Determined Bankit squeezes through to win New York Derby

In what was billed as a Travers Stakes (G1) audition for favored Not That Brady, Bankit stole the show Wednesday, squeezing between horses in the stretch to win Finger Lakes’ $150,000 New York Derby.

The victory was Bankit’s first since the Sleepy Holly Stakes, also for New York-breds, last October, which preceded a strong closing second in Remington Park’s Springboard Mile.

With Eric Cancel up, the Steve Asmussen-trained son of Central Banker positioned in a pack of horses chasing the speedy Not That Brady and pace-pressing Almendro through an opening half mile in 47.42 seconds.

Almendro backed up quickly through the turn, leaving Not That Brady alone on the lead — but not for long. Just Right joined on the rail with Blindwillie McTell on the outside of a four-wide battle.

Bankit, away as the 5-2 co-second choice, managed to squeeze between them and spurt ahead in the final furlong. The Winchell Thoroughbreds runner stopped the clock in 1:45.97 for the 1 1/16 miles.

A former $260,000 purchase, the colt improved his record to 3-3-1 in 12 starts.

Not That Brady wound up second with Just Right Third and Blindwillie McTell fourth in a field of eight state-breds in a race originally scheduled to run last Saturday but delayed due to high heat in the region.