Gotham awards top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

The Gotham is one of four stakes slated for Saturday March 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack and will award the top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Lady Sheila Stable, Net Birdie and Schwing Thoroughbreds' New York-bred and New York-sired Sacrosanct brings a 4-for-4 record with three local stakes wins to this Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the Honest Mischief bay won his three stakes around one turn here, including the eligible-sired NYSSS Great White Way last out on December 14, as well as versus state-breds in the Bertram F. Bongard and Sleepy Hollow.

In the Great White Way, Sacrosanct [post 4, Manny Franco] attended the pace sprinting the seven furlongs, taking over approaching the top of the lane while gamely defending a narrow advantage from the oncoming National Identity to win the $500,000 event by a head.

Sacrosanct breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds flat on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in company with maiden-winner Uncle Jim, who is entered in a starter optional-claimer on Friday here after a last-out fifth in the Listed Withers. Cox's New York-based assistant Dustin Dugas was aboard Sacrosanct for the move, which ranked 3rd-of-135 works at the distance.

"It was good. A nice, little breeze in company with Uncle Jim. I'm happy with the way he did it, and he came out of it in good shape," said Dugas. "The time reflected it as well, but he didn't have to overexert himself to run a 49. It was a really good breeze."

Sacrosanct is set for his open company debut - he skipped the local Listed $250,000 Withers on February 1 after missing a work with a foot issue.

At the one-turn mile distance, Sacrosanct scored by 1 1/2 lengths over Grade 1-placed Mo Plex in the Sleepy Hollow on October 27. He was an impressive 12-length winner of the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard in September after a comfortable six-furlong graduation in August at Saratoga Race Course.

Bred in the Empire State by Burleson Farms, Mckenzie Bloodstock and Sequel Thoroughbreds, Sacrosanct, out of the Unbridled's Song mare Vibrato, was a $260,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. His second dam is dual stakes-winner Cuff Me.

Cox will also saddle Wathnan Racing's Flood Zone [post 7, Reylu Gutierrez] after his 5 1/4-length second-out graduation for conditioner Victor Barboza, Jr. sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on January 4 at Gulfstream Park. The Frosted bay earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure for the prominent victory, and was purchased privately by Wathnan Racing.

Case Clay, the U.S. Advisor for Wathnan Racing, said he saw great potential in Flood Zone.

"He showed a lot of promise in his last race. Hopefully, he continues to do well," said Clay. "Time will tell, but I think he is a horse that could potentially go longer. He won a 6 1/2-furlong race, but I think he can go longer, that was kind of the main thing."

Flood Zone is out of the winning Curlin mare Curls for Girls, a full-sister to graded stakes placed Conquest Curlgirl. His second dam, Montera, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Serape.

"Being out of a Curlin mare, I don't want to say he reminds me of Curlin because Curlin was a Champion, but it looks like he could have some Curlin in him," Clay said. "We looked at three logical places timing-wise - the Tampa Bay Derby, Fountain of Youth and the Gotham - this seems like a natural progression for the one-turn mile, which could be the best spot for him."

Chester Broman, Sr.'s New York homebred Sand Devil [post 5, Jose Lezcano] is 3-for-3 with a last-out neck victory in the seven-furlong state-bred $125,000 Damon Runyon on February 8 here. Trained by Linda Rice, the Violence chestnut led early, lost the lead to National Identity briefly in the stretch, but dug in under Jose Lezcano to fend off that rival.

"He's doing good. We will see what the race shapes up like," said Rice. "He just ran so I may or may not get a work into him before the race. I think he is fine at the mile. He has run well at one mile already. It might actually be better for him than the seven furlongs."

Sand Devil's Damon Runyon victory over National Identity was reminiscent of Sacrosanct's Great White Way, and like that rival, he also vies for his first win outside of restricted company. He previously bested fellow state-breds by 12 1/2-lengths in a one-turn mile optional claimer on January 2 after a comfortable debut graduation sprinting six furlongs in December.

