A field of 13 will contest the Grade 3 $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. The 1 1/16 mile race is the 10th on Saturday’s 11-race card.
Returning for his second start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November is Mike Maker’s Hansen. Making his sophomore debut in his last start, the Tapit colt finished second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on January 29, five lengths behind winner Algorithms. At morning line odds of 6-5, Hansen has the class and the speed to dominate the Gotham field.
Owner George Hall’s My Adonis also exits the Holy Bull, finishing a half-length behind Hansen. The Kelly Breen runner overcame a bumped start and had a less than perfect trip over the sloppy Gulfstream Park track, but still managed to earn a 98 Brisnet speed figure. My Adonis has been installed as the second choice in the field with a morning line of 5-1.
Third choice on the morning line at odds of 8-1 is Todd Pletcher’s Dan And Sheila, owned by Zayat Stables. This son of More Than Ready finished fourth in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes January 21 in only his second start. Finishing in front of him were Mr. Bowling, Z Dager, and Shared Property, who finished last, third, and fifth, respectively, in last week’s Grade 2 Risen Star. If the Risen Star is any indication, don’t expect much from Dan And Sheila.
The remainder of the field is comprised of various longshots, each bearing attributes worthy of consideration. One that shows an affinity for Aqueduct and might be improving is Rick Dutrow’s King And Crusader. The Lion Heart colt finished first in his last three races—two ungraded stakes and one optional claiming race. However, he was disqualified in the Maryland Juvenile Championship and placed ninth. Interestingly, his last two races were only three days apart! Horses racing two weeks apart is almost unheard of nowadays, but three days!? Throw in his recent bullet work and this is one longshot worth playing.
Rounding out the field are Maan, Done Talking, Tiger Walk, Pretension, Raconteur, Suns Out Guns Out, Stealcase, Side Road, and Finnegans Wake.
The race is the 10th on Saturday’s card with a scheduled post time of 5:02 p.m. It can be seen on HRTV.
Photo: Courtesy Kentucky Derby
