Bern Identity lands Sanford Stakes at Saratoga
Bern Identity’s late surge helped him notch up the top rank in the Grade 2, Sanford Stakes for 2-year-olds at Saratoga on Sunday, July 22nd. Kelly J. Breen’s charge showed immense pace in the final stages to get the better of leading runner, Handsome
Jack, in the $200,000 event.
Bred in Kentucky by Crosshaven Bloodstock, Galleria Bloodstock and Petaluma Bloodstock, the colt has won two of three races so far in his short career. In a great fashion, he took jockey Rosie Napravnik, trainer Kelly Breen, and owners George and Lori Hall,
to their first success in the 6-furlong Sanford Stakes.
The dashing runner kept himself prominent all the way through, despite the fact that it was almost impossible for him to challenge Handsome Jack in the beginning. Yet, he did not allow him to stretch his advantage, and kept the leading runner under pressure
right through the contest.
The son of Bernstein strike while the iron was hot, blitzing his major opponent in the final moments. In the hands of Napravnik, the colt has been showing plenty of good work over the past few weeks. At the start of last month, the maverick runner sealed
an emphatic 13 ¾-length triumph at Belmont Park.
He perpetuated his good work in Sunday’s battle, in which he crushed seven rivals. The 9-5 pick did well to edge Handsome Jack by one and a quarter lengths. Bern Identity was given an extra $100,000 bonus by New York Racing Association, as he became the
maiden champion of a graded race in New York.
Enormously delighted over banking $220,000 for the Sanford win, the handler said: “The extra $100,000 bonus makes it all sweeter. So, thanks, NYRA!" He’s a fast horse. After he won, he came back and worked extremely fast. That kind of indicated to me he
was the real deal. That’s how I feel in my heart anyway."
"We weren’t quite as forwardly placed as I thought we might be, but the pace was extremely fast. He just hung in there down on the rail and finished strongest coming for home," added the jockey, who rode Bern Identity to his first success last month.
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