by Nicolle Neulist, for the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association

Hinsdale, IL — On June 28, trainer Christopher Banks completed a training double that few thought possible. The lone Thoroughbred in his stable, Sperling, won the first race at Arlington Park. That evening one of his Standardbreds, Vegas Bomb, paced home first in the Hawthorne sixth race.

Four Footed Fotos photo

Driver Casey Leonard with Chris Banks trainee Vegas Bomb, crossing the wire for his maiden win on June 28.

Christopher Banks grew up in harness racing. The son of Illinois trainer-driver Larry Banks, Christopher has been around Standardbreds since his youth, and has been on his own as a harness trainer since 2009. He currently trains a stable of six horses owned by his father as Banks Racing LLC.

“I’ve been going since I was a little kid, with my father,” Banks said. “We raced at Sportsman’s, Hawthorne, Maywood — we were based out of Maywood for many years.”

Growing up with his father, Banks added, “That’s all I ever wanted to do, take over what he had going.”

And now, that’s exactly what has happened. Christopher Banks trains a small group of horses, all owned by his father. It’s a small, hands-on undertaking.

“He’s invested in me. He said, ‘we’ll just buy horses, we won’t deal with owners.’ I said, ‘okay!’ That’s why we have such a small stable — we do everything ourselves.”

That includes training the horses during their racing seasons, working with them during layoffs and turnout, everything but driving them in the races.

Last fall his curiosity about Thoroughbreds encouraged him to expand his training footprint.

“I just wanted to test the waters. I didn’t want to jump full in because I have six Standardbreds. I also have mares in foal. It’s just been one of those things where, I wanted to try it out. Once I started working with the animals, the Thoroughbreds, it all came together. They’re beautiful animals; just reading them.”

Sperling, now five years old, caught Banks’ eye last year at Arlington Park. The daughter of Illinois-bred star Giant Oak won a pair of races for trainer Ingrid Mason at the $10,000 level during the summer 2017 meet. In October, Larry Banks put up the $5,000 to claim her out of a dirt race at Hawthorne.

“I liked her pedigree,” Christopher Banks recalled, “and I liked that she was consistent. I knew she wasn’t going to do well here (at Hawthorne) — on the turf, maybe, but it kept coming off due to weather.”

Coady Photography

Edgar Perez, wearing the silks of Banks Racing LLC, rides Sperling to victory at Arlington Park on June 28.

After a trio of off-the-board finishes at Hawthorne in November and December, his theory that dirt wasn’t Sperling’s preferred surface had been confirmed.

“She loves the polytrack. So, I said, I’ll hold onto her, and I just kept going with the harness horses until we got her prepped and ready and Arlington opened up.”

The decision to wait for Arlington paid off. Thursday’s race was her second of the summer meet; she finished second in her seasonal debut on June 1, then won her next start, giving Christopher Banks his first career Thoroughbred win.

Horses like a routine, but Banks understands that different routines suit different horses. Banks’ regular base is at Odds On Acres in Crete, Ill. His string of Standardbreds lives and trains there, and the horses van up to Hawthorne for the races. Sperling has a routine, too, but it’s a different one. She is stabled on the backstretch at Arlington Park, and only comes south to the farm if she needs a layoff.

Even though Sperling runs her best races at Arlington, Christopher Banks appreciated the chance to design and solidify Sperling’s program at Hawthorne last fall, and on turnout at Odds On Acres over the winter.

“I had the routine. I had the nutrition program in place. I can’t be in two places at one time, but it translates.”

He now has a team who works with Sperling day in and day out at Arlington, though he stays in close contact.

“I try to go twice a week. We don’t go every day, but we’re on the phone every day. Multiple times.”

Training and developing horses has always been the aspect of the sport that spoke most strongly to Banks.

“When I started out, I was more interested in therapy on horses. I just like getting horses to feel good. That’s my take. A lot of the kids my age that got into it, wanted to be drivers. I’d rather take a horse who was sore, get them good. I find a lot more enjoyment in that. I love the whole process of getting one ready. I live for it.”

Banks’ desire to listen to, work closely with, and develop horses has been an asset throughout his training career. That patience saw Vegas Bomb, a 3-year-old gelded son of Ideal Towne, through to his maiden victory at Hawthorne.

“I bought him as an unqualified 2-year-old,” said Banks. “He’s come along. We’ve trained him all the way down. Last summer I had him ready to qualify, and we just backed off him, turned him out. Then, I started back with him again and got him prepped for the beginning of the winter meet. He was progressing really well, and then he had some hiccups, and I got him built back up again and now he’s going in the right direction.”

That passion for training and developing horses stretches into Banks’ Thoroughbred career, too. However, he is realizing how much he still has to learn on that side.

“When you start out, you’re like, oh, a horse is a horse. I realized it’s a completely different conditioning style. Their conventional way in Thoroughbred as opposed to us in harness, you just couldn’t do that kind of work load with the Thoroughbred, with their thinner hoof walls. Even though they’re great, big animals, they’re delicate. Whereas a Standardbred is sturdy. They’re solid. They can handle that extra workload.”

Still, Banks’ ethic of keeping a small stable, getting to know each horse, and responding to their individual needs has served him well with Sperling, just as it has with Vegas Bomb and a lifetime of Standardbreds.

“It’s a learning process. We’re still learning. But, I figured out Sperling pretty quick. Because each animal has a certain way they tick. With her, less is more. She’s responded.”

And, Vegas Bomb? Banks laughed.

“He’s kind of less is more, too. He’d fit right into Thoroughbreds.”

At least until Vegas Bomb dons a harness, hears the bike snap into place, and begins to pace instead of gallop.