With a pair entered from his shedrow, Brad Cox's barn celebrated as Bergen (Liam's Map) took home the Jimmy Winkfield S. and stablemate Air Cav (Mitole) finished third.
The winner broke his maiden at first asking by 3/4 length at Keeneland Oct. 7, but could not keep the streak going when he was late getting to the wire as the runner-up at Churchill Downs Nov. 25.
Facing only four others as the well-backed 4-5 choice here, the grey took up a spot to the outside in the second flight up the backstretch. The colt fanned three-wide around the far turn and began to drive home with the lead secured just before the eighth pole. Fully extended and flashing even more speed in the shadow of the wire, the 3-year-old got the money and his first black-type win. Iridescent (City of Light) was second by 5 1/4 lengths.
Brad Cox's assistant Dustin Dugas said about his barn's entries, “I told both jockeys that it's a small field and to play it how it comes. It looked like there would be more speed in there than we had to offer, and they both rode their horses really well. I'm happy with both performances, but Bergen is a really cool horse and he's a very forward horse in his training and his races. He likes what he does. Trevor [McCarthy] worked him two breezes back and he came back with some really good feedback, so we used that today.”
The winner's dam is responsible for GI Test S. heroine Chi Town Lady (Verrazano), a 2-year-old filly named Aledean (Game Winner), who sold to Greg Tramontin for $600,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale, and a yearling filly by Not This Time. She visited Justify for this season.
JIMMY WINKFIELD S., $97,000, Aqueduct, 1-27, 3yo, 6f, 1:12.63, my.
1–BERGEN, 118, c, 3, by Liam's Map
1st Dam: Toni's Hollyday (SP, $119,047), by Harlan's Holiday
2nd Dam: May Day Vow, by Broken Vow
3rd Dam: May Day Bluff, by Pine Bluff
($205,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $375,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Martin Schwartz, Gandharvi LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter, James J. Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, LLC, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson; B-Castleton Lyons, Kilboy Estate & Gavin Tierney (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Manuel Franco. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $136,975. *1/2 to Chi Town Lady (Verrazano), GISW, $462,913.
2–Iridescent, 118, c, 3, City of Light–Resolu, by Smart Strike. ($150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/T-David Jacobson; B-Dixiana Farms LLC (KY). $20,000.
3–Air Cav, 118, c, 3, Mitole–In a Cloud, by Elusive Quality. ($125,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Calumet Farm; B-Highlight Thoroughbreds & Haugh Stables (KY); T-Brad Cox. $12,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 6 3/4, 5. Odds: 0.90, 3.85, 5.50.
Also Ran: El Divino Nino, Stolen Magic.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
BERGEN, the 3YO son of @LanesEndFarms stallion Liam's Map, wins the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes with @jockeyfranco aboard for trainer @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/6WC0wqiCZv
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) January 27, 2024
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