Same horse. Same track. Longer race. But same result. Stretching out to the 1800m in distance of the Manitoba Derby didn’t stop a repeat performance as Bernardini's Hammers Bullet powered his way past all rivals for a hard-fought win.
Breaking smartly, the three-year-old son of the champion and classic winner sat just off the pace, eventually getting the better of the pacesetter in the the final strides to record his second consecutive stakes victory.
Hammers Bullet was bred by Stonerside Stable and is out of Country Melody, by Gone West. He is a half-brother to the Stakes-placed runner Bequia Beauty. His dam is a half-sister to G1 winner Bob and John as well as Stakes-winning Connie Belle.
Bernardini is the only first-season sire to ever have G1 winners on both dirt and turf with A Z Warrior and Biondetti in 2010. His six career Group or Graded winners include Stay Thirsty who won the Jim Dandy Stakes on July 30 and will vie for favoritism in the G1 Travers Stakes later in August.
Bernardini will stand the forthcoming breeding season for a fee of $38,500 (inc GST) at Darley Kelvinside.
