06/02/2026
The red-hot Joe Bongiorno ended up in the winner’s circle for both divisions of the featured Exit 16W Pop Up Series, training and driving Federer and Best Chip in the $25,000 dashes for high-end conditioned pacers Saturday night.
Federer, a 4-year-old gelded son of Captaintreacherous-Sweetest Emotion, left the gate quickly before yielding the top to 4-5 favorite Southwind Gendry, who cut out fractions of :26.4, :54.3 and 1:23.2, but “Gendry” took big-time pressure from Build The Wall throughout the final three-eighths, which softened him up for the stretch drive.
With a little more than a sixteenth to go, Bongiorno moved Federer out of the pocket and was loaded with pace as he split Southwind Gendry (who was to his inside) and Build The Wall (outside) to go on to a thrilling three-quarter-length score in 1:50.3, which equaled his lifetime best. Water Sports Teen closed with a rush to be second, with Kwick Sand A third.
“I wanted him to be more involved in the race tonight (as compared to recent starts at Pocono),” said Bongiorno. “He’s been pacing home really hard. I had him stirred up ready to leave tonight. He was a handful, but he got the job done in the stretch. Gendry is a really good horse, but he kind of pulls up through the turns and then he’ll sprint home, so I took my shot trying to keep my horse in there and it ended up working out well.”
Federer recorded his 10th lifetime win in 44 tries to up his bankroll to $165,710. He returned $5.60 to his backers as the 9-5 second choice in the betting.
Best Chip completed Bongiorno’s sweep after sitting a three-hole before moving off the rail to go after leader Downbythewater (who led at the half in :54.1 and three-quarters in 1:22.3). The 4-year-old horse by Heston Blue Chip-Place Your Best still had work to do when the field straightened up for the drive, but in deep stretch, Downbythewater and the pocket-sitting 6-5 favorite Voukefalas briefly hooked wheels, allowing Best Chip to sprint past them both, as he hit the wire 1½ lengths in front of Downbythewater with Voukefalas settling for third.
“(Best Chip) is just a really nice horse. The sky's the limit for him. I have high hopes for this horse,” said Bongiorno. “For him to jump up the way he has and race against the likes of Voukefalas and Downbythewater? I believe that if Voukefalas gets up the rail, he would’ve had the jump on me and he might’ve been tough to beat tonight, but, like I said, I think my horse is just getting his legs underneath him and I think he’s going to be a very fast horse moving forward.”
Owned by El Dorado Stables, who also own Federer, Best Chip racked up his eighth lifetime victory in 44 attempts. His earnings are just shy of $100,000. His backers collected a $5 payout after he completed the mile in a lifetime-best 1:48.4.
