Bank Frenzy looks to make the grade in G3 Westchester
LSU Stables’ multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Bank Frenzy brings a four-race win streak into Sunday’s Grade 3 $175,000 Westchester, a one-turn mile for older horses, at Belmont at the Big A.
The Westchester is slated as Race 9 on Sunday’s stacked 10-race card which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy in Race 7, the Grade 3, $175,000 Beaugay in Race 8 and the Listed $150,000 License Fee in Race 3. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
Bank Frenzy [post 2, Manny Franco, 120 pounds], a 5-year-old Central Banker gelding, was purchased privately in the spring of 2024 and transferred to trainer Rudy Rodriguez.
The talented chestnut has posted a record of 7-5-2-0 since that includes state-bred stakes wins in the Evan Shipman Handicap in August at Saratoga Race Course and the local Alex M. Robb in December and Haynesfield last out on April 6. He bested open company two starts back in the Listed Stymie on March 1 here when 3 1/2-lengths better than returning rival Worcester.
All four of Bank Frenzy’s stakes scores have occured at the one-mile distance and his current streak, launched with an open optional-claiming win in November, have come traveling a one-turn mile over the Big A main track. He has proven his talent with wins over tracks rated muddy [Evan Shipman], muddy and sealed [Haynesfield], sloppy and sealed [Alex M. Robb], and fast [Stymie].
Bank Frenzy will now look to make the grade in a race that was initially set to be billed as a matchup with 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and last year’s Grade 1 DraftKings Travers-winner Fierceness, who instead entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Alysheba on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs.
“There's no easy race. It's as competitive as it comes,” Rodriguez said. “This horse, he loves Aqueduct and he's coming into the race in very good shape. It's his favorite track and he loves the mile. He's a very competitive horse.”
Bank Frenzy worked a solo half-mile Sunday in 49.01 seconds over the Belmont Park dirt training track with Rodriguez up. Manny Franco, who retains the mount, was to have worked Bank Frenzy, but had to fly to Kentucky to breeze East Avenue in his final Kentucky Derby prep.
“He worked very good,” Rodriguez said of Bank Frenzy. “He went nice and comfortable. I was very pleased.”
Bank Frenzy made his first nine starts for trainer Lisa Lewis, winning three times along with a close runner-up effort to Lifetime of Chance in the 2023 NYSSS Times Square here.
Out of the Tiznow mare Storm Now, Bank Frenzy was bred by Chester and Mary Broman. The $110,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase has banked $575,420.
“He's solid. He tries every time he runs. It's great to have him in the barn,” Rodriguez said.
Wathnan Racing’s Tumbarumba [post 6, John Velazquez, 118 pounds, blinkers ON] supplemented to the Westchester following a third-place finish in his attempted title defense of the one-mile Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper on January 25 at Gulfstream Park. Tumbarumba raced with blinkers off last out, but the equipment will return on Sunday here.
Trained by Brian Lynch, who sends out Owen Almighty in Saturday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, Tumbarumba has banked more than 20 times his $30,000 purchase price when selected by the conditioner at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.
The ultra-consistent bay, bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, sports a 19-5-7-3 ledger topped by scores in the Listed Ellis Park Derby in 2023 and last year’s aforementioned Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper. Along the way, the gritty runner known for his game efforts on or near the pace, has hit the board in six other graded events, many of them narrow defeats, including the 2023 Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby [3rd, head] and last year’s Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile [2nd, nose], Grade 3 Ghostzapper [2nd, neck], Grade 3 Ack Ack [2nd, 1 1/2-lengths], and Grade 3 Harlan’s Holiday [2nd, 1 1/4-lengths].
Tumbarumba was freshened following his Fred W. Hooper third and returned to the work tab on March 22 at Palm Meadows Training Center in Boynton Beach, Florida. Most recently, he has worked in Kentucky, including a five-eighths breeze Saturday in 1:01 flat over the Churchill Downs dirt.
Tumbarumba is out of the winning Street Sense mare Naive Enough, who is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Light the City.
Paul Berube, Karen Linnell, and Heather B. Hunter’s Maryland homebred Quint’s Brew [post 7, Mychel Sanchez, 124 pounds] brings a consistent 6-4-2-0 record for trainer Ned Allard.
The 4-year-old Mosler dark bay made his first five starts at Laurel Park, beginning with a pair of sophomore scores for trainer Michael Gorham. He was transferred to Allard for his current campaign, posting a six-length romp in the restricted one-turn mile Jennings on January 18. He followed on February 15 with a 5 1/2-length score in the Listed General George traveling seven furlongs over muddy and sealed footing, which garnered a career-best 101 Beyer.
Last out, Quint’s Brew made his Empire State debut in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 5 here, opening up by 1 1/2-lengths at the stretch call only to be nailed in the final jumps by a deep-closing Crazy Mason, who prevailed by a neck.
There, Quint’s Brew tracked a close third as Full Moon Madness and Maximus Meridius zipped through splits of 22.37 seconds and 44.85 over the fast main track. Quint’s Brew made a five-wide move turning for home and assumed command, but could not stave off the onrushing Crazy Mason, who stopped the clock in 1:21.95.
Allard tipped his cap to the Gregg Sacco-trained Crazy Mason.
“They were flying early. That was tough, but you couldn't be discouraged with it. How many times do you see a horse make that kind of run at you - that was an amazing race for Sacco's horse, and hat's off to him,” Allard said.
Allard has also nominated Quint’s Brew to the six-furlong Grade 3, $175,000 John A Nerud on May 10 here. The veteran conditioner said he’s still not sure what the gelding’s best trip is.
“He won first time out going six. The first time I had him, he won going a mile against Maryland-breds and he drew off easily that day,” Allard said. “I think he'll go a mile with no problem, it's just what is his exact best distance? I don't know. He's a sprinter that also makes a bold run turning for home, unfortunately Sacco's horse had a bolder move than we had.”
Quint’s Brew has worked back twice over the Delaware Park main track, including a half-mile breeze in 50.60 Saturday.
“He's sharp as a tack,” Allard said.
Quint’s Brew, out of the winning New York-bred Jump Start mare Gansett, has banked $306,240.
Dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox will send out dual Grade 3-winner Bishops Bay [post 1, Flavien Prat, 120 pounds] from a frontrunning neck score over Bendoog in the 1 1/16-mile restricted American Pharoah on March 29 at Oaklawn.
The 5-year-old Uncle Mo bay has finished first or second in each of his eight starts, including runner-up graded efforts traveling nine-furlongs in 2023 in the Peter Pan at Belmont Park and Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
The lightly-raced Bishops Bay is campaigned by Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers, Martin Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael J. Caruso and WinStar Farm.
He is out of the Grade 1-placed Pioneerof the Nile mare Catch My Drift, making him a half-brother to Grade 2-winner Catching Freedom.
Rounding out a talented field are graded stakes-placed Worcester [post 5, Sheldon Russell, 120 pounds], who captured the Frank Y. Whiteley last out for trainer Brittany Russell at Laurel Park; graded stakes-placed Yo Daddy [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche, 120 pounds] for conditioner Linda Rice; and multiple stakes-winner Howgreatisnate [post 4, Javier Castellano, 118 pounds] for conditioner Fernando Abreu.
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