The truth is, Bank Sting looks best in La Verdad Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Coming off a solid 4-year-old campaign, Bank Sting looks well spotted to kick off the new year with a victory when she meets four rivals in Sunday’s $100,000 La Verdad Stakes for New York-bred females at Aqueduct.

Bank Sting went 5 for 6 in 2021, with a victory in the Critical Eye at Belmont in May and, most recently, an 8 1/4-length triumph in the Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes series here on Dec. 5. Bank Sting’s lone blemish of the year came when she finished fifth on a sloppy track in the Empire Distaff on Oct. 30.

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That race was Bank Sting’s first start in five months, a layoff precipitated by a gate mishap that forced her to scratch from the Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth Park in July. Bank Sting suffered several cuts and was body sore and missed ample time.

“We had to rush into the Distaff,” said John Terranova, the trainer of Bank Sting. “I felt we were ready but she just needed to get her confidence back. It was a big field, a bad track. She needed one race before that to smooth things out.”

Bank Sting was definitely smooth in the Staten Island, taking over when rider Dylan Davis wanted. That was Bank Sting’s fourth win from five starts and third from four races at the La Verdad distance of seven furlongs.

Bank Sting is drawn nicely in post 4 under Davis. As the 124-pound highweight, she will concede six pounds to her four rivals.

“She’s the class of the field,” Terranova said. “Just hopefully everything goes smooth with her at the gate, and she gets away cleanly and let her take it from there.”

Eloquent Speaker will make her third start in 23 days in the La Verdad. On Dec. 11, she finished second in an allowance/optional claimer and was claimed by owner-trainer Natalia Lynch, who wheeled her back six days later to win a first-level open-company allowance by 1 1/4 lengths.

Eric Cancel rides Eloquent Speaker from the rail.

Trainer Mitch Friedman has been a on roll lately, winning four races from six starters since the winter meet began on Dec. 9. Sunday, he’ll send out Awillaway, who two back won a second-level New York-bred allowance before finishing fourth, 10 lengths behind Bank Sting in the Staten Island. Friedman is taking the blinkers off Awillaway on Sunday.

Letmetakethiscall, a 7-year-old mare, won two races at last winter’s meet here but is coming in a bit off form.

Courageous Girl was a dominant winner of a second-level New York-bred allowance on Oct. 17 at Belmont before finishing second to a runaway winner in an open allowance on Nov. 21. She is making her fourth start off the claim for trainer Horacio DePaz.

“She’s been stepping up in class and performing well,” DePaz said. “Her running style has definitely changed. She places herself more forward in the races.”

Manny Franco rides Courageous Girl from post 3.