gotham Stakes | Horse Racing Free Tips

Baffert’s Gotham Noms Switched to New Trainers

The nominees for the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct include four horses that have been under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, but were nominated under the names of new trainers.

Baffert is banned from running in this year's GI Kentucky Derby and any horse under the care of a trainer suspended by Churchill Downs must be moved to a new barn by Feb. 28 in order to earn Derby qualifying points. On Friday, a U.S. District Judge ruled against Baffert as he sought a temporary injunction that would have allowed him to enter the Derby. Baffert was also banned by the New York Racing Association, but its one-year suspension ended Jan. 26.

The news that Baffert-trainees are switching stables for a possible run in the Gotham was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's David Grening.

The Baffert Gotham nominees are the Amr Zedan-owned pair of Arabian Lion (Justify) and Hejazi (Bernardini) and Carmel Road (Quality Road) and Fort Warren (Curlin). The latter two are owned by partnerships consisting of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable LLC and others. Arabian Lion, Hejazi and Carmel Road were nominated under the name of Tim Yakteen. Fort Warren was nominated under the name of Brittany Russell. It was not clear who, if any of the Baffert/Yakteen/Russell horses, will start in the Gotham.

With Baffert also suspended from running in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, the two starters in the race from his barn, Taiba (Gun Runner) and Messier (Empire Maker), competed for Yatkeen, a former assistant to Baffert.

Several other Baffert trained 3-year-old colts will also likely be on the move within the next few days. Nominations for the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita, also to be run Mar. 4, close Thursday and any horse from the Baffert stable with eyes on a possible Kentucky Derby start will need to find a new home.

The GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream will also be run Mar. 4. Baffert nominated Hard to Figure (Hard Spun), the runner-up in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. According to Grening's report, Baffert was listed as the trainer on the nomination.

Plans for Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo) and Cave Rock (Arrogate), generally considered the top two 3-year-olds in the Baffert stable, have yet to be announced.

Baffert is expected to have starters in Saturday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn. All of his nominees to that race are listed under his own name. But the Rebel takes place before the Feb. 28 deadline.

The Gotham starters were not the first 3-year-olds from the Baffert barn to find a new home. After breaking his maiden for Baffert Jan. 22 at Santa Anita, Harlocap (Justify) ran for Steve Asmussen in Saturday's GII Risen Star S. He finished sixth.

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Eyeing Clover Targets Gotham

Ten Strike Racing's Eyeing Clover (Lookin at Lucky), unbeaten in two lifetime starts, could make his stakes debut in the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct. The Brad Cox trainee opened his career with a 1 1/2-length victory going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park Dec. 31 and aired by 9 3/4 lengths going that same distance in a Fair Grounds allowance Jan. 28 (video).

A win in the one-mile Gotham could earn Eyeing Clover a trip back to Oaklawn for the Apr. 1 GI Arkansas Derby, according to Ten Strike co-managing partner Marshall Gramm.

“The core of our partners are Arkansans and we wanted to use this step towards the Arkansas Derby,” Gramm said. “That's a race we'd really love to win and participate in. For us, the dream race is the Arkansas Derby and the Gotham seems like a good stepping stone for it. We didn't want to quite jump up from an allowance to first time routing in the [GII] Rebel [at Oaklawn Park] next week from a timing standpoint and that race looks really tough. But the Gotham looks like it could be a really competitive race as well.”

Eyeing Clover, who was purchased by bloodstock agent Liz Crow on behalf of Ten Strike for $55,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September sale, is a half-brother to speedy graded stakes winner Heavenhasmynikki (Majestic Warrior).

“We've been huge Lookin at Lucky fans and we think this one is going to get better as the distances get longer, though his female family is fairly sprint-based,” Gramm said. “We're excited about coming to New York for the Gotham and excited about the horse's future. They bred a speedy female family to Lookin at Lucky and it's given us an early developer. We have every reason to believe, based on the sire, that he should improve going longer and we hope the Gotham is that first step towards the Arkansas Derby.”

Gramm continued, “We've been working with Liz and she buys all of our yearlings and 2-year-olds. This was one that really jumped out at her. It was a fast-looking Lookin at Lucky and she knew our affinity for the stallion and loved the female family as well. Hopefully, putting those two together can put us on the trail.”

Eyeing Clover worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 (4/48) at Fair Grounds Saturday.

Cox could also be represented in the Gotham by Slip Mahoney (Arrogate), who broke his maiden going one mile at Aqueduct Jan. 21. Owned by Gold Square LLC, the gray colt worked five furlongs in 1:01.00 (3/18) over Belmont's training track Saturday.

The Gotham is the penultimate New York prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards the top-five finishers points based off a 50-20-15-10-5 scale. The nine-furlong Arkansas Derby is a 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifier.

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Hit Show Exits Withers in Fine Shape

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his 5 1/2-length victory in Saturday's GIII Withers S. in fine shape, according to Brad Cox's Belmont-based assistant trainer Dustin Dugas.

“He looked good this morning,” Dugas said. “He cooled out well yesterday and came back in good shape. He was at the front of the stall, and bright eyed this morning. We're happy with him and he was happy with himself.”

Hit Show's potential next starts include the Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial.

“He's always been a horse that we thought would be better with more ground, based off pedigree, how he runs and what he's shown us in his races,” Cox said. “I think we will obviously look at the Kentucky Derby and one race between now and then. What race that is, I don't know yet. It very well could be the Wood Memorial. He obviously likes the racetrack there and we'll see how things go.”