Bred by Chester and the late Mary Broman, Sand Devil is out of multiple stakes-winning Mineshaft mare Mineralogist. His second dam the graded stakes-winning New York-bred Seeking the Ante.

Eric Kenneally, Brian Chenvert and trainer Eddie Kenneally's Normandy Coast [post 2, Ben Curtis] ships in from a six-furlong optional-claiming win on January 11 at Fair Grounds Race Course. the Omaha Beach bay stalked and pounced for a neck score under returning rider Ben Curtis.

Normandy Coast displayed different tactics than his previous second-out graduation in a pacesetting three-quarter-length win sprinting seven furlongs on July 27 at Ellis Park. The efforts improved from a debut fourth in a June maiden at Churchill Downs that featured future stakes-winner Keep It Easy and dual graded stakes-placed Sandman.

"He's young and lightly raced, so I don't know if he's adopted any particular running style yet, but he does have natural speed," said Kenneally. "It was a good comeback race for him. He had already gone seven furlongs when he broke his maiden. When he came back in January the race was at six furlongs and he handled it fine, but it may be a little short for what his best is."

Normandy Coast breezed a half-mile in 49 seconds flat on Saturday at Fair Grounds, in company with Listed Busher-entrant Amarth.

"We are hoping the one-turn mile is well within his range," Kenneally said. "I like the one-turn mile for the progression of Normandy Coast. I think it is a nice next race for him to go one mile without having to go two turns yet."

Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's dual stakes-winner Scorching [post 1, Eric Cancel] has worked extensively over the Belmont Park training track since January to prepare for this race. Trained by John Charalambous, the Mo Town dark bay beat fellow Canadian-breds at Woodbine Racetrack in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe over Tapeta in August before being elevated to victory in the 1 1/16-mile turf Cup and Saucer last out on October 6.

Scorching contested the Simcoe as a maiden, but showed why he was there when setting the pace en route to a five-length victory. Both the Simcoe and Cup and Saucer, where he crossed the wire a nose back of Ashley's Archer who was disqualified to fifth, registered an 80 Beyer.

Half Hollow Stables' My Mitole [post 10, Luis Rivera, Jr.] recently captured a one-turn mile starter allowance on February 14 here. Trained by Carlos Martin, it was the Mitole chestnut's second consecutive win over the Gotham course and distance after a third-out graduation.

"The horse came out of his last race in good shape. The Gotham is certainly interesting and enticing," said Martin, adding that he has an eye towards the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 5 here. "The Wood is a little bit ambitious, but we do think he will go longer."

Rounding out the field are maiden-winners Garamond [post 9, Javier Castellano] for five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Calling Card [post 3, Kendrick Carmouche, blinkers ON] for conditioner Mike Maker, Pagode [post 6, Luan Machado] for trainer Paulo Lobo and McAfee [post 8, Lane Luzzi], a half-brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

The Gotham is slated as Race 8 on Saturday's 10-race program which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool [Race 4], the Listed $200,000 Busher [Race 7] - a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifier - and the Listed $150,000 Stymie [Race 6]. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Mo Plex works towards Grade 3 Gotham

Feb 16 - R and H Stable's graded stakes-winner Mo Plex is under consideration for the Grade 3 $300,000 Gotham, a one-mile test for sophomores on March 1 or the $125,000 Gander for New York-bred sophomores at the same distance on March 8, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gotham awards the top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in May at Churchill Downs, but trainer Jeremiah Englehart said the Gander may be preferable for Mo Plex off his respite since a second to the unbeaten Sacrosanct in the one-mile state-bred Sleepy Hollow on October 27 here.

"Right now, I'm pointing him towards either the Gotham or the Gander. Probably leaning towards the Gander right now," said Englehart. "Just to see if I can kind of give him an easier spot first back off the bench.

"Eventually I would like to see him back in open company, if he is good enough, and I do think he is good enough, so I will play it by ear," Englehart added.

Mo Plex breezed a half-mile in 49.64 seconds in company with Hey Toby on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.

