Gold Square's Slip Mahoney earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for his runner-up finish to 23-1 winner Raise Cain in Saturday's $300,000 Gotham (G3), a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, who also sent out the pace-pressing fourth-place finisher Eyeing Clover, Slip Mahoney earned 20 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) and will likely point to the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) on April 8 at the Big A, a 100-40-30-20-10 qualifier.
“Both horses came back good,” said Cox. “Slip Mahoney will point for the Wood there. He obviously ran well and hopefully he gets a way better stretch run and doesn't leave himself so much to do.”
Slip Mahoney, ridden by Trevor McCarthy, broke a step slow from post 10 in the 14-horse field and trailed in 13th through the first half-mile. He improved to eighth at the top of the stretch while racing eight-wide in pursuit of Eyeing Clover and subsequent winner Raise Cain, who made an inside rally from 11th and showed an impressive turn of foot down the center lane under Jose Lezcano. Slip Mahoney gained with each stride down the stretch and surged past Eyeing Clover, but could not collar Raise Cain and settled for second 7 1/2 lengths back.
The Gotham came on the heels of an impressive third-out graduation on January 21 over the same distance and oval where he dueled strongly throughout with Crupi and bested him by a head at the wire. The Gotham was Slip Mahoney's first start facing winners and his second over a muddy and sealed track.
“Overall, I thought for the first time facing winners, it was a positive race,” Cox said. “I never expected him to be that far back. Hopefully he gets a little better trip and a little better position in the Wood.”
Ten Strike Racing, Michael Kisber and Colin Reed's Eyeing Clover arrived at the Gotham from a dominant six-furlong optional claiming victory in pacesetting fashion on January 28 at Fair Grounds where he defeated six rivals by 9 3/4 lengths. He battled for the lead in the Gotham with Recruiter and Carmel Road before tiring and finishing fourth, nine lengths back of Raise Cain.
“I'm not sure what we're going to do with him yet,” Cox said. “I'm not certain how far he wants to go, so we'll just regroup and come up with a game plan here in the near future.”
Cox also trains Gary and Mary West's Hit Show, who captured the Withers (G3) traveling nine furlongs on February 11 at the Big A. Cox said the son of Candy Ride, who has breezed back twice at Fair Grounds since his victory, remains possible for a return to the Big A in the Wood Memorial.
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