Bavaro, Sudden Surprise come north for George W. Barker

A pair of horses shipping across the state from the New York Racing Association circuit are among the favorites in Monday’s $50,000 George W. Barker Stakes at Finger Lakes, a sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Bavaro won three straight races from December 2018 to February of this year, including the Hollie Hughes Stakes against statebreds at Aqueduct. He then finished third in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct. Trained by Linda Rice, he most recently finished fifth in the Affirmed Success Stakes for statebreds on April 26.

Sudden Surprise led early and faded to finish fourth in the Affirmed Success, beaten a neck for third. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Sudden Surprise earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 92 for his Affirmed Success effort, the top last-out number in this field, while Bavaro was awarded a 90. The winner of the race, Pat On the Back, flattered his foes by returning to win the Commentator Stakes on May 27 and is now a seven-time stakes winner.

P J Advantage, Saratoga Giro, and Winston’s Chance swept the trifecta in a Finger Lakes allowance on May 13. Saratoga Giro is the defending winner of the Barker. He finished third in the Leon Reed Memorial Handicap last summer at Finger Lakes to Winston’s Chance.

Aveenu Malcainu was a Grade 3-placed stakes winner as a 2-year-old in 2017.