Banree takes on males in Tremont

ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association has more than doubled the purse of the Tremont Stakes this year from $100,000 to $250,000. The result is a much better group than in 2014, when the race had to be delayed five days due to a lack of entries and eventually went with a four-horse field.

Friday’s edition of the Tremont – a 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds – has drawn a field of 10 that will shrink by one as trainer Wesley Ward said he intends to scratch the filly Moment Is Right and instead run in the Astoria Stakes. Still, the Tremont has drawn an interesting group, topped by the Todd Pletcher-trained Uncle Vinny; Banree, a filly trained by Ward; and Churchill Downs maiden winner Cat Tree, conditioned by Dane Kobiskie.

Uncle Vinny likely will be favored off his 4 1/2-length debut win May 21. Uncle Vinny came from off the pace under John Velazquez but might possess more speed than he showed, as he was bumped by a rival to his inside a few strides from the gate and briefly bounced around between horses.

Banree is quick. She made contact with a horse to her outside leaving the gate in her April 16 debut at Keeneland but quickly moved up to challenge for the lead. She won going away by four lengths. As in the Tremont, she faced males that day.

Ward has a phenomenal record with 2-year-olds. Over the last five years, he is 178 for 770 with 2-year-olds, a 23 percent win average. He said he “loves” to run fillies against males.

“I think it’s a big advantage,” he said. “It’s the same principle as kids in school. The girls start out quicker, and the boys kind of have to catch up. I think the boys start to make up ground in late fall, both mentally and physically.”

Banree, a daughter of Macho Uno, was an $80,000 buy at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

“She has been very forward from the start,” Ward said. “She’s very fast, and she’s a big filly. I originally thought she’d need more ground, but once we started out, I was amazed at how fast she was. She’s a big filly with a long stride and long legs.”

Key contenders

Banree (Last Beyer: N/A)

* Ward won the Tremont last year with Bessie’s Boy.

* Rafael Hernandez, who will ride Banree, won his first New York stakes last week in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge aboard Divisidero.

Uncle Vinny (Last Beyer: 75)

* Pletcher won the Tremont four times between 1999 and 2007. The race was dropped from the stakes schedule from 2009-13.

* Uncle Vinny is by Uncle Mo, with whom Pletcher won the 2010 Champagne and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. This is Uncle Mo’s first crop to race. From four starters, he has had two winners. His other is Outwork, who also is trained by Pletcher.

Cat Tree (Last 2 Beyers: 84-53)

* Won second time out at Churchill after finishing fourth in his debut. His 84 Beyer is tops in this field.

Swipe (Last Beyer: 59)

* He finished second in his debut at Santa Anita on May 22 after breaking slowly and rallying wide into the stretch. He lugged in on several occasions in the stretch.

* Trainer Keith Desormeaux said he decided to ship him to the Tremont because he was sending the filly Decked Out for the Astoria Stakes the day before. He added that the Tremont purse was too good to pass up and that Swipe had outrun expectations first time out.