Janney’s Five Bars Earns ‘TDN Rising Star’ Status After Impressive Saratoga Debut
Stuart Janney III’s homebred filly Five Bars overcame significant early trouble to capture her racing debut Saturday at Saratoga, earning ‘TDN Rising Star’ designation after a determined rally in the day’s third race.
The 2-year-old daughter of freshman sire Maxfield went off at 9.90-1 odds in what appeared to be a typically competitive Travers Day maiden special weight contest.
Five Bars found herself immediately compromised when the gates opened. Pinched back severely at the break — squeezed from both sides by Touch of Magic and Icecreamforevryone — she was forced to settle near the back of the pack under jockey Joel Rosario.
The troubled start left her with significant ground to make up as favored Tam Tam, a $975,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, dueled with Bet the Grey through the early fractions.
Rosario remained patient, allowing his mount to find her rhythm while trailing the leaders into the stretch. With three-sixteenths remaining, Five Bars accelerated sharply, making rapid inside progress past $1-million Keeneland September purchase Glamorize.
[Spoiler Alert] In the final furlong, the Janney homebred continued her determined rally, splitting rivals and catching the front-runner to win by a half-length in 1:17.40 for the 6 1/2 furlongs. Icecreamforevryone narrowly edged Tam Tam for second.
Five Bars represents an impressive family. She’s a winning half-sister to GIII Transylvania Stakes winner Scarlett Sky and stakes-placed Concord Green. Her dam, Secure Connection, was purchased by Nicoma Bloodstock for $375,000 from the Complete Dispersal of Breeding Stock for Stuart Janney at last year’s Keeneland November Sale.
The victory marks a significant milestone for Maxfield’s stud career. Five Bars becomes his first ‘TDN Rising Star’ and eighth winner overall from his freshman crop. Maxfield, a son of Street Sense, has quickly established himself as a promising young stallion.
Claude “Shug” McGaughey III, a Hall of Fame trainer, conditions the filly for owner/breeder Janney.
NYRA shared footage of the impressive debut on social media, posting: “FIVE BARS rallies to break her maiden at 9-1 in the third race with @JRosarioJockey aboard for trainer Shug McGaughey.”
FIVE BARS rallies to break her maiden at 9-1 in the third race with @JRosarioJockey aboard for trainer Shug McGaughey. pic.twitter.com/ClGFo6ql6i
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA)
FIVE BARS rallies to break her maiden at 9-1 in the third race with August 23, 2025
