Trainer Patrick Biancone: Lennilu Will Do ‘Better Next Year’

Classic of Course Returns Sans Blinkers in Awesome Banner

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Amy Dunne and partners’ Lennilu has returned home to trainer Patrick Biancone’s stable at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, no worse for the wear in the aftermath of her seventh-place finish in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

“She’s good. She’s sound,” Biancone said. “She just wasn’t fast enough, but we’ll do better next year.”

The 2-year-old daughter of Leinster was forwardly placed while racing three-wide in the five-furlong turf sprint before coming up short against the boys.

“We’re going to send her to the farm for 30 days to relax and take a vacation. Then, we’ll prepare for next year,” Biancone said.

Lennilu put her first-year sire on the map during a juvenile campaign that included a victory over Gulfstream’s turf course in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies that earned her a berth in the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot, where she finished third. She then returned to Gulfstream, where she made a winning dirt debut in the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes Desert Vixen before prepping for the Breeders’ Cup by beating males on turf in the Hollywood Beach.

Classic of Course Returns Sans Blinkers in Awesome Banner

While Biancone awaits Lennilu’s return, he will saddle Classic of Course in Saturday’s $70,000 Awesome Banner for Gulfstream.

Classic of Course has been productive enough during his 14-race career that the 3-year-old gelding has been assigned co-highweight of 122 pounds for Saturday’s feature.

Yet, confident that Classic of Course has more to offer, Biancone is not content to stand pat. Blinkers will be removed for the mile handicap for 3-year-olds on the main track.

“He was a little bit too keen last time,” said Biancone, who equipped Classic of Course with blinkers in February due to the Florida-bred’s tendency to lean in on horses. Biancone now believes that his gelding’s on-track behavior has improved enough to take off the hood.

Classic of Course, who had success while racing on turf or Tapeta in his five previous starts, returned to the main track to take on older horses in the Oct. 18 Mr. Jordan Handicap. He made a late run at pacesetter and eventual winner Con Compania before flattening out, finishing three lengths back in third. In his previous start, he won a mile-and-70-yard optional claiming allowance on Tapeta, three starts after capturing the 7 ½-furlong Cutler Bay on turf.

“I think he’s a nice horse. Nice horses have a tendency to do everything well,” Biancone said. “But I think at the end of the day, dirt could be his surface.”

Jonathan Ocasio has the return call on Classic of Course.

Wolf Pack Racing’s Steppe, who has recorded two victories over older rivals in two of his last three starts, will carry equal weights with Classic of Course while conceding between three and six pounds to the other four entrants.

The Bobby Dibona-trained son of Sky Mesa captured a mile optional claiming allowance Aug. 2 before scoring a front-running victory in the mile Duke of Mischief Handicap Sept. 20. Last time out, Steppe set the pace in an Oct. 18 optional claiming allowance at seven furlongs before coming up a length short while finishing second against older horses.

Leading rider Miguel Vasquez has the return call on the gelding who was claimed for $50,000 during the past Championship Meet.

Lawson Racing Stables’ Roar of the Beast, fourth behind Steppe in the Duke of Mischief, will carry 119 pounds, including Edgard Zayas, in the Awesome Banner. The Saffie Joseph Jr trainee, who carried one more pound than Steppe in their last meeting, defeated that rival by more than 12 lengths while winning a mile optional claiming allowance in June.

Stonehedge LLC’s Keep on Moving, a Michael Yakes-trained son of Cajun Breeze who is coming off a victory in an optional claiming allowance for Florida-breds; Khrysselv Mavarez’s McKellen, a Jose D’Angelo-trained son of McKinzie who finished fifth in his most recent start in the April 19 Bay Shore at Aqueduct; and Teresa and David Palmer’s Nothingsubtle, a Nicholas Palmer-trained son of Echo Town who finished 1 ¾ lengths behind Keep on Moving after running into traffic late; round out the field.