Predicteform.com’s Upset Watch: Gotham Stakes
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Tencendur won inpressively on Jan. 19 at Aqueduct and has a chance to spring an upset at a nice price on Saturday in the Gotham Stakes. (Photo by Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
The Upset Watch pick of the weekend comes to us in the $400,000, Grade 3 Gotham Stakes, which run at 1 1/16 miles on the inner dirt track at Aqueduct.
The most famous racehorse to win this race was one of the best of all time – Secretariat.
As fate may have it, we’ll go back to Tencendur, the same pick we made last month in the Withers Stakes. Though the odds won’t be 32-to-1 (as they were in the Withers, in which he finished fourth), and more likely 8-to-1, Tencendur look to be sitting on a big race.
His Pace Figures have improved successively while his mid-race speed has decreased; therefore, he is running stronger late. This race does feature a number of horses with early speed setting it up for a late-running type. He adds blinkers (blinders on either side of his eyes), which will help him stay a bit closer to the lead and he is trained a ridden by a formidable pair — George Weaver and Cornelio Velasquez.
And if the snow melts and the track retains water, this would only help his chances. I’ll hope we don’t fall victim to: fool me once, shame on ...
$400,000 Gotham StakesSaturday, Aqueduct, Race 9, 4:50 p.m. ET1 1/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds
PP
Program #
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
M/L Odds
1
2
Combat Diver
Sheldon Russell
Gary Contessa
Wounded Warrior Stables
5-1
2
1
Dontbetwithbruno
Manuel Franco
Todd Pletcher
Repole Stable
5-1
3
3
Classy Class
Junior Alvarado
Kiaran McLaughlin
Cheyenne Stables
5-1
4
4
El Kabeir
C. C. Lopez
John Terranova II
Zayat Stables
12-1
5
5
Lieutenant Colonel
Kendrick Carmouche