor temperature which delayed her return.
"We're training her into the stakes race, but that's fine. Bill Mott is a Hall of Famer, so he knows how to do it," Gallo said.
Breaking from post 2, Yo Cuz will have the riding services of Jose Ortiz, who has piloted the filly in all six of her lifetime starts.
Ascendant Farms' New York homebred Galaxina also enters off a layoff, having made her last start when last-of-5 against state-breds in the Fleet Indian Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course for trainer Jim Bond.
Bank On Anna, Silken Dollar, Sedona Rocks, Impazible Donna, and Bunty Windermere round out the lineup.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, December 4, 2022, Race 8Entries: New York Stallion Series S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Somelikeithotbrown (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Michael J. Maker 5/2 2 2Ocala Dream (NY) Javier Castellano 124 Thomas Morley 10/1 3 3Cicciobello (NY) Jose Antonio Gomez 118 Derek S. Ryan 30/1 4 4Dreamer's Disease (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 124 Ricky Courville 6/1 5 5My Boy Tate (NY) Manuel Franco 124 Michelle Nevin 9/5 6 6Neuro (NY) Eric Cancel 120 Robert Ribaudo 12/1 7 7Chowda (NY) Dylan Davis 120 Gary Sciacca 20/1 8 8Bankit (NY) Jose Lezcano 124 Steven M. Asmussen 3/1
Aqueduct Racetrack, Sunday, December 4, 2022, Race 7Entries: New York Stallion Series S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Galaxina (NY) Dylan Davis 122 H. James Bond 6/1 2 2Yo Cuz (NY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 William I. Mott 9/5 3 3Silken Dollar (NY) Manuel Franco 118 Richard E. Schosberg 10/1 4 4Sedona Rocks (NY) Heman K. Harkie 118 Dawn Skelton 30/1 5 5Bank On Anna (NY) Jose Lezcano 122 Philip M. Serpe 2/1 6 6Impazible Donna (NY) Javier Castellano 120 Bruce N. Levine 5/2 7 7Bunty Windermere (NY) Jose Antonio Gomez 118 Derek S. Ryan 30/1
