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Belmont Park Week 11 Stakes Probables
ELMONT, N.Y. – After resuming her winning ways in Sunday’s six-furlong Dancin Renee, multiple stakes-winning New York-bred mare Bank Sting will stretch back out in distance for the $125,000 Johnstone Mile to be contested out of the Wilson Chute on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course.
Hidden Brook Farm, Joseph G. McMahon and Anne McMahon’s Bank Sting, trained by John Terranova, was in stalking range down the backstretch of the Dancin Renee before inching her way up to even terms with pacesetting stakes winner The Important One around the far turn. Under little coaxing from Joel Rosario in the stretch drive, Bank Sting strolled home a 5 1/2 length winner, while producing a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
Bank Sting, who scored in Aqueduct’s La Verdad and open company Heavenly Prize Invitational earlier this year, will look for her fourth stakes win in the Johnstone Mile. The Dancin Renee was Bank Sting’s shortest distance traveled in a dozen lifetime starts.
“When you have a horse with that type of class in the right spot, a little bit of distance change doesn’t really matter,” Terranova said. “She’s always had good speed and the class factor really takes over.”
In capturing the Dancin Renee, Bank Sting brought her lifetime earnings to $582,050 and became Terranova’s fifth-richest trainee in his three decades of training thoroughbreds, trailing fellow New York-bred stakes-winner Funny Guy as well as graded stakes winners Franny Freud, El Kabier and New York-bred millionaire Gander.
“She’s such a good girl,” Terranova said. “We’re so grateful to have her and that she’s been a healthy mare. Great owners behind her. It’s just been a fun time with her. She’s been a difficult mare, but she knows how to win and loves the game.”
Belmont Park Week 11 Stakes Probables
SATURDAY, JULY 9
Grade 3, $150,000 Victory Ride
Probable: Half Is Enough (Michael Trombetta), Happy Soul (Wesley Ward), Hot Peppers (Rudy Rodriguez), Pretty Birdie (Norm Casse), Stand Up Comic (Butch Reid, Jr.), Sterling Silver (Tom Albertrani)
Possible: Union Lake (John Terranova)
Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban
Probable: Dynamic One (Todd Pletcher), First Captain (Shug McGaughey), Max Player (Steve Asmussen), Untreated (Todd Pletcher), Warrant (Brad Cox)
SUNDAY, JULY 10
$150,000 River Memories
Probable: Luck Money (Arnaud Delacour), Virginia Joy (Chad Brown), War Like Goddess (Bill Mott)
Possible: Creative Cairo (Christophe Clement), Except Temptation (Tom Albertrani)
NYRA Press Office
Photo: Bank Sting prances to the finish line in the Dancin Renee. (NYRA/Coglianese)
