Houston, TX. — This weekends race for three year old Kentucky Derby hopefuls is the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and the lineup is solid as several runners are on multi-race winning streaks. Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out two runners with a chance to upset.
Russell Road has won six straight. He’s a 3 year old West Virginia bred and hasn’t run longer then 7 furlongs. He’ll be ridden by Travis Dunkelberger for his trainer, James Casey. His wins have been in small stakes races against lesser competition and he appears to be overmatched.
Mr. Fantasy has two wins over the local surface for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. He’s a New York bred son of E Dubai and will get Alan Garcia back. Garcia rode him to his maiden victory in his first race and posted a 97 Beyer Speed Figure at 6 furlongs. His last race was at today’s distance of 1 1/16 miles against allowance company where he posted a 93 Beyer. He had the 10 hole last time and won easily around two turns.
Another New York bred, Haynesfield, has won four straight for trainer Steve Asmussen and will have a new rider in Chuck Lopez. His highest Beyer Speed Figure is a 93 and three of his four wins have come over the Aqueduct inner track around two turns. He will be well positioned from the start.
Imperial Council, trained by Shug McGaughey, is shipping in from Gulfstream Park on a two race win streak and posted a 94 Beyer last time against open allowance runners. Edgar Prado has ridden him in his only three starts but will not be in the saddle today as Rajiv Maragh picks up the mount. Imperial Council is the morning line favorite at 5-2.
Second choice at 3-1 is I Want Revenge for trainer Jeff Mullins. I Want Revenge ships in from Santa Anita after competing in two graded stakes races against the West Coast’s leading contender, Pioneer of the Nile. He’s the son of Stephen Got Even and wore blinkers in his last start while finishing third in the G2 Robert B. Lewis. In that race, he made the lead in the stretch but faded and may not like a synthetic surface. In his previous race, the G1 Cash Call Futurity, he looked like the winner at the wire but was nipped out by Pioneer of the Nile. His only win came over Hollywood Park’s Cushion track while on the lead from the gate. There will be plenty of pace in today’s race so I don’t see Mullins employing the same strategy that got the win.
Todd Pletcher sends out two runners in the Gotham. At 5-1 is Masala, who has the highest last race Beyer of 96. He was second that day, beaten two lengths by Take the Points in an open allowance race at Gulfstream Park going one mile. Take the Points came back to run second to The Pamplemousse in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita. Masala broke his maiden at Aqueduct in November over a muddy main track. He’ll be going two turns for the first time and runs late.
The other Pletcher runner is Naos who broke his maiden going 6 furlongs over the inner track and like his stable mate, Masala, is sired by Lion Heart and will be running late. In his last start he drew off going a mile and seventy yards at Philadelphia while posting an 85 speed figure and impressed Pletcher enough to enter him here.
The Breakdown:
Mr. Fantasy will be the early leader with Haynesfield stalking in second. Imperial Council will be third down the backside with I Want Revenge a close fourth. Migliore will have Axel Foley well positioned in fifth with the two Pletcher runners, Masala and Naos, running in tandem while improving into the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Mr. Fantasy will have put away Haynesfield and Naos will come rolling down the stretch to narrowly beat out Mr. Fantasy for the win.
The Longshot Play of the Day: Naos
Click here for the Daily Racing Form Past Performances for the G3 Gotham Stakes.
