Dr Ardito outgames Bankit to win Haynesfield Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - At the five-sixteenths pole of Monday’s Haynesfield Stakes at Aqueduct, Bankit and Dr Ardito, three wide and four wide, respectively, zipped past the pace-setting tandem of Wudda U Think Now and Sea Foam.
Though Dr Ardito came into this on a five-race winning streak, he was making his stakes debut. Conversely, the seven-time stakes winner and $1.2 million earner Bankit was making his 38th career start, 33rd in a stakes. As he watched this stretch duel commence, that thought crept into the mind of Michael Dubb, the co-owner of Dr Ardito.
“When the good Bankit shows up, the good Bankit is good,” Dubb said.
On this day, Dr Ardito was slightly better.
With Manny Franco pushing on Dr Ardito and Jose Lezcano doing likewise on Bankit from the head of the lane home, Dr Ardito got his head on the wire first to win the $97,000 Haynesfield for New York-breds. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Full Moon Fever in third. Wudda U Think Now and Sea Foam completed the order of finish.
“He’s got a ton of heart,” Dubb said of Dr Ardito, whom he named after his primary physician of 30 years, Dr. Anthony Ardito. “Chad’s managed this horse incredibly well.”
Dubb was referring to trainer Chad Brown, who had to give Dr Ardito plenty of time off on multiple occasions to get over some ankle issues. Monday’s race was just Dr Ardito’s second start since last May.
“You have to be patient,” said Dubb, who had Dr Ardito gelded during his first forced vacation.
Franco has ridden Dr Ardito in all of his starts. While Franco knew Bankit would be a tough foe - he rode Bankit to within a neck of winning last year’s Haynesfield - he had confidence Dr Ardito could beat Bankit in the stretch.
“I don’t take anything away from Bankit - he’s a nice horse too - but I really love my horse, he always tries,” Franco said. “He had his problems and Chad and his team did an excellent job with this horse.”
Dr Ardito covered the mile in 1:37.86 and returned $3.70 as the favorite.
For Bankit, it was the seventh time he’s lost a race by a head, neck or nose. All seven came in stakes.
“He gets to the last sixteenth and he slows down a little bit,” Lezcano said. “That’s why he got beat. I have to move at the five-sixteenths with [Dr Ardito] coming, and the last sixteenth he was just backing up a little bit.”
Dubb said he would let Brown pick out what’s next for Dr Ardito, who now has six wins and a second from seven starts. Dubb admitted to being intrigued by the Grade 1 Carter Handicap here on April 8.
“Obviously, those decision are made when you know the competition, when we have a chance to put this race in context with other races,” Dubb said. “I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t want to try a race like that. Chad thinks a lot of this horse.”
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