Stoney Bennett, Stan the Man successfully stretch out
A pair of older geldings seem to be improving with age and over the weekend both Stoney Bennett and Stan the Man showed the ability to stretch out in distance.
On Saturday, the 4-year-old New York-bred Stoney Bennett successfully carried his speed a mile, winning an open-company, first-level allowance race by a neck. He ran a mile in 1:37.62 and earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
Stoney Bennett’s only previous try at a mile came in his second career start, the Sleepy Hollow Stakes in October 2017, where he finished fourth. His previous four victories had come at 6 1/2 furlongs or shorter. Stoney Bennett, a son of Bustin Stones, is 4 for 6 since Linda Rice took over his training last summer.
“In his training I’ve been wanting to try him long since August, I just didn’t find the right opportunity,” Rice said. “With a little easier fractions, I thought he might get the mile nicely and might prefer it, so I was pretty happy with that.”
Rice said she could point Stoney Bennett to the $100,000 Haynesfield, a one-mile stakes for New York-breds on Feb. 17.
On Sunday, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred Stan the Man successfully stretched his speed out to 1 1/8 miles, winning a second-level allowance by two lengths. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.44 and earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He, like Stoney Bennett, has won four of his last six starts.
“He did what we were hoping he would do,” trainer John Terranova said. “Against what level of competition down the road would he be able to do it is still unknown. It was nice to see him to be able to relax and finish up well.”
If Terranova wanted to try Stan the Man at 1 1/8 miles in a stakes, the likely scenario would be the $100,000 John Campbell on Feb. 16 at Laurel.
If he wants to give him more time, Terranova could cut him back to a one-turn mile in the $150,000 Stymie on March 9 at Aqueduct.
One of his losses in his last six starts was a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, in which Stan the Man only got beat 5 1/2 lengths after stumbling at the start.
Winter meet a third complete
Sunday’s card marked the 23rd day of racing at the 63-day Aqueduct meet, and there has yet to be a cancellation of a full card of racing. The final three races of last Thursday’s card were canceled due to high winds.
Last winter, from Dec. 28, 2017, through Jan. 7, there were eight full cards canceled and two more cards had four or more races scrapped.
Through the first 23 days of racing this winter, Manny Franco and Junior Alvarado are tied atop the jockey standings with 33 wins apiece. Dylan Davis, who won three races Sunday, is in third with 22 victories.
Linda Rice leads all trainers with 18 wins, followed by Rudy Rodriguez (13) and Jeremiah Englehart (11).
◗ Racing resumes on this circuit Friday, following one additional dark day to account for a live racing card on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Racing continues on a four-day week schedule until March 8 when there will be five consecutive three-day race weeks.