"He'll have a couple of works going into this, at least one more for the Gotham, two more if it's the Gander, but it seems like everything is going well," Englehart said. "In the wintertime, you are looking to keep them against the bridle and not worry so much about times. I thought he worked in a nice fashion. There was an inside horse on the rail and my inside horse had to move out into him, and he seemed to handle it pretty well."

Mo Plex's last-out second earned a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure, improving one tick from a third to Chancer McPatrick in the Grade 1 Champagne earlier that month. Both were respectable defeats in the eyes of Englehart.

"Chancer McPatrick is a very nice colt, he could be the leading 3-year-old this year at some point," Englehart said. "Same for Sacrosanct, I know Brad [Cox, trainer] is very high on that horse and he tipped his cap for beating us. I think he is another New York-bred who can go on and do big things."

Mo Plex, prior to his aforementioned October efforts, began his career 3-for-3 with sprint scores in Saratoga Race Course's Grade 3 Sanford and state-bred Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, as well as his June debut here.

Scorching Aimed For 2025 Gotham at Aqueduct

Jan 5 - Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch's Scorching will step onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) in the $300,000 Gotham (G3)on March 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The one-turn mile for 3-year-olds awards Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top-five finishers.

Trained by Woodbine-based John Charalambous, the Ontario-bred son of Mo Town won the restricted Cup and Saucer on October 6 over the Woodbine Racetrack turf. He scored the victory by disqualification after Ashley's Archer got his nose down first on the wire but was ruled to have interfered with a rival in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race.

The Cup and Saucer came on the heels of a stylish graduation with a pacesetting five-length score in the 6 1/2-furlong restricted Simcoe in August over the Tapeta at Woodbine, with both wins receiving a career-best 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

"I think he ran a winning race," Charalambous said of the Cup and Saucer. "We just got beat the last jump and I'm still not sold that he's any better on turf. I was really happy with that race and I was happy with the way he was coming into his next race, but he developed a virus and it took him longer to get through it, so we gave him the rest of the year off. The owners made the decision to try a different route, so here we are."

Scorching arrived at Belmont Park in late December and has yet to breeze over the training track. Charalambous said he brought the colt to the New York to give him plenty of time prepare for his first start over dirt.

"Our plan is to race in the Gotham. We're just starting him back up at Belmont, and he trains on dirt in Canada and has breezed on it a bunch of times, so hopefully he can make the transition in the afternoon," Charalambous said. "We're just trying to get him fit and ready, and hopefully everything goes well."

Scorching debuted in July at Woodbine with a runner-up effort sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over Tapeta ahead of his Simcoe score. Charalambous said he believes the dark bay can be effective at a one-turn mile.

"I didn't really think he was a sprinter," Charalambous said. "I didn't know if he could go a classic distance, but he never really trained like he was a sprinter - he always worked well, but wasn't excessively quick. The way the races came up, the timing was perfect on both his stakes wins."

As for the nearly five-month layoff Scorching will enter from, Charalambous said the colt continues to trend in the right direction towards a successful return.

"The layoff certainly did him well mentally, and he put on some weight," Charalambous said. "He's just got to get used to the track - it's deeper here than back home. It's something we have to work through, but he's in great shape and we'll take it from there."

Charalambous, who started his first runner in 1982, will look to win his first Kentucky Derby prep race and said he was pleasantly surprised when the colt's owners approached him about trying the Derby trail.

"It's exciting. I've been doing this a long time, and it caught me off guard what the plans were," Charalambous said, with a laugh. "These owners have been extremely generous with me and have rewarded me with good horses to train, so it would be nice if we had a bit of racing luck. I think this is a very good horse. He acts the part, too. If he stays healthy, I think he's going to show us a little bit more."

Bred in Ontario by Huntington Stud Farm Corp., Scorching was purchased for $88,551 at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's 2023 Canadian-bred Yearling Sale. He is out of the stakes-placed Consolidator mare Samsal, who also produced Grade 3-placed Keep Grinding.

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