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Patagonia climbs mountain into stakes company for $100K Bernardini

by Ryan Martin

Ralph and Lauren Evans' Patagonia will make his stakes debut when taking on eight others in Saturday's second running of the $100,000 Bernardini at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 1 5/16-mile event for older horses over the main track pays homage to the winner of the 2006 Preakness, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup (all Grade 1 events), which earned him Champion 3-Year-Old honors. Trained by Tom Albertrani and owned by Darley Stable, Bernardini continued to enjoy success following his racing career having sired multiple Grade 1 winners.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Patagonia arrives off a two-month layoff having not raced since a triumph against winners over a sloppy Big A main track on New Year's Eve, where he recorded a career best 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the win. The son of third crop stallion Strong Mandate was last of a tightly bunched field of six just 3 ½ lengths off the pace, went four wide at the top of the stretch and gunned down pacesetter and heavy favorite Communicator in the final half-furlong to win by a neck.

Patagonia made his debut for the Evans and Thomas last out after being acquired at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale for $150,000. He was elevated to first via disqualification in his career debut at Monmouth Park over the summer going 6 ½ furlongs before finishing second in his first start around two turns at Keeneland on October 13.

Bred in Kentucky by Hartmut H. Malluche and Silesia Farm, Patagonia is out of the Mineshaft broodmare Lantern and was purchased for $450,000 from the 2018 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, where he was bought by original owners WinStar Farm and China Horse Club International.

Breaking from post 2, Patagonia will be piloted by Manny Franco, who seeks a third stakes triumph this meet.

Trainer Rob Atras scored his first NYRA circuit stakes victory in last year's inaugural edition of the Bernardini with Royal Albert Hall and will send out two contestants in Dynamax Prime and Heavy Roller.

Dynamax Prime, owned by Robert Bone, has been runner-up to dominant New York-bred Mr. Buff in his last four efforts in restricted stakes and has finished in the money in nine of his ten starts under the care of Atras.

"I don't know if the [two turns] matters all that much, he ran some good races going one turn at Belmont," Atras said. "I do think that the distance will be to his liking. He should be able to stretch out more. He's a grinder and always finishes strong."

The gelded Bluegrass Cat veteran seeks his first victory since an allowance win against his Empire State-bred counterpart going a one-turn 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park last May. His last start was a distant third to Wicked Trick against starter allowance company going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct on January 20.

"The starter came up stronger than I thought it would," Atras noted. "Wicked Trick ended up being a nice one. They were just going so fast and he never got a chance. The mile is a little short for him."

Dynamax Prime will be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche from post 3.

Heavy Roller, owned by seven-time leading owner Michael Dubb, was second in the January 20 starter allowance, 5 ½ lengths to the better of Dynamax Prime.

Atras claimed the gelded Malibu Moon chestnut last September following a narrow second over a sloppy main track at Saratoga and was claimed back by Atras following his next start, where he won going seven furlongs at Belmont for a $32,000 tag on November 20.

"I've always liked that horse," Atras said. "Last time, he ran a good race but I think he's another that would benefit from added distance. He's got a big stride and high cruising speed and can carry that to a further distance. He's a little out of his comfort zone going a mile."

Jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. seeks a fourth stakes win this meet when aboard Heavy Roller from the outside post.

Barbara Hutnyk's Adventist will attempt another stakes victory after notching a 50-1 upset in last year's Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing. Trained by Uriah St. Lewis, the bay Any Given Saturday gelding placed in his last two efforts, both of which were stakes outings at Aqueduct. He arrives at the Bernardini off of a third beaten five lengths to Mr. Buff in the Jazil.

Regular rider John Bisono has the mount from post 6.

Flying P Stable's Ekhtibaar will attempt to win his sire's namesake race from post 4 for trainer Jorge Navarro. The 7-year-old Bernardini bay was a narrow second last out going 1 1/8 miles in an off-the-turf event at Gulfstream Park, which came after a one-turn mile victory at the South Florida oval in January, where he earned a career best 90 Beyer.

Jockey Reylu Gutierrez will pilot Ekhtibaar.

Completing the field are Backsideofthemoon [post 1, Edgar Prado]; Armament [post 5, Samuel Camacho, Jr.]; Leitone [post 6, Dylan Davis] and Blugrascat's Smile [post 8, Eric Cancel].

The Bernardini is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's nine-race program at the Big A. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.