Bank Frenzy wins Haynesfield; Sterling Silver scores in Biogio's Rose
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Heavy favorites Bank Frenzy and Sterling Silver did what they were expected to do, winning two New York-bred stakes on Sunday at Aqueduct.
In the $125,000 Haynesfield for males, Bank Frenzy, after breaking a step slow, advanced toward the leaders under Manny Franco, took over after a half-mile and continued on to a 2 1/4-length victory over General Banker.
Earlier on the card, Sterling Silver took advantage of a contested pace to score a 1 3/4-length win in the $121,250 Biogio’s Rose.
For Bank Frenzy, the win was his fourth straight, a streak that started in an open-company allowance race last Nov. 23. He won the Alex Robb in December and came off a brief layoff with a 3 1/2 length victory in the Stymie Stakes on March 1.
On Sunday, back with New York-breds - and on a wet surface over which he was 4 for 4 - Bank Frenzy was much the best.
He broke a step slow, as he is wont to do, but nobody seemed eager for the lead, so Franco let Bank Frenzy cruise up there. After a half-mile in 47.10 seconds, he was a length in front.
“I thought they were going to get some separation from me,” Franco said. “I was on the best horse. I just let him pass the chute and I ended up on the lead easy enough. He was doing it the right way.”
Bank Frenzy, a 5-year-old gelding by Central Banke owned by LSU Stables and trained by Rudy Rodriguez, covered the mile in the mud in 1:35.83 and returned $3.10.
Rodriguez, who equips Bank Frenzy with an extension blinker, said the horse is challenging to train.
“But he’s been very, very competitive and very solid,” Rodriguez said. “You just got to stay out of the way.”
Bank Frenzy could be pointed to the Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester Stakes, which is expected to be the seasonal debut for the multiple Grade 1 winner Fierceness.
Sterling Silver tops $1M mark
Favored Sterling Silver ($3.10) topped the million-dollar mark in career earnings with a facile 1 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s $121,250 Biogio’s Rose Stakes.
After Sweet Brown Sugar took over from dueling leaders Khali Magic and Bernietakescharge at the quarter pole, Sterling Silver took over from Sweet Brown Sugar inside the eighth pole and gradually drew away.
Sweet Brown Sugar finished second by four lengths over Caldwell Luvs Gold. Khali Magic and Bernietakescharge completed the order of finish.
Sterling Silver, a 6-year-old daughter of Cupid owned by Mark Anderson and trained by Bill Mott, covered a mile in 1:35.70 over the sealed muddy track. It was her ninth win, fifth in a stakes, from 29 starts. The $68,750 first-place prize money pushed Sterling Silver’s career earnings to $1,006,051.
“She fit perfectly, small field, lots of speed in the race, she came from behind and she got it done today,” Castellano said. “Very classy horse.”
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