Bandua's victory highlights big weekend for Sisterson, Calumet Farm

It’s been a little more than a year since English export Jack Sisterson took a position in Lexington, Ky., as a trainer for Calumet Farm. The partnership appears to have stuck and had an especially fruitful last weekend.

On Saturday, Bandua won the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Handicap, seizing control of the race at the top of the stretch and crossing the finish 1 3/4 lengths in front of runner-up The Great Day. Bandua, winning for the first time since he was brought to America from Ireland last summer, got a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, which was right in line with his last two grass starts, a close sixth in the Grade 1 Manhattan (98) and a solid second to high-class Synchrony in the Fair Grounds Handicap (97). Bandua had run well on several occasions but still was 0 for 8 in North America.

“He came out of the race very good,” Sisterson said Tuesday. “We have individual turn-out paddocks for each horse, and he was bucking and playing outside this morning.”

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Sisterson said Bandua’s connections were “definitely thinking about coming back” for the Arlington Million, but “want to get an idea what horses would be pointed there, what Europeans are coming.”

Two other next-start options exist for Bandua – the Del Mar Handicap over 1 3/8 miles and the Sword Dancer over 1 1/2 miles at Saratoga. Sisterson said the hope is to get Bandua to the Breeders’ Cup Turf this fall.

Also racing Saturday at Arlington for Sisterson and Calumet were Vexatious, who finished second in the Grade 3, $150,000 Modesty Handicap, and King Snake, a first-time-starting 2-year-old who took a surprising defeat in race 4 after opening a 2 1/2-length lead at the stretch call. King Snake had been bet down to 2-1 favoritism and is held in high regard by his connections.

Flying Scotsman raced too aggressively in the American Derby on Saturday at Arlington, fading to sixth in his first start since November and first for Sisterson, but on Sunday at Laurel, 3-year-old Lexitonian rebounded from a poor showing in the Woody Stephens at Belmont to win the $75,000 Concern Stakes, a seven-furlong dirt race for 3-year-olds. In May, Lexitonian won the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes over six furlongs at Pimlico, but Sisterson said he and Calumet were considering trying Lexitonian at a route distance in his next start.