Gold Square's impressive maiden winner Slip Mahoney posted his final breeze in preparation for Saturday's one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, covering a half-mile in :48.87 yesterday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
The Gotham is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series and awards the top-five finishers 50-20-15-10-5 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on the first Saturday in May.
Slip Mahoney, a gray son of Arrogate, was guided by jockey Trevor McCarthy through the work and went in company with unraced stablemate Global Image, a Liam's Map colt who sold for $300,000 at the OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training.
“It wasn't as quick to watch it, but they moved pretty well,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox's Belmont-based assistant. “It was really good and he came out of it in great shape and we're all systems go. Trevor was happy with him and he's going to ride him Saturday.”
Slip Mahoney was last seen posting a determined head victory at third asking in a January 21 maiden going the Gotham distance at the Big A. There, he was piloted by Dylan Davis and battled Fast Boat to Skye for the early lead before that foe retreated and the Kendrick Carmouche-piloted Crupi rallied from sixth-of-10 to challenge for the lead at the top of the lane. The pair quickly drew away from the rest of their rivals and dueled furiously down the lane until Slip Mahoney put his head down at the wire to secure the win. It was a further 15 lengths back to third-place finisher Good Rapport.
Slip Mahoney's victory came on the heels of a game runner-up effort to next-out allowance victor Tapit Trice on December 17 over the same distance and course.
“He showed personal growth and mentally and physically, he's one that's still figuring things out,” Dugas said of his progression between starts. “He plays around a lot and still needs to mature, but right now, he's just doing it off of raw talent. He's getting there, and with each breeze, you can see him mature. He's not regressing and doing things proper.”
A $150,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale, Slip Mahoney is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Got Lucky, who won the 2015 Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland. He is a half-brother to the multiple graded stakes-placed gelding Overtook and is a direct maternal descendant of influential mare Numbered Account.
Cox is also likely to send out Ten Strike Racing's undefeated Eyeing Clover in the Gotham on the heels of a dominant 9 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming score on January 28 at Fair Grounds. The son of Lookin At Lucky has trained regularly at the New Orleans oval since and is expected to arrive at Belmont Park on Tuesday.
The post ‘We’re All Systems Go’: Cox’s Promising Maiden Winner Slip Mahoney Breezes For Gotham, Unbeaten Eyeing Clover Also Likely For Race appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
