Bavaro probably will go long in Gander Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bavaro, the dominant winner of the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series on Dec. 17, likely will get a chance to stretch out around two turns in the $100,000 Gander Stakes for New York-breds on Jan. 28.

Gary Sciacca, who trains Bavaro for Hall of Fame football coach Bill Parcells, also has the option of keeping Bavaro sprinting in the $125,000 Rego Park Stakes on Jan. 21 but said he wants to find out sooner rather than later if the horse will be successful stretching out.

“We’ll see if he’ll go long to tell us what we’re going to do with him,” Sciacca said. “He’s a big, good-looking horse. It looks like he’ll go long.”

Bavaro, a son of Freud, won his debut by 5 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct on Nov. 19. He came back to defeat the heavily favored Gold for the King by 3 3/4 lengths in the Great White Way, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 98.

Both of his victories came at six furlongs.

◗ Bonita Bianca, 5 1/4-length winner of the Maid of the Mist Stakes at Belmont in October, will return to New York-bred stakes company in Friday’s $100,000 East View Stakes at Aqueduct. The East View, contested at a mile and 70 yards, drew a field of only five juvenile fillies.

Bonita Bianca, a daughter of Curlin, won her first two starts against statebreds and then finished third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle after trailing in the field of nine until the top of the stretch.

Bonita Bianca will face a field that includes Bree’s Got Heart, third in the Maid of the Mist; Tiznow’s Smile, a recent maiden winner; Overnegotiate, second in the Key Cents Stakes; and longshot Messer Misfit.