Geno went wide on the lone turn of the Great White Way, part of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, to find running room on the outside of Unique Unions and outlasted a rallying Un Ojo to take the seven-furlong stakes by a neck.
Breaking from the middle of the field of 11, Geno settled in fourth behind Unique Unions, who took the lead out of the gate, with Kenner and Bustin Pietre content to sit behind the early leader. Through early fractions of :22.71 and :46.48, Unique Unions was a half-length in front of Kenner on the far turn, entering the stretch at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., poised to take the field gate to wire.
Geno went three-wide on the far turn to find running room in the Aqueduct straight, rallying on the outside of Unique Unions with jockey Trevor McCarthy driving Un Ojo to his outside. Geno passed Unique Unions inside the last sixteenth to take the lead and was able to hold off Un Ojo to win by a neck. Unique Unions held on for third with Hot Stepper fourth.
Jockey Trevor McCarthy lodged an objection after the race, as there was some contact between Geno and Un Ojo in the stretch. The stewards upheld the order of finish.
The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:25.88. Find this race's chart here.
Geno paid $18.80, $9.90, and $6.00. Un Ojo paid $15.20 and $7.90. Unique Unions paid $3.20.
“I love this horse. He's so classy. He does whatever you want him to do. Last time I rode him, I was sort of knocking my head because I didn't ride him that well. But everything paid off today,” jockey Jose Vargas said after the race.
“He came to me from Ocala and he just trained really well this summer. This horse has a lot of class, as much class as I've seen a horse have in a while. I debated first time out whether I should run him on dirt or turf. His mother [Weekend Hottie] won on grass and my success with Big Brown offspring have been on grass, so I ran him over it,” trainer David Donk told the NYRA Press Office after the Great White Way.
“I told Johnny [Velazquez] I liked the horse and he was good enough to win first out. He ran well in a stake [2nd in the Awad] next time. I don't think he got the greatest trip last time [6th in the Central Park]. He breezes really well on the dirt and I needed to try him somewhere on the dirt. This is as good a spot as I could have found. Jorge [Vargas, Jr.] gave him a great ride.
Bred in New York by Pete Martine, Geno is by Big Brown out of the Sun King mare Weekend Hottie. He is owned by Mendham Racing Stable. With his win in the NYSSS Great White Way, the 2-year-old colt has two wins in four starts for career earnings of
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