Bergen very strong in Jimmy Winkfield S. win

Bergen carried the colors of Spendthrift Farm to an impressive victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct, the first stakes win for the 3-year-old colt who was kicking off his 2024 campaign.

Bergen was widest off all on the backstretch and continued in the four path as he entered the turn a couple of lengths off the leaders. Despite the wide trip, he hit the front after coming into the stretch and scampered away from the field to win by 5 ¼-lengths in 1:12.63 for the six furlongs on a sloppy racetrack.

“Bergen is a really cool horse and he’s a very forward horse in his training and his races,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to trainer Brad Cox. “He likes what he does. Trevor [McCarthy] worked him two breezes back and he came back with some really good feedback, so we used that today.”

Bergen’s ownership is comprised of Spendthrift Farm LLC, Martin Schwartz, Gandharvi LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Rick Kanter, James J. Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, LLC, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson. Now a winner of two of three starts, with one second, Bergen has earned $136,975.