Sometimes the connections of a Kentucky Derby prospect are forced to call an audible on the road to the Triple Crown. Such is the case with last year's 2-year-old champion, Hansen. After a disappointing runner-up finish to the highly-regarded Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park last month, trainer Mike Maker has opted to ship Hansen out of south Florida to New York to try his hand in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 3.
The 1 1/16-mile Gotham Stakes represents New York's penultimate step on the road to the Kentucky Derby, which concludes with the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes on April 7. Alpha, New York's leading Derby contender based off his wins in the Count Fleet and Withers Stakes earlier in the meet, is skipping the Gotham and heading straight to the Wood.
The Gotham Stakes, named after New York City, dates back to 1953 when it was first run at old Jamaica Racetrack. Since being moved to Aqueduct in 1960, the Gotham has had a bit of a checkered history. Up until the 1990's, some of racing's biggest names won the Gotham on their way to the Triple Crown. But during the last 20 years or so, the winners of the Gotham have had little impact on the Triple Crown.
However, the Gotham could be in line for a bit of a renaissance. Thanks to slot machines going online at Aqueduct this winter, purses in New York have exploded. The Gotham Stakes shared in the wealth as its purse was bumped from $250,000 in 2011 to $400,000 in 2012.
Previous winners of the Gotham include Native Dancer, who won a division of the inaugural Gotham in 1953; Dr. Fager, the 1967 winner and four-time champion in 1968; and Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner.
Hansen is expected to face a large field in the 2012 Gotham Stakes. The New York Racing Association said as many as 12 3-year-olds could line up for the Gotham. Other major contenders include two colts from the powerful Todd Pletcher barn—Raconteur and Dan and Sheila—Stakes winner My Adonis for trainer Kelly Breen and Consortium for Kiaran McLaughlin.
Raconteur enters the Gotham Stakes off consecutive victories at Aqueduct, while Dan and Sheila was a decent fourth in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in just his second career start. My Adonis won a minor Stakes at Delta Downs last Fall and exits a third-place finish behind Hansen in the Holy Bull. Consortium was a disappointing sixth in the Holy Bull in his last start.
The Stakes record at its current distance of 1 1/16-miles was set by I Want Revenge, who won the 2009 running in 1:42.65.
New York-based trainer Claude “Shug” McGaughey has won three Gotham's to lead all trainers. Five jockeys have won the Gotham three times to lead their respective category. The only one still active is Southern California-based jockey Mike Smith.
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