Soontobeking nips National Identity at the wire to take Gander

Soontobeking, dramatically, and Bernieandtherose, decisively, won New York-bred 3-year-old stakes Saturday at Aqueduct.

Soontobeking got up in the last jump to win the $125,000 Gander Stakes, while Bernieandtherose pulled away from a longshot pace rival in the final furlong capturing the $125,000 Maddie May, which was restricted to fillies, by 3 1/2 lengths.

The Gander came back only marginally faster than the Maddie May – 1:41.26 to 1:41.35 over a one-turn mile on a fast track – but proved far more exciting.

Givememythememusic, who would play no part in the end, made the lead to the first call before second choice Mo Plex and then favored National Identity joined the early fray. Givememythememusic gave way around the turn, leaving Mo Plex and National Identity in a protracted duel for supremacy past the three-eighths pole and into midstretch.

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Soontobeking and jockey Eric Cancel saved ground down the backstretch and into the turn, just a couple foes behind them and twice as many in front, before beginning a bid. At the quarter pole, it looked like Soontobeking had too much to do to run down the leaders, but Cancel guided his mount down to the fence and Soontobeking kept coming. No one finished fast on the clock over a tiring surface, and as National Identity and Mo Plex continued slowing in the last half furlong, Soontobeking maintained just enough momentum to get his nose down at the wire.

National Identity, favored at 6-5, had edged away from Mo Plex by a half-length at the finish. Soontobeking, the fourth choice, paid $14.80. George Weaver trains the winner and owns him in partnership with the colt’s breeders, Our Blue Streaks Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds. Soontobeking, now 3 for 11 in his career, is by King for a Day out of Swayed, by Freud.

It took Bernieandtherose ($7.90) most of the Maddie May to put away her 47-1 pace rival Howling Wind, who held firm to the eighth pole through splits of 23.86 and 48.32 seconds before Bernieandtherose finally took her measure. Lottie Margaret, the 11-10 favorite, didn’t come close to Bernieandtherose but managed to nab second by a neck over Howling Wind. Another 9 1/2 lengths separated Howling Wind from second choice Army Gal.

Katie Davis rode Bernieandtherose in her first four starts and piloted her to the filly’s fourth straight victory on Saturday. Third in her debut, Bernieandtherose subsequently won a maiden race, a first-level New York-bred allowance, and the East View Stakes before coming to another peak Saturday. A homebred so named because she’s owned by Robert Rosenthal and Brad Bernstein, Bernieandtherose is by Accelerate out of Burning Rose, by Freud.

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