General Banker gives trainer Ferraro great day with Great White Way

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - General Banker gave Jimmy Ferraro the most lucrative victory of his 45-year training career Saturday when the 2-year-old stormed from off the pace under Eric Cancel to win the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series by 8 1/2 lengths at Aqueduct.

General Banker was the 4,000th start of Ferraro’s career, one that began in 1977. It was his 13th career stakes victory and 330th career win overall. The previous highest purse Ferraro won was the $150,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series with Aunt Babe in 2017. In three of the last four years, the Great White Way and Fifth Avenue - the latter of which also ran Saturday and was won by Les Bon Temps - have run for $500,000 as an incentive to breed to New York-based stallions.

General Banker is by Central Banker, and is owned and bred by John Forma’s Seacoast Thoroughbreds.

“Merry Christmas without a doubt,” Ferraro said.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Entering the Great White Way, General Banker had run seven times without a victory. He ran short on turf, long on turf and short on dirt. He was coming off a runner-up finish in a six-furlong maiden race on Nov. 26. Cancel, who rode General Banker for the first time that day, said he thought the horse was a little weak behind and related that to Ferraro.

“We both talked about it, we could feel he was a little bit weak in behind,” Cancel said. “He said he was going to work on him, he did and here are the results.”

Ferraro didn’t really reveal what he did to help the horse strengthen up behind other than jog him more frequently and give him one sharp half-mile workout in between races.

In the Great White Way, General Banker sat fourth, about two lengths off the pace while Playingwithmatches set the pace, running a quarter in 22.91 seconds and a half-mile in 46.67. Cancel swung General Banker wide for the stretch drive and he powered home an easy winner.

“I thought he was in a great spot, and the Central Bankers they love the mud,” Ferraro said.

In his only previous start in the mud, however, General Banker finished fourth in the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga.

“He was stilly really green, he was still learning how to do it,” Ferraro said.

Ramblin’ Wreck rallied for second in the Great White Way, while Lifetime of Chance, also a maiden, got third by a nose over Playingwithmatches.

Bustino Santino finished fifth, and was followed in order by Zapruder, Jackson Heights, favored Vacation Dance, Incantation, Tater and Tot and Laurel Valley.

General Banker ran seven furlongs in 1:25.49 and returned $23.

Les Bon Temps takes Fifth Avenue

Les Bon Temps was the most accomplished of 10 juvenile fillies going into the $500,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series, and she remained the most accomplished with a 1 1/4-length victory over Midtown Lights.

Les Bon Temps, a daughter of Laoban, was coming off a one-length victory in the Maid of the Mist Stakes, making her the only stakes winner and multiple winner in a field of 10 that included five maidens.

Jockey Jose Lezcano had to use Les Bon Temps from the rail to get early position but was only 2 1/4 lengths off the pace behind a four-ply speed duel.

Les Bon Temps was behind Forces Sweetheart, who was part of that duel and who began to tire entering the stretch. Lezcano moved his filly to the outside of that one, engaged with Midtown Lights at the eighth pole and edged clear of that one in the final sixteenth.

“She broke good and she was handling the track pretty good, she’s just the kind of filly you have to use her,” Lezcano said. “But she gave it to me when I asked her.”

Les Bon Temps, owned by Deuce Greathouse, Brett Setzer and Cindy Hutson and trained by Mike Maker, covered the mile in 1:27.28 over the muddy, sealed surface and returned $4.40 as the favorite.

“Her last start was kind of us finally getting to see what kind of filly she was and obviously she built off that so that was great,” Greathouse said.

Midtown Lights finished second by 1 3/4 lengths over Little Linzee, who was followed in the order of finish by Dream On Cara, Sweet Liberty, Forces Sweetheart, Clover Street, Fema Funds, Central Speed and Small Pebbles.

Greathouse believes Les Bon Temps will like two turns and she could potentially try that in a race like the $100,000 Busanda Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 14.

“Two turns is going to be her friend,” Greathouse said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that against open company.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.