Another Triple Crown nominee based in New York for Cox is Gold Square's Slip Mahoney (Arrogate), who broke his maiden in his third start at Aqueduct Jan. 21. Before that maiden-breaking score, Slip Mahoney was beaten just a neck when second behind subsequent 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) last December. He was fourth behind Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Litigate (Blame) in his November debut.

The gray colt is now being pointed towards the Mar. 4 GIII Gotham S.

“He ran against some really good horses in his last two races,” Cox said. “He held his own and he's a nice colt. He's marching towards the Gotham. That's where he'll start next, and we're excited about him. He showed some heart and determination in his last two and I think he's one that will get better with doing it in the afternoon. He's been a little tough to get to the races, but once he got there, he's shown up and run every time.”

Slip Mahoney breezed a half-mile in :49.77 (39/87) over the Belmont training track Saturday.

“He came back great. He looked good yesterday,” said Dugas. “He's another one who ate up everything last night and was ready to go this morning. Dylan [Davis] was on him yesterday and he was happy with it, too.”

Slip Mahoney is out of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) and his third dam is the blue hen mare Get Lucky (Mr. Prospector).

Drew's Gold (Violence) will target the Apr. 8 GIII Bay Shore S. following his win in Saturday's Jimmy Winkfield S. at Aqueduct.

Of the decision to aim for the seven-furlong Bay Shore rather than the one-mile Gotham, which will offer Kentucky Derby points, co-owner and trainer James Chapman explained, “I'd rather just keep taking it step-by-step with him and run him in the seven-eighths race. He's doing super. He came out of the race like he didn't even run.”

Drew's Gold, who is co-owned with Stuart Tsujimoto, is unbeaten in three lifetime starts. The six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield was his longest effort to date.

“Who knows until you run around two turns, but it doesn't seem like the distance has affected him. The further that he goes, he just wins by more,” Chapman said.

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Classic Empire’s Morello Remains Unbeaten in Gotham

The unbeaten Morello (Classic Empire) pressed and pounced his way to a dazzling 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. at the Big A.

Drawn wide in post nine, the even-money favorite Morello, a last out five-length winner of the local Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6, was bumped hard at the start. Seemingly undeterred, he raced under a nice hold while a stalking second behind fellow two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :23.47. He cruised up alongside the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole and set sail for the wire from there to win going away over that rival while earning 50 qualifying points for the GI Kentucky Derby. California invader Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of this track's GIII Nashua S. Nov. 7 and a runner-up in the GIII Sham S. at Santa Anita Jan. 1, was last of 10 after hitting the gate and stumbling at the start.

Morello was previously a sharp debut winner over this course Nov. 27.

“He got banged around coming out of there and [Rockefeller] came over on top of him, but he just overcomes it like always,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “He just gets out and runs easy. He hasn't been hit by the stick yet.”

On being able to stretch out to two turns, Sheets added, “I don't see why not. He definitely acts like it.”

Winning co-owner Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds added, “Galloping past the wire, the way he did it, we're starting to think about the first Saturday in May at this point. I'll let Toby and Steve make that decision but this group–you saw us celebrating–we're thinking about that.”

He continued, “We're dreaming now. This is a game changer, today. We'll book some hotels and cancel them if we have to. We think we might have a Derby horse here.”

Pedigree Notes:

Morello, the third-highest Classic Empire 2-year-old sold at last year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale when he brought $250,000 after working a furlong in :10 1/5, is out of a mare who once RNA'd for $1,500. Stop the Wedding eventually sold in 2020 at Keeneland January for $11,000 to Robert Tillyer–co-breeder of Morello–while in foal to Cairo Prince. Her offspring at the sales have been all over the place, with some RNA'ing for the low four figures, and another bringing $525,000 as a juvenile. Morello is her lone stakes winner to date. She's got two fillies in the pipeline–a 2-year-old by Cairo Prince and a yearling by Paynter–and was bred back to Classic Empire for 2022. Stop the Wedding is a half-sister to the dam of MGISP Social Inclusion, who is by Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire's sire.

Coolmore America stallion and sophomore sire Classic Empire gets his first graded winner with Morello's Gotham and he almost made it a double, with his Classy Edition finishing second in the GII Davona Dale S. earlier Saturday. Overall, the former champion 2-year-old has three black-type winners and another five stakes performers. Interestingly, both Morello and Classy Edition are out of A.P. Indy-line mares, with Morello's damsire Congrats the broodmare sire of an additional 15 stakes winners, including 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil).

GOTHAM S.-GIII, $300,000, Aqueduct, 3-5, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.28, ft.
1–MORELLO, 120, c, 3, by Classic Empire
1st Dam: Stop the Wedding, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Wedding Jitters, by Runaway Groom
3rd Dam: Classy Tricks, by Hold Your Tricks
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($140,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $250,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). O-Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Taylor, Craig and Diamond T Racing; B-Robert B. Tillyer & Dr. Chet Blackey (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Jose Lezcano. $165,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $264,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dean's List, 118, c, 3, Speightstown–Mildly Offensive, by Sharp Humor. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($220,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
3–Golden Code, 118, c, 3, Honor Code–Jb's Golden Regret, by Banker's Gold. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($95,000 Wlg '19 FTKNOV). O-Calumet Farm; B-Barry R. Ostrager (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $36,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1, HD. Odds: 1.00, 5.50, 27.50.
Also Ran: Life Is Great, Glider, Runninsonofagun, Fromanothamutha, Noneedtoworry, Bold Journey, Rockefeller.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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