Stakes winner Geno in $100K Gander
At 0h23, on February 12, 2022 • By AQUEDUCT
Stakes winner Geno will face off against six other New York-bred sophomores in Saturday’s eighth running of the one-turn mile $100,000 Gander, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Mendham Racing Stable’s Geno enters off a narrow neck triumph in his main track debut in the seven-furlong NYSSS Great White Way on December 18 at the Big A, besting Un Ojo, who finished second in last weekend’s Grade 3 Withers.
Trainer David Donk said Geno has trained forwardly into the Gander, recording a three-eighths blowout in 37.86 seconds over the Belmont training track on Wednesday.
“He’s doing great, moving really well. He’s in good form,” Donk said. “He’s always been a good workhorse on the dirt, which is why we ran in the stallion series. He’s trained well since. I’d like to think, as 3-year-olds do, that he would move forward a little bit. I’m as interested as anyone to see how much he might progress.”
Donk said Geno could return to grass at some point in the future.
“Looking ahead, I’d be inclined to do that,” Donk said. “It also depends on how well he runs on the dirt here. We’ll take things race-by-race, we’re just really fortunate to have a lot of options.”
Donk said Geno demonstrated promise even prior to arriving at his barn last summer.
Bred by Pete Martine, Geno is the only Gander contestant with six-figure earnings, boasting a field-best bankroll of $337,250.
Jorge Vargas, Jr. will retain the mount from post 6.
