Banner Bill continued an undefeated run to start his career with a determined performance in Saturday’s $150,000 Colin Stakes at Woodbine.
Owned by R Plus Partners and trained by Ralph Biamonte, the son of Rockport Harbour survived an awkward step at the top of the stretch to put away Town Prize with a surging rail run engineered by veteran jockey David Clark.
My People, ridden by Patrick Husbands for trainer Wesley Ward, led the field through opening fractions of :22.91 and :46.04, with Town Prize, under jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, and Banner Bill stalking their pace. As the three horses engaged at the top of the stretch, Banner Bill appeared to take a bad step allowing Town Prize to edge away, only for a patient Clark to gather his horse and complete a determined run for his third lifetime win in a final time of 1:11.12 . The Bear Vow rallied widest through the stretch for place, three-quarters of a length in front of Town Prize.
“We didn’t want to be so close to the lead, but nobody else wanted it,” said Biamonte. “David (Clark) was saying when he got there he pinned his ears wondering what was going on. He runs better when he’s got somehting to run at. This is a horse you don’t have to do anything with. We don’t do anything different with him than we do with the horse beside him (in the barn) and we can’t break that horse’s maiden.”
Banner Bill, who debuted with a maiden victory in May and followed that up with a runaway score in the Victoria Stakes, improves his lifetime record to 3-0.
Banner Bill returned $4.90 $2.70 and $2.10, combining with The Bear Vow ($2.90, $2.20) for a $12.50 (3-5) exactor. A 3-5-4 (Town Prize, $2.10 to show) triactor was worth $16.70.
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