With one of Tapit's 30 stakes winners, gray roan Rattlesnake Bridge, in late pursuit, Bernardini's boy Stay Thirsty stayed on course to vie for the 2011 divisional male championship in galloping to the wire of the Travers Stakes (G1) August 27 with a 1-1/4 length advantage.
Stay Thirsty covered the 10 furlongs of the Travers in 2:03.03. The colt's dam is Marozia, by Storm Bird. Jockey Javier Castellano rode Stay Thirsty to victory.
Stay Thirsty Follows Sire Bernardini
The dark bay (brown) colt of accomplished Bernardini, who raced only in 2006, Stay Thirsty grabbed the stakes double of the mid-summer season, winning the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) July 30 by four lengths, then scoring in the Travers.
Earlier, Stay Thirsty had finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby and missed a Belmont Stakes victory behind Ruler On Ice by three-quarters of a length. There was no doubt in the Travers, however, as the Todd Pletcher trainee stayed the course against pressure from eight foes, including Ruler On Ice and Preakness Stakes victor Shackleford, who finished fourth and eighth, respectively.
Stay Thirsty may aim for the October 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup if owner Michael Repole (Repole Stable) and Pletcher are satisfied with the colt's progress.
Complete Finish of the Travers
The order of finish in the Travers included J W Blue in the show spot, Malibu Glow fifth, Bowman's Causeway sixth, and Raison d'Etat ninth.
Stay Thirsty grabbed the winners' share of the $1M purse, and the $600,000 brought his career earnings to $1,400,000. The Travers win was the fourth for Stay Thirsty from ten lifetime posts. He has finished second three times.
Bernardini's Racing Record
Bernardini didn't win the Kentucky Derby either -- 2006 was the year of Barbaro -- but he scored in the Preakness Stakes, the Travers, the Jim Dandy, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Only Arts and Letters, sire to Stay Thirsty's third dam, Equal Change, and Bernardini have swept the Jim Dandy, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
A bay son of prolific winner-producing A.P. Indy, Bernardini was a mild sensation in 2006, overshadowed by the tragedy of Barbaro's breakdown in the Preakness. Bernardini went to post eight times in his only racing season and triumphed six times, earned $3,060,480, and was named Male Champion Three-Year-Old, while Invasor took Horse of the Year honors.
Stay Thirsty is one of eight stakes winners sired by Bernardini.
Repole's Winning Ways
Repole and Pletcher combined last season to produce the Male Champion Two-Year-Old Eclipse Award winner Uncle Mo.
If Stay Thirsty wins the Jockey Club Gold Cup, his connections will have a lock on 2011's Male Champion Three-Year-Old Eclipse trophy.
Uncle Mo finished an eye blink behind Caleb's Posse in the seven-furlong $250,000 Foxwoods King's Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga while Stay Thirsty won the Travers. It was Uncle Mo's return to racing after an injury kept him out of the Triple Crown series.
In addition on Travers day, Repole watched his charge win in the Easy N Dirty Stakes. Six-year-old gelding Driven by Success triumphed for a fourth career stakes win that marked his career record with an 11th win or place finish.
BarbaraAnne Helberg - Barbara Anne Helberg, Supporter of Better Lives for Animals and Clean, Spirited, Competitive Sports
