Philip Banks looks to validate huge last-out effort
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Philip Banks, the fastest 3-year-old at Woodbine, should take some catching in Thursday’s feature, a nonwinners-of-three sprint for Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers.
Philip Banks has started four times for trainer Tony Gattellaro, who co-owns and bred the gelded son of the superb turf sire Silent Name. After ending up fourth when debuting in the restricted Lake Superior Stakes on July 27, he graduated impressively in another six-furlong main turf sprint Aug. 10, for which he got an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.
“When I was heading into the turf races, I didn’t know [if he’d handle] it because he had never seen it,” Gattellaro recalled. “It was just on his breeding that I assumed he would like the turf. I knew that he liked the synthetic right from the start.”
Philip Banks faded to second after racing on a clear lead until late stretch when favored in a seven-furlong allowance on the Tapeta on Sept. 28. Gattellaro blamed the loss on himself.
“I thought I had him tight enough, but when you’re switching from turf to synthetic, it’s a whole different beast,” Gattellaro explained. “It was trainer error. I thought I had him fit enough for the synthetic, but I didn’t.”
Philip Banks revealed his true colors Oct. 18 when he darted out to an uncontested lead and cleared the nonwinners-of-two condition by 9 3/4 lengths. His six-furlong time of 1:09.71 was good for a 98 Beyer, easily the highest figure recorded by a 3-year-old in Canada this year.
“That’s the horse I expected to see first time on the Tapeta,” Gattellaro said. “I do think, in time, he’s a horse who will stretch out. We’re just trying to stick with what he’s good at right now and get through our conditions. Maybe in the future we’ll try a mile or a mile and a sixteenth. For now, we’re just going to run in this race and that will be it for the year. I’m trying to develop him into a nice 4- or 5-year-old.”
Ryan Munger will break Philip Banks from post 3 in the 6 1/2-furlong event. The seven-horse field also includes Signature Sir, Red Pharaoh, and Roar of the Crowd. Signature Sir could be in the catbird seat if Philip Banks is pressured up front. The son of Signature Red was a maiden before graduating in his eighth outing on Oct. 12. He earned an 82 Beyer most recently when closing from third to beat nonwinners of two at 11-1.
Rafael Hernandez inherits the mount on Signature Sir from Eswan Flores, who takes over on Red Pharaoh. Red Pharaoh has been gelded since his front-running victory in a $25,000 conditioned claiming race on Sept. 21, for which he earned an 83 Beyer.
Roar of the Crowd was stuck at the nonwinners-of-two Ontario-sired level before prevailing on the drop to $25,000 on Oct. 26.
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