El Grande O leads pair for Rice in $100K Alex M. Robb
Stakes Advance
Dec 18, 2024
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El Grande O leads pair for Rice in $100K Alex M. Robb

by Mary Eddy



Barry Schwartz’s dual graded stakes-placed New York homebred El Grande O makes his return to stakes company in the $100,000 Alex M. Robb, a one-mile test for state-bred 3-year-olds and up on Saturday, December 28, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Linda Rice, the sophomore son of Take Charge Indy is 2-for-2 since making his return from a seven-month respite on October 24 here, annexing a 6 1/2-furlong allowance versus older open company by three-quarter-lengths over next-out winner Toxic Gray, who is entered in Saturday’s co-featured Listed $150,000 Gravesend.

He followed with another impressive showing at the same distance when earning a career-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure in a 1 1/4-length victory versus older open company again in a December 6 optional claiming tilt. Both victories came with Dylan Davis at the helm.

El Grande O makes his first stakes start since the Grade 3 Gotham in March here. He notched state-bred stakes victories as a juvenile here in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard and one-mile Sleepy Hollow, and followed with placings in three local Kentucky Derby prep races in the Jerome and Gotham going one mile, and the Grade 3 Withers going nine furlongs.

Rice said she is looking forward to returning the talented colt to stakes competition.

“He’s doing very well and he’s run well enough at a mile and a mile and an eighth, so I’m not concerned about the distance. I think he’s going to be fine with that,” Rice said. “We were very pleased with the way he’s come back off the layoff and he certainly did not disappoint us in two starts back running against older horses. Now, we’ll see if we can move forward off of this.”

With the talent El Grande O has shown as a juvenile and early sophomore, Rice said the dark bay has improved even more after his respite.

“I think he’s developed and has moved forward. When he came back from the farm, he’s a type of horse that carries a lot of weight and always looks like he’s not quite fit. I gave him an extra month of training before we put him in a race, and I think that paid off,” Rice explained. “He got enough time between his two races and I was really pleased with that last effort. This is back a little quicker, but he does have two races under his belt and I think he’ll be just fine.”

Bred by Schwartz’s Stonewall Farm, El Grande O has banked $537,850 in total purse earnings through a 13-5-5-2 record. He will emerge from post 3 in rein to Davis.

Rice will also send out A. Bianco Holding Limited’s multiple stakes-placed Sheriff Bianco [post 8, Luis Rivera, Jr.] off a fifth last out in a local one-mile optional claimer versus open company on November 24.

The 6-year-old son of Speightster has placed in six stakes in his 37-start career, his best finish a 1 1/4-length defeat to Dr Ardito in the one-mile Evan Shipman Handicap last summer at Saratoga Race Course.

Sheriff Bianco, bred by SF Bloodstock, returned from a six-month respite in May and has made 5-of-8 starts since at sprint distances, including a good second to Rotknee in the six-furlong state-bred Affirmed Success in his first effort back off the layoff.

Rice said Sheriff Bianco is likely at his best at one mile.

“We’ll see if he can pick up a check for us,” Rice said. “His races might have been just a tick flat since [the layoff], but sometimes it’s not been the perfect distance. I think a mile is probably his best distance, so hopefully he’ll give a nice run.”

LSU Stables’ Bank Frenzy [post 7, Manny Franco] earned back-to-back 97 Beyers for his past two outings, including a win last out in a one-mile open-company optional claimer on November 23 here.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the consistent Central Banker 4-year-old gelding pounced from last-of-6 under returning rider Manny Franco after breaking inward at the start and running five-wide down the backstretch. He came under coaxing in the turn and responded well to inch clear in the stretch and notch the win by 3 3/4 lengths over Seeking Unity.

“He ran a very good race and he didn’t break that good. The horse is running very good,” Rodriguez said. “He’s very consistent and he doesn’t run a bad race. I wish he could break a little better. We’ve got an extension blinker on him and I don’t think it makes him break as sharp as it usually does, but hopefully he keeps getting better. He’s a bit of a challenging horse because everything has to be his way, but he’s a nice horse.”

Bank Frenzy was compromised at the start of the nine-furlong state-bred Empire Classic two starts back on October 27 here, and bumped with a rival before being squeezed and settling in seventh-of-9 behind the pace set by the Jimmy Ferraro-trained Mama’s Gold. Bank Frenzy was 8 1/2 lengths back at the half-mile call and made up ground strongly under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the latter stages, but could not reel in Mama’s Gold, who exited to win strongly again on December 12 here.

Rodriguez said he was pleased with the effort from Bank Frenzy, who has won impressively both from well off the pace and as the pacesetter.

“He’s a very useful horse and I would like to see him come from behind, but when you break good and you’re comfortable on the lead, that’s a very dangerous weapon and you’ve got to go,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know if we could have beaten Jimmy’s horse that day, but we kind of made a big move and lost a lot of ground and could have been closer.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Bank Frenzy looks to add to a 1 1/4-length score in the state-bred Evan Shipman Handicap in August at the Spa where he made his first start for Rodriguez after his first nine outings came with conditioner Lisa Lewis. He holds a 13-5-5-0 record with $369,170 in total purse earnings.

Completing the field are stakes-winners Whittington Park [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Jeremiah Englehart and Doc Sullivan [post 5, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Michael Miceli; the pair of stakes-winner Neural Network [post 4, Silvestre Gonzalez] and stakes-placed Olympic Dreams [post 6, Sahin Civaci] for trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci; and eight-time winner Colloquy [post 1, Eric Cancel] for conditioner Jorge Abreu.

The Alex M. Robb is slated as Race 8 on the nine-race December 28 card, which also features the Listed $150,000 Gravesend in Race 3. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall 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 official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall 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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