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He’s one of the standouts in this year’s crop of 2-year-old males who have competed on the racetrack and trainer Kelly John Breen isn’t taking any chances with Grade 2 stakes winner Bern Identity.

            “He’s here,” Breen said at his Monmouth Park barn on Thursday morning.  “We still have horses stabled in my division at Belmont (Park) but I wanted him here where I could see him every day.”

            Bern Identity, who was sired by Bernstein and bears the name that is a play on the popular Bourne Identity series of spy thriller novels and movies, broke his maiden at second asking by a stunning 13 ¾ lengths at Belmont this past June, and in his next start,  rallied impressively to take the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths. Last out, he was third in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga.

When the colt won the Sanford, he gave Breen his first graded stakes victory at Saratoga. Even better, he delivered a $100,000 bonus offered for the first time this year under a new program at the New York tracks. Because Bern Identity was a 2-year-old maiden winner at the Belmont spring meet and then won the graded stakes at Saratoga, he qualified.

“Winning my first graded stakes at Saratoga was very special and that extra $100,000 was pretty sweet,” said Breen.

Purchased by George and Lori Hall for $75,000 one year ago at the Keeneland September yearling sales, the Kentucky-bred Bern Identity has now brought home $306,000.  If all goes well this fall, the bankroll will get bigger.

Breen said that the $400,000 Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont on October 6 or the Grade 1 $400,000 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on the same afternoon are on his horizon. Both races are a “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

The Champagne is a one-turn mile affair on the Belmont dirt and the Futurity is a two-turn 1 1/16 mile race on the Polytrack at Keeneland. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile will be contested at 1 1/16 mile on the dirt and at two turns.

“October sixth will be pivotal,” said Breen. “When he raced at seven furlongs (in the Hopeful) he wanted longer and he was coming on at the end so he should handle the distance of either race.”

Meanwhile, Bern Identity will train at Monmouth. Breen said that he’s had a few minor issues but he has changed his shoes “just a little bit.”

Two other Hall stable stars, 2011 Belmont Stakes winner and third place Breeders’ Cup Classic finisher Ruler on Ice, and 2012 Long Branch Sakes winner My Adonis, are also training at Monmouth.

On Thursday morning, the multiple graded stakes placed My Adonis breezed four furlong in :48.20 and galloped out in 1:01. Breen said that at this stage he doesn’t have a race in mind for him or Ruler on Ice.