Bankit takes control of older New York-bred division in Commentator as Mr. Buff fades to fifth

ELMONT, N.Y. - There may have been a passing of the torch in the New York-bred older male dirt division at Belmont Park. It took place at the top of the stretch in Monday’s $200,000 Commentator Stakes.

Bankit, under Jose Lezcano, split the pacesetter Winners Laugh and the stalker and 12-time stakes winner Mr. Buff at the five-sixteenths pole then, without ever being hit with the whip, drew off to a 13 1/4-length victory in the Commentator, the centerpiece of a 10-race card devoted entirely to New York breds.

Danny California, a 25-1 longshot, got up for second by three-quarters of a length over Winners Laugh. Captain Bombastic was fourth followed by Mr. Buff, the 4-5 favorite, and Sea Foam.

The win was the third from the last five starts for Bankit, a 5-year-old son of Central Banker who had won just three of his first 25 career starts with eight second-place finishes. The first-place purse of $110,000 pushed Bankit’s earnings to $1,027,875 for owners Ron Winchell and Willis Horton. Bankit is trained by Steve Asmussen.

“He’s been doing really well,” said Toby Sheets, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Asmussen. “We’ve done some work on his feet, helped him out a little bit, it paid off today.”

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Bankit was fifth early while Winners Laugh, under Javier Castellano, set the pace, stalked by Mr. Buff, through a quarter of 22.76 seconds, and a half-mile in 46.41.

Bankit had run on his mind and around the three-eighths pole, Lezcano let him advance to the leaders without asking him.

Bankit split horses between the five-sixteenths and the quarter pole, took command turning for home and drew clear while running a final quarter in 23.83 seconds over a sealed, sloppy track. He covered the mile in 1:34.52 and returned $6.90 as the second choice.

“I let him go little by little, I didn’t want to move too early but he took me over there at the three-eighths, he put himself in front,” Lezcano said. “When I really asked him at the quarter pole he take off. I never touched him with the whip.”

While Bankit seems to be at the top of his game, Mr. Buff gave an unusual clunker in a New York-bred stakes.

Trainer John Kimmel said jockey Junior Alvarado told him “he was empty, he didn’t take him there and when he asked him he didn’t feel like his normal self. Usually when he gets to the half-mile pole he’ll carry on forward. It was basically a very flat race.”

Kimmel said he would give Mr. Buff a break. The 8-year-old gelding has won 17 races from 46 starts and earned $1.38 million.

“We’ll see if we can rediscover his talents or perhaps age is catching up to him a little bit,” Kimmel said. “He’s sound. It’s not a soundness issue.”

Bank Sting wins Critical Eye

Bank Sting made her connections wait. The good ones often times do.

Bank Sting has proven to be more than worth the wait as she recorded her fourth consecutive victory this year, a front-running, 1 1/4-length score under Kendrick Carmouche in Monday’s $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes.

Good Credence chased Bank Sting home, finishing second by nine lengths over 2-1 favorite Mrs. Orb. Timeless Journey was fourth, followed by Dancing Kiki and Espresso Shot.

Singular Sensation suffered a catastrophic injury to her right foreleg at the five-furlong pole and had to be euthanized, per the New York Racing Association. Eloquent Speaker and Love and Love scratched.

In December 2019, Bank Sting debuted in the $518,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series, finishing fourth. In subsequent training she suffered a chip in a hind ankle that required surgery.

Once over that, Bank Sting had a series of issues - a splint bone, a foot abscess and an illness - that ultimately kept her from the races for 14 months.

“It was little stupid stuff that kept us away, nothing major, otherwise she would have been back sooner,” trainer John Terranova said. “Took it as it came, it’s been a blessing so far. If you don’t have patience in this game you might as well not be in it.”

Bank Sting went through her New York-bred conditions, winning three times at Aqueduct from Feb. 5 through April 15 leading into the Critical Eye.

In the Critical Eye, Bank Sting was put on the lead by Carmouche. Though stalked from second by Good Credence throughout, Bank Sting never let that rival by. Good Credence finished nine lengths clear of Mrs. Orb.

Bank Sting, a 4-year-old daughter of Central Banker owned by Hidden Brook farms and Joseph and Anne McMahon, covered the mile in 1:36.34 and returned $10.40.

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* Robin Sparkles ($2.70) got tired late but was able to hold off Kilkea by three-quarters of a length to win the $125,000 Mount Vernon Stakes, a race scheduled for a mile on the turf but transferred to the main track due to weekend rains.

Robin Sparkles, Jose Ortiz aboard for trainer for Bruce Brown and owner Michael Schraeder, covered the mile in 1:38.47 over the sealed muddy track.

Vienna Code was third followed by Light in the Sky and Dancingwthdaffodls in a race scratched down to a field of five.

Giacosa, Two Cent Tootsie, Myhartblongstodady, Pecatonica, and Classic Lady all scratched due to the surface switch.

* Vintage Hollywood ($6.90) overtook pacesetting Mo Ready at the top of the lane and drew off to a 5 1/4-length victory over Control Group in the off-the-turf $125,000 Kingston Stakes. Mo Ready faded to last in the three-horse field.

Vintage Hollywood, a 6-year-old gelding by Country Day trained by Orlando Noda for Noda Brothers Racing, covered the 1 1-/6 miles in 1:44.30.

Dot Matrix, Rinaldi, Cross Border, City Man, Graded On a Curve, Therapist, and Sanctuary City all scratched as a result of the surface switch.