The Gotham- Grade 3 (KYD)- $400.000 Purse
AQU- One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Inner Dirt
For Three Year Olds
March 5, 2016
Virtual horse racing fans are truly blessed this weekend as we will be treated to the 12th running of the Gotham at AQU. This KYD prep has brought together a fantastic group of contenders, and chances are we will see several of these on the first day of May, most likely. Last year, Lukas Duke won this race, and would go on to participate in all three TC events. As good as the past winner list may be, no winner of the Gotham has won a TC race. The closest would have been Skeleton Key in 2012, who was second in a photo in the BEL that year. Another close call was Laffin Policeman who would also win the FL Derby about a month later in 2009, before finishing second in that years KYD. There’s a couple good current sires now, however, one of which appears to be up for auction on St. Patrick’s Day. No trainer has won this race more then once, and when you look at the list of past trainers that have won this race, there is a sense that this is a race where underdog trainers sometimes step up and beat the big names. There’s a couple trainers in this field who are certainly hoping that trend can continue, including one that recently acquired their contender for a rather high price. This is a great field, and these will be hard earned KYD points for the lucky ones to pick them up. Let’s meet the entries.
#1- Double Jolly King (Sanny Village, ridden by J Rosario)- After picking up a huge win with Edwin Drood last weekend, Sanny Village looks to double it up with Double Jolly King. Although this new gelding certainly belongs in this type of field, it can’t be overlooked that Double Jolly King has never been to the winner’s circle. Prior trainer Gdp Inc and now Sanny Village have taken the approach of forgoing maidens. In his last race though, something went wrong. He was simply not up to the challenge in the Grade 3 Withers, finishing 9th, and beaten nine lengths by Snowmizer, who he gets to see again here. It’s the type of result that makes the virtual horse player wonder if meters may have been off, or if something else was responsible for that. Either way, Double Jolly King must be ready to step up and get back to the form he showed last fall, or he might be going to maidens after all.
#2- Phooeys Ideal (Nynl Stables, ridden by J Talamo)- Certainly it is an honor to have a horse of my own in a race of this magnitude. Earlier this month, the trainer put out a feeler that they were looking to pick up a KYD contender and willing to pay a decent price tag for one. A couple horses were proposed, but nothing to the quality of Phooeys Ideal, who finished second in the BC Juvenile last fall. The sale price between Nynl Stables and Our Athletes would be $450.000, and if it were not for the sale, Our Athletes had also been preparing to run him in this race. Phooeys Ideal arrived in my barn ready to go and I feel good that he will run well in this race though I’ll refrain from saying too much about him here. Naturally, covering this race will be a little different for me but it does feel good to have a horse capable of getting me back to the KYD for the second time.
#3- Speeding Steel (Scratched)
#4- Snowmizer (Sarah Stables, ridden by V Espinoza)- If you ask around HRP, you will find that many people feel that Snowmizer is one of the top contenders to win the KYD, not just make the field. Although he had a disappointing performance in the BC Juvenile, he was looking good before that, and has gone on to look almost unbeatable after that. After the BC, he ran a great race in the Grade 2 Remsen right here at the big A, beaten only by another who is considered one of the top contenders, Ned Isakoff. About a month ago, and still at this same track, he was back at it for the Grade 3 Withers, and he would prevail in a photo over Missing In Action, which is one he sees again in this race. About two weeks ago, he worked extremely well at PRX and is ready to go here. A win will not just get him in the KYD, but will tag him as one of the favorites in that race.
#5- Engine Failure (Mb Stables, ridden by J L Ortiz)- Judging by work times alone, Engine Failure absolutely should be in the KYD, but so far in 2016, the trainer has kept him out of Derby preps, being content with the two points he had earned previously. Since the fourth place run in the DED Jackpot, Engine Failure has been in a statebred N1X allowance, and then the $100.000 Gander Stakes, for NY-breds. He won both, and won the allowance very impressively. But why has he been there, and not in other races? Is it because the trainer has confidence in him delivering here, and was focusing on others in his stable? He’s very dangerous, but now is not the time for an engine failure.
#6- The Rook (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Last month , The Rook went to SA and finished 7th in the Grade 3 Lewis Stakes, and never made his presence felt. It is possible that a tactical change was in place that day, because he started well off the pace instead of his usual habit of being near the front. The race was a step up for him, as The Rook had mostly been running in ungraded races up to this point, but earned his stripes in those races, including a win over three rivals in the $100.000 Clever Trevor Stakes. Despite the potential, and fitting with a horse named this, he’s going to have to improve a little bit to run with the class of this field. He has plenty of upside going for him.
#7- Symboli Rudolf (Nakamura Stables, ridden by J Alvarado)- As a two year old, Symboli Rudolf was considered one of, if not the best, colt of his age group. He was a neck away from winning the first five races of his career, which included the Grade 3 Sanford at SAR, as well as the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes. He was made the favorite for the BC Juvenile, and would be third in that race. However, something happened in the Holy Bull in late January that the trainer simply did not like. He underachieved that day, and the trainer made him pay the price for it by going to the snip. Symboli Rudolf will race on Saturday as a gelding for the first time, and we have seen this be very successful in the past. Gelding or not a gelding, the Holy Bull is really the only blemish on what has been an outstanding career to this point, and you better believe he is ready to fire a big one here. He is the horse to beat here. I have to try and jinx one of the top threats, after all.
#8- Shareef Dancer (Blushing Meadows, ridden by R Alvarado Jr)- The trainer will be hoping his inexperienced three year old is not in awe of all the talent surrounding him on the race track for the race. Shareef Dancer has only raced once, and that was a win at WO in a race for ON-breds. That came in November, and you have to like the ending race time of that one, considering it was his first race. Off of that, here he is. Looking at his public work times, I’m seeing a horse that looks a little inconsistent. He has fired off some great works at a mile, but then can’t seem to follow it up. He has since been gelded, and maybe that will greatly help some of the inconsistency. Certainly, there is potential here, and time is running out for him to get in the Derby is he does truly belong there.
#9- Le Quartier (Gdp Inc, ridden by E Cancel)- This gelding by Charlemagne has showcased his best ability after the BC, and could really use a big race here. By finishing third in his last race, the Grade 2 Holy Bull, Le Quartier earned a couple points, but this is where he proves himself. Not only is this race about the KYD points for him, but he also can see where he stacks up against some of the best three year olds in the virtual racing world. A win or any kind of KYD points earned in this race should definitely put him in great position for next month’s preps, and if he does get into the KYD field, he should have a strong chance. I really like the consistency in his works.
#10- Yummy Opus (Drabfantasy, ridden by J J Hernandez)- Early in his career, Yummy Opus was seen running on the grass, and even earned himself a berth in the BC Juvenile Turf, thanks in large part to a victory at the $100.000 Zuma Beach Stakes, a race in which he did defeat the eventual BC Juvenile Turf winner, Icicle Dawn. About three weeks ago, Yummy Opus made his debut on the dirt and came from way off the pace to win the Grade 3 Davis Stakes. He doesn’t have to be a deep closer here though, as he has been near the lead in several of his turf starts. He’s an interesting contender here.
#11- Missing In Action (Downwind Stables, ridden by J R Leparoux)- Based on forum posts, we know that the trainer is planning a deep closing strategy to win this race. Or should we believe the bluff? Regardless of the interest in this race that the trainer generated on the forum, he is saddling a bona fide contender in this race. He has been second in his last three races, all of which have been at the graded level. At the DED Jackpot, he was the runner up to Champagne Supernova, who is certainly a top KYD contender. A month later, second to Champagne Supernova happened again. Fortunately for Missing in Action, that one is missing in action here. But Snowmizer isn’t, and that’s the one that beat him in the Withers. We know that Missing In Action can be there in the end, but will this be his time to finally come out on top?
#12- Ar Over Indi (A And I Stables, ridden by K Carmouche)- Like Phooeys Ideal, Ar Over Indi is coming into this race fresh off a private sale, but it cost A And I less then half ($210.000) of what it cost the person typing this sentence to buy his. He was sold about a week after a disappointing finish in the Grade 3 Southwest, placing seventh, and just like Missing In Action, that was one spot behind Champagne Supernova. What is a little concerning about that race, as well as the Grade 3 Sham Stakes where he was 4th, and beaten by Phooeys Ideal, is that Ar Over Indi seems to have never been a factor in either of those races. He’ll have to show a little more today to have a chance against a field of this caliber.
#13- Great Monsoon Spirit (Sanny Village, ridden by R A Baze)- The trainer has entries on opposite ends of the starting gate, thanks to the scratch of Speeding Steel. Recent works are showing that Great Monsoon Spirit has been improving, and perhaps significantly, recently, and he fired off an eye-opening bullet work here on the 9th of February. That was his most recent public work. He has not yet run in a stake, and out of his four starts, and he earned one finish in each of the top four finishing positions. We’ll hear this name more often down the road, but the biggest question on Saturday likely will be how he manages the outside post.
Prediction: 7-4-2-9
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
