BANK THE EIGHT NIPS REGAL WARRIOR IN TESIO STAKES
BALTIMORE, 05-01-10---Mercedes Stables LLC’s Bank the Eight nipped Regal Warrior at the finish line to win the $70,000 Federico Tesio Stakes for 3-year-olds at Pimlico Race Course.
Sent to post as the 4-5 favorite under jockey Mario Pino, the son of Distorted Humor was caught up in the three-horse stretch duel with Regal Warrior and Noah’s Dream and appeared beaten before surging back on Regal Warrior to win by a nose in 1:52.11 for the nine-furlong distance.
“I thought I got beat,” Pino said. “But he dug in the last seventy yards in a gutsy performance.”
“That was a tough beat,” added Julian Pimentel, who was aboard Regal Warrior. “It was pretty close. Mario congratulated me but I was pretty sure he won it.”
Trained by Tony Dutrow, Bank the Eight was winning for the third time in six starts. He finished second to possible Preakness starter Rule in his debut at Belmont Park last October and faced top sophomore Eskendereya at the allowance level in January.
“He had been running against better horses,” added Pino. “You got to keep riding him a lot and that’s what he makes you do. He was paying attention to the other horses but once he got bumped by Luis (jockey Luis Garcia who rode Noah’s Dream) it seemed to make him angry so he decided to turn it on.”
Bank the Eight paid $3.60 and topped a $9 exacta. London Lane passed a tiring Noah’s Dream for third and completed a $35.80 trifecta.
-mjc-
PHOTO CREDIT-Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club
Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club
410-578-4461 (Pimlico)
301-470-5461 (Laurel Park)
240-876-7403 (Mobile)
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