Tag: Gotham Stakes

Morello's resounding Gotham Stakes victory played a role in his 8/5 favorite status for Saturday's Grade 2 Wood Memorial. He is one of the few horses running Saturday who has a Kentucky Derby berth sewn up. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Susie Raisher)

Unbeatens Morello, Early Voting Set to Settle Matters in Wood Memorial

- 4 min read

The Grade 2 Wood Memorial boasts a winner’s roll that any race in America would proudly sell its soul to own. There’s Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Foolish Pleasure, Genuine Risk, Count Fleet, Omaha and Gallant Fox, to name a few. Yes, with 20 Kentucky Derby winners, Aqueduct’s marquee stop on the Kentucky […]

Dean's List stretches out from six furlongs to a mile at 7/2 on the morning line in the Grade 3 Gotham Saturday at Aqueduct. (Image: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson)

Will Baffert, Pletcher Or Someone Else Take Over Gotham?

- 3 min read

Yes, the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes is a Kentucky Derby prep, which means your eyes naturally gravitate to whatever colt Bob Baffert has in the proceedings. And Derby ban aside, the Hall of Fame trainer does come to Aqueduct with a gilt-edged contender in Rockefeller. But this being the Gotham […]

Nashua winner and California-based Rockefeller returns to Aqueduct for the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, the fourth race on the Cross Country Pick 5. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

It’s Off to Gotham for Key to This Week’s Cross Country Pick 5

- 3 min read

The “other” Kentucky Derby prep — the Grade 3 Gotham from Aqueduct Park — highlights this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5. This week’s Cross Country Pick 5 encompasses races from Aqueduct, Tampa Bay Downs and Oaklawn Park. The Gotham, which offers 50-20-10-5 Derby qualifying points to its […]

Aqueduct Racetrack spent much of 2021 as a New York State COVID vaccination center. It reverts to its regular racetrack duties starting Thursday. (Image: NYRA/Aqueduct)

Aqueduct Racetrack’s Shots Now Come on the Track, Not Off of It

- 3 min read

After serving time as a New York State COVID vaccination center, Aqueduct Racetrack reverts back to its traditional duties as the state’s winter home for racing on Thursday. The track opens to fans on Veteran’s Day for its 18-day fall meet. That meet runs through Sunday, Dec. 5 with a […]

Highly Motivated set the 6 1/2-furlong Keeneland track record with this victory in the Nyquist Stakes. He opens his 3-year-old season Saturday in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. (Image: Coady Photography)

Highly Motivated Finds His Motivation Returning for Gotham

- 3 min read

While the rest of the front-page Kentucky Derby futures favorites spent the winter winning races from California to Florida – and all points in between — Highly Motivated spent his winter hanging out in New York. This was Highly Motivated’s winter: working out here and there, watching stablemate Risk Taking […]

Highly Motivated makes his anticipated 2021 debut in Saturday's Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. (Image: Coglianese Photos)

Weekend Stakes: History at Santa Anita, Derby Preps on Both Coasts

- 4 min read

This weekend’s stakes lineup features one of the most iconic races in American horse racing, the Santa Anita Handicap. But even that event, technically Santa Anita Park’s Saturday headliner, may get overshadowed on its own card by a Grade 2 Kentucky Derby prep, the San Felipe Stakes. Featuring two of […]

After winning January's Sham Stakes, Life Is Good attempts to follow Authentic's 2020 path to the Kentucky Derby. Like his Bob Baffert-trained forebear did last year, Life Is Good will run next at the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes. (Image: Benoit Photo)

Baffert’s Next Move: One Derby Prospect Stays Home, One Hits Road

- 3 min read

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert began plotting his next moves for his deep bench of Kentucky Derby prospects, with the first move sending top prospect Life Is Good to the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Baffert’s second move sends Freedom Fighter across the country for […]