Banishing

Banishing won a total of five races up through the end of his 4-year-old season in 2024 and then enjoyed breakout success to begin his 5-year-old year in 2025. He began the year with a six-furlong sprint stakes win at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 23 and then parlayed that into a second-place finish in his next race when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the Grade 3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn when beaten just a head on Feb. 23.

Banishing won his first career graded stakes when taking the Grade 3 $500,000 Oaklawn Mile on March 29, 2025. Sent off as the 8-5 second choice in a field of six, Banishing chased leading Saudi Crown up close the entire way until challenging for the lead in the stretch and prevailing by a length at the finish while more than 10 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Banishing subsequently finished second in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and second in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes in his following two starts.

The next win for Banishing came in the Jeff Hall Memorial Stakes at Ellis Park on July 20 in an outing that set him up for the biggest win of his career to date in his next start in the Grade 2 $1 million Charles Town Classic on Aug. 22. Sent off as the 2.70-1 second choice in an eight-horse field going 1 1/8 miles at Charles Town, Banishing stalked the pace toward the rear of the field and moved up on the final turn to take charge of the race before drawing off to a 2 1/4-length win under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Banishing is trained by David Jacobson. He was bred in Kentucky by Ghostzapper out of the mare Dowager by A. P. Indy.