Trinniberg scores in Woody Stephens

This time it was Trinniberg that produced a gate-to-wire winning performance in the seven-furlong $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes June 9 at Belmont Park.

Shivananda Racing's 3-year-old son of Teuflesberg wired the 10-horse field in 1:22.26 over the main track, right on the heels of a similar performance from Tapitsfly in the Longines Just a Game Stakes on the Widener turf course.

Trinniberg is trained by Bisnath Parboo, the father of owner Shivananda Parbhoo, and was ridden by Willie Martinez. He broke sharply and quickly took the lead with Currency Swap only a half-length back for the first half mile of the race. The opening fractions were :22.30 and :44.73.

"There's nothing more that we can ask for," said Shivananda Parbhoo. "I was expecting :44 and 1:08. I know this horse is capable of going fast."

It was a day of mixed emotions for the Parbhoos, who also own Giant Ryan, who broke down in the stretch of the True North Stakes. The son of Freud fractured both sesamoids in his left front ankle and suffered some ligament. He was vanned back to his stall where he was reported to be comfortable with splint on his foot.

Martinez was also aboard Giant Ryan.

"It's a bittersweet win," the jockey said. "I have mixed emotions, not to take away from Trinniberg's performance. It was unbelieveable, as we expected him to do. He was pressed today, he handled it well, and we believe he is one of the top sprinters in the country right now -- definitely the best 3-year-old sprinter."

The final time of the race was 1:22.26. Currency Swap, who chased Trinniberg throughout the race, finished second by 1 3/4 lengths and 15-1 challenger Il Villano finished another 1 3/4 lengths back in third.

Terri Pompay, trainer of Currency Swap, was hoping someone else would go with Trinniberg.

"He had to do all the dirty work because no one else wanted to do it, and then we just got a little tired at the end," Pompay said.

Trinniberg paid $7.70, $4.80, and $3.80. Currency Swap paid $8.70 and $5.70, while Il Villano paid $7.30. The $2 exacta paid $62.50 and the $2 trifecta paid $623.

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