Bern Identity has Quality - Breeders’ Cup Sprint Quality

Winning an ungraded stakes race in Maryland may not be the most traditional prep to the Breeders’ Cup, but then again, Bern Identity is no ordinary Laurel Park listed stakes winner. He had to dig down a little deep this afternoon, but in the end the four-year-old son of Bernstein once again proved he is back and better than ever, while winning the $100,000 Dave’s Friend Stakes.

Once upon a time, Bern Identity was a top juvenile, winner of the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, and was on the Triple Crown trail. Three juvenile wins, and a subsequent injury in the Holy Bull Stakes seem like eons ago, though. That was then, this is now. After more than a year and a half away from the races, Bern Identity version 2.0 has come back to the game as a sprinter, and a very good one at that.

Heavily favored today at 7-10, after a pair of impressive stakes wins at Monmouth Park and Saratoga since returning, Bern Identity went straight to the lead under rider Chuck C. Lopez. Carving out fast early fractions of :22.49 and :44.96, Bern Identity was hounded throughout by 9-1 shot King Henry. The Kelly Breen trainee proved resolute and refused to let that one take away his early lead. A late surge by the second choice, Trickmeister never put Bern Identity into danger, and the bay colt drove to the wire a one-length winner.

Final time for the six panels over a fast track was an excellent 1:08.99, which left his trainer pleased with him for the third time in a five-week stretch.

“This is a little bit of validation,” said Breen. “We were thinking about the Breeders’ Cup [Sprint]. He needed a fast time so this is a big stepping stone for him. I can’t believe we got him back to this level. He has his problems. He came back from injury after 20 months off. This horse has a lot of heart.”

It’s only been three listed stakes to date, (the My Frenchman on August 2 at Monmouth, and the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Saratoga on August 22, before today's win), but when you are as fast as Bern Identity, it almost doesn’t matter. He’s proven his class before, and in the last five weeks he has demonstrated that he doesn’t need to bring his home track with him.

Now a winner of six races from only ten starts, with earnings of better than three-quarters of a million, the George and Lori Hall owned colt may not be completely on the same radar of the biggest names in the sprint division, but come November 1 at Santa Anita, it would be a big mistake to take Bern Identity lightly.