Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso's Dr Ardito prevailed over a stubborn Bankit in a dramatic fight to the wire in Monday's eighth running of the $100,000 Haynesfield, a one-turn mile for older New York-breds, at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.
Trained by four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown, Dr Ardito is now unbeaten in four starts going a one-turn mile at the Big A. The 5-year-old gray son of Liam's Map arrived at the Haynesfield on a string of five consecutive triumphs, the latter two taking place against open company. But he took his winning ways to new heights when capturing the Haynesfield in his stakes debut.
Stakes-winners Sea Foam and Wudda U Think Now battled on the front end of a strung out field with the former holding a narrow advantage through an opening quarter-mile in 22.84 seconds over the fast main track. Dr Ardito, with Manny Franco up, sat five lengths off the pace in fourth, just one path to the outside of Bankit in third. With the half elapsed in 46.18, Dr Ardito maintained his position as Wudda U Think Now gained slight control to the inside of Sea Foam as the field became more compact.
The two pacesetters began to retreat around the far turn as Bankit and Dr Ardito moved in tandem to the outside and started to duke it out passing the quarter pole. Franco was all out aboard Dr Ardito, but a stubborn Jose Lezcano-piloted Bankit was not going down without a fight. With both heads going up and down through the final furlong, Dr Ardito got his head in front at the right time, completing the journey in 1:37.86.
Bankit, the reigning New York-bred champion older dirt male, finished 7 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Full Moon Fever, with Wudda U Think Now and Sea Foam completing the order of finish.
Franco, who has been aboard Dr Ardito for all seven of his career starts, said familiarity with the winning machine was beneficial.
“I know the horse pretty well so I know when I ask him, he's going to be there for me,” said Franco, who won the 2017 Haynesfield aboard Send It In. “I knew the pace was hot in front of me and at that point the horse to beat was going to be Bankit, so I had to follow him. When I had the chance, I went around him and I asked my horse because I knew it was him and me. I went a little early, but I think that was the right move.”
A second-out graduate in April 2021 over the local going, Dr Ardito did not run again until the following February on the same surface where he defeated state-bred winners. He triumphed once more at Aqueduct over a muddy main track in April before stretching out to a 1 1/16 miles to defeat open allowance company in May at Belmont Park. His last effort came off an eight-month layoff, when defeating stablemate Nabokov by a head in a local open company optional claimer on January 19.
Dubb, who named Dr Ardito after his doctor of 30 years, credited Brown for patient handling of his newly crowned stakes winner.
“He has a ton of heart. Chad has managed this horse incredibly well,” said Dubb. “You have to be patient. I had in my mind if this race didn't go, we'd be in the 3X here today. Fortunately, it did go and all worked out well. He's had ankle [issues], but we've given him plenty of time. We gelded him a long way back and that may have helped him. He's sound now. Chad is never in a rush.”
Returning $3.70 for a $2 win wager as the post time favorite, Dr Ardito enhanced his lifetime record to 7-6-1-0 and bankroll to $284,600, cashing $55,000 from the Haynesfield win.
Bred in the Empire State by Fred W. Hertrich, III and John D. Fielding, Dr Ardito is out of the Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So – a half-sister to four-time graded stakes winning millionaire Delightful Kiss and graded stakes-winner Delightful Mary. He was bought for $95,000 out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale.
Live racing resumes Friday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.
America's Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.
NYRA Bets is the best way to bet every race of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.
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