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​Trinni Luck seeks first stakes score in NYSSS Staten Island

by Keith McCalmont

Ryan Racing’s New York-homebred Trinni Luck will look to return to winning ways in Sunday’s $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Staten Island for eligible state-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Closing Day of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 15th running of the Staten Island, contested at seven furlongs on the main track, is one of two NYSSS events on the day along with the $150,000 Thunder Rumble for 3-year-olds and upward also going seven furlongs. 

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the 4-year-old Trinniberg bay took a three-race win streak into her stakes debut last out in the Empire Distaff, but settled for ninth in the 1 1/16-mile event contested over a sloppy and sealed main track on October 30 at Belmont Park. 

With returning rider Manny Franco up last out, Trinni Luck exited the outermost post 10 and set a strong pace from the two-path but could not sustain the momentum in a race won by Sharp Starr, who is entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Go for Wand.

“I didn't want to go to the lead from the outside and then we were running on the worst part of the track,” Rodriguez said. “Manny felt she wanted to be on the lead so she went on from there. We'll draw a line through it and re-group. She's definitely a special filly.”

Trinni Luck launched her three-win streak in July sprinting 6 1/2-furlongs over Big Sandy in a state-bred allowance ahead of a 3 1/4-length score sprinting seven furlongs in a state-bred optional-claimer in August at Saratoga Race Course. She entered the Empire Distaff from a gate-to-wire score traveling 1 1/16-miles in an open allowance tilt on September 17 at Belmont.

Trinni Luck breezed five-eighths in company in a bullet 59.60 Saturday over the Belmont dirt training track in preparation for the cutback in distance.

"She did it the right way," Rodriguez said. "We put company on her and tried to sharpen her up a little bit. She cooled out good."

Trinni Luck will emerge from post 3.

Hidden Brook Farm, Joseph G. McMahon and Anne McMahon’s Bank Sting, a 4-year-old Central Banker bay trained by John Terranova, made her first four career starts at the Big A, finishing fourth on debut in the seven-furlong NYSSS Fifth Avenue in December 2019.

Bank Sting returned off a lengthy layoff this winter and posted a trio of state-bred wins at Aqueduct, including a maiden and allowance win in February ahead of an optional-claiming score in April. She returned to stakes company in May at Belmont and ran her streak to four consecutive wins by besting a field of seven in the Critical Eye, a one-turn mile for state-breds contested over a muddy main track.

Last out, Bank Sting finished an even fifth in the Empire Distaff while racing off a five-month layoff.

Dylan Davis will pilot Bank Sting from post 4.

Bloom Racing Stable’s New York-homebred The Important One, a 4-year-old Majestic City chestnut, notched her first career stakes win last out with a gate-to-wire 6 1/4-length romp at Belmont in the Iroquois, traveling 6 1/2-furlongs over a sloppy and sealed main track against fellow state-breds.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, The Important One enters on a three-race win streak dating back to a 5 3/4-length score in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf state-bred optional-claiming sprint in August at the Spa that registered a career-best 96 Beyer. She followed with a 1 3/4-length front-running score in October in an optional-claimer at Belmont ahead of her Iroquois coup.

 Boasting a perfect in-the-money record of 6-4-0-2 over the main track, including a first-out maiden score in January 2020 at the Big A, The Important One will exit post 6 under Jose Lezcano.

Jupiter Stable’s Byhubbyhellomoney, an Effinex sophomore, will turn back in distance for trainer Bob Dunham when emerging from post 7 under Eric Cancel. 

The versatile bay was claimed for $40,000 out of a three-quarter length state-bred maiden score in June sprinting six furlongs over the Belmont turf. She made her next three starts for new connections at Saratoga, finishing third in an off-the-turf state-bred sprint in July and followed by completing the trifecta in the NYSSS Statue of Liberty on August 4 traveling one-mile over the turf.

Byhubbyhellomoney stretched out in distance on the main track to capture the nine-furlong Fleet Indian on August 27 at the Spa before cutting back significantly to six furlongs and running second to The Important One in October over Big Sandy. She enters from an eighth-place effort in the Empire Distaff.

Rounding out the field are Mad for Fame [post 2, Jacqueline Davis], who won the Jack Betta Be Rite in August at Finger Lakes; four-time winner Awillaway [post 5, Heman Harkie]; and three-time winner Fight On Lucy [post 1, Benjamin Hernandez].

The NYSSS Staten Island is slated as Race 5 on the 10-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.