Bankit surges in Thunder Rumble division of N.Y. Stallion Series

A disjointed season for Bankit ended on a high note Sunday at Aqueduct with a 3 1/4-length victory in the $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

Breaking alertly under Jose Lezcano, Bankit dueled outside of Somelikeithotbrown until upper stretch, where he began to leave that rival in his wake, drawing off for a sharp victory. It was the same margin back to My Boy Tate in third. Ocala Dream and Chowda completed the order of finish.

Cicciobello, Dreamer’s Disease and Neuro scratched.

The win was the eighth from 36 career starts for Bankit, a 6-year-old of Central Banker owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing. In March, he finished sixth in the Grade 2 Godolphin Mile in Meydan but didn’t get to run again until August, when he won the Evan Shipman Stakes. He missed a race in May when the Commentator Stakes at Belmont failed to fill.

Following the Evan Shipman win, Bankit wheeled back in two weeks to run in the three-horse, off-the-turf West Point Stakes, in which he was beaten six lengths by Somelikeithotbrown.

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In October, Bankit had to scratch from the Hudson Stakes because of paperwork issues following Willis Horton’s death, making this race his first start in 100 days.

Coming off the layoff, Bankit was fresh and sharp, dueling outside of Somelikeithotbrown through a half-mile in 46.29 seconds before drawing off to complete the seven furlongs in 1:23.24. He returned $6.90 as the third choice.

“He’s been an unbelievably durable and productive horse,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He’s obviously a very good horse that happens to be a New York-bred.”

Though competing in two-turn races earlier in his career, Bankit has found a niche as a one-turn, seven-eighths to a mile type.

“Today’s race was as impressive as any race he’s had,” Asmussen said. “I think seven-eighths, a one-turn mile are ideal for him. He’s found himself a very nice niche and Toby’s done a wonderful job with him.”

Asmussen was referring to his longtime New York-based assistant Toby Sheets, who also sent out the New York-bred 2-year-old filly Banterra to an allowance win earlier on the card.

Impazible Donna takes Staten Island

In a scratch-reduced field of four, Impazible Donna, after breaking on top, eventually came from off the pace and wide to outfinish Silken Dollar by 1 3/4 lengths to win the $125,000 Staten Island division of the Stallion Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths.

It was 9 1/2 lengths back to Bank On Anna. Sedona Rocks finished last.

The race lost two of its top contenders when Galaxina and Yo Cuz scratched. Longshot Bunty Windermere also scratched.

Impazible Donna, under Javier Castellano, broke on top as Bank On Anna and Sedona Rocks bumped out of the gate.

Castellano let Silken Dollar and Bank On Anna go to the front while Castellano moved Impazible Donna out into the clear down the backstretch. Impazible Donna re-engaged with the leaders at the top of the lane and outfinished Silken Dollar to get the victory.

“She broke so well out of the gate and I think Jose Lezcano [on Bank On Anna] rushed to go straight to the lead,” Castellano said in a post-race interview with the New York Racing Association. “I just made my own judgment down the backside - I didn’t want to hook up with two speed [horses] and made her back up a little bit.”

Impazible Donna, a 5-year-old daughter of Mission Impazible trained by Bruce Levine for Flying P Stable, won for just the third time in 17 starts. She covered seven furlongs in 1:24.92 and returned $4.70 to win.

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