SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Flavien Prat's incredible run of stakes success this summer continued on Sunday at Saratoga when he rallied Bank Frenzy up the rail to a 1 1/4-length victory over Maker’s Candy in the $125,000 Evan Shipman Handicap.
The Even Shipman for New York-breds had been postponed from Aug. 9 due to weather conditions.
Bank Frenzy gave Prat his 11th stakes winner of the 2024 Saratoga session. Seven of those victories, including the Grade 2 Lake Placid here the previous afternoon aboard Grayosh, came in graded stakes.
Bank Frenzy was making his first start in the Evan Shipman since being purchased privately by LSU Stables and turned over to trainer Rudy Rodriguez following a 5 1/4-length New York-bred allowance victory at Aqueduct on May 26. He had missed some training, along with a scheduled start earlier this summer, due to illness, and was scratched out of races here Thursday and Saturday to await this spot.
Bank Frenzy appeared to have his best chances compromised when off a step slow, then forced to steady after being squeezed between horses shortly after the start. Rated by Prat near the rear of the field, about eight lengths off the pacesetting Maker’s Candy, Bank Frenzy began to gain closer contention while saving ground on the second turn. He was then able to find ample room to join the embattled leaders a sixteenth-mile from the wire before gradually edging clear at the end.
Maker’s Candy set the pace, repulsed strong bids from Sheriff Bianco and Cicciobello upon settling into the stretch, but could not withstand the winner’s final surge. Sheriff Bianco finished another neck farther back in third. Cicciobelllo, Whittington Park and the 4-5 favorite Donegal Surges rounded out the order of finish, the latter eased to the wire after retreating steadily after the opening five furlongs.
Bank Frenzy, making just his second start against stakes company, carried 118 pounds to victory while in receipt of six pounds from top-weight Whittington Park and five from Donegal Surges. He covered the distance in 1:37.27 seconds over a muddy track and paid $10.80.
“I’ve got to give all the credit to the owners, they bought the horse and gave me the opportunity to train him,” Rodriguez said. “We were trying to run him back at Belmont (at the Big A) but he got a little sick on us. They have been very patient and thank God they used this race. He’s a nice horse who knows how to win and he showed it today.”
Rodriguez was quick to praise Prat for his handling of Bank Frenzy, whom he was riding for the first time on Sunday.
“Flavien is one of the top riders in the country, so I was happy to have him aboard for sure,” Rodriguez said. “I was concerned when he broke and they squeezed him a little bit out of the gate, but he showed he doesn’t need the lead. Between the three (eighths) and quarter pole he looked like he was coming. They went pretty fast in the third quarter, so he (Prat) was patient and he was nice and clear.”
Rodriguez said if all goes well, the $250,000 Empire Classic at Aqueduct on Oct. 27 would be the main goal for Bank Frenzy at the present time.
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