As trainer promises owner, Bank Audit wins convincingly

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Greg Martin was extremely confident Bank Audit could win Saturday's Interborough Handicap. He just had to convince his owner, Robert Amendola, of it.

After several conversations, Martin eventually persuaded Amendola to scratch Bank Audit out of a Thursday allowance race and run in the Interborough.

Martin's faith was rewarded when Bank Audit took over from the pace-setting High Peaks in upper stretch and drew clear to a 5 1/2-length victory in the $81,255 at Aqueduct. Mariakel rallied from last to nip Belong to Sea by a head for second.

Lured by a calendar giveaway and temperatures in the upper 50's, a crowd of 14,150 attended the races on Saturday.

It was the third straight victory for Bank Audit since Martin gave her time off to work on her ulcer problems.

In the Interborough, Bank Audit stalked High Peaks through fractions of 23.71 seconds and 47.30. Bank Audit, seized the lead at the three-sixteenths pole and with one tap of jockey Norberto Arroyo's whip, she drew clear. Bank Audit, a 4-year-old daughter of Wild Rush, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.55 and returned $4.90 as the favorite.

"I just felt so confident she was going to run her 'A' race, and if she was going to run her 'A' race I wanted her to run her 'A' race in a stakes," said Martin, who has a 6-5-2 record from 16 starts at the inner track meet.

The victory was the third on the card for Arroyo, who put Bank Audit into the race early because he feared that High Peaks, under Aaron Gryder, could get loose on the lead.

"If they went I'd take back," Arroyo said. "But since nobody went and Aaron took a hold right away when he came out of the gate, I put her right next to him. I knew she was the best filly, I didn't want to leave her a lot to do."