SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Theoretically, taking a horse competing against graded stakes competition and putting them back in with statebreds would be considered significant class relief. But that might not be the case when The Wine Steward starts against New York-breds for the first time in nearly two years in Thursday’s extremely competitive John Morrissey Stakes.
The $150,000 Morrissey will be decided at seven furlongs after having traditionally been run at six panels. The race has also lured potential starters from the one-mile Evan Shipman, which was dropped from the stakes schedule this summer.
The field of 13 includes the Grade 1-placed The Wine Steward; Bank Frenzy, a winner of five of his last six starts including the Commentator here last month; and Whatchatalkinabout, idle since proving a popular winner of the Grade 3 John Nerud Stakes at Aqueduct on May 10.
Trained by Mike Maker, The Wine Steward has not competed against New York-breds since winning the Funny Cide going six furlongs in August 2023. Second best in three consecutive graded stakes to end 2023 and begin 2024, including the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, he has finished well back in both the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile and Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park in his last two starts after opening 2025 by capturing the fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25.
“You try to place them appropriately, which is why we have him in this race, although it sure came up a lot tougher than expected,” Maker said. “He hated the slop in his last start in Texas after just getting outrun at Oaklawn. He was third best that day. This will be his first time going seven furlongs, although I think anything from seven-eighths to a mile and one-eighth is fine for him.”
Bank Frenzy will be turning back from nine furlongs off his popular 1 1/4-length victory in the Commentator, bouncing back nicely after suffering his lone setback in his last six starts when finishing fourth after prompting the pace over a muddy track in the Grade 3 Westchester. Bank Frenzy has won his last three outings against New York-breds dating back to his game nose victory over Doc Sullivan, another member of the Morrissey lineup, in the one-mile Alex M. Robb in his 2024 finale at Aqueduct.
“I don’t think breaking down near the inside is going to help him but there is a lot of speed in the race so hopefully he can take back and get to the outside,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said of drawing post 2. “If he does, he should be okay. This is as tough a New York-bred stakes as I’ve seen in a long time, but he’s training very well and I couldn’t be happier with the way he’s coming into the race.”
Whatchatalkinabout, who figures to be the one to catch while stretching out beyond six furlongs for the first time in the Morrissey, earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure winning a second-level New York-bred allowance race in his 2025 debut at Aqueduct. He will be facing The Wine Steward for the second time, having finished third, beaten 5 1/2 lengths by him, when making just his second lifetime start in the 2023 Funny Cide.
Trainer Wesley Ward had originally considered last Saturday’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby going six furlongs at Del Mar for Whatchatalkinabout before calling an audible and opting to return him to statebred company.
“I’ve trained him to run six [furlongs], and now we’re going seven, but he’s a really good horse and I don’t think it will make that big of a difference,” Ward noted.
Other key contenders in the lineup include Wynstock, a Grade 2 winner at 2, along with New York-bred stakes winners Cicciobello, idle since capturing the Thunder Rumble at seven furlongs last fall at Aqueduct, Sheriff Bianco, and Light Man.
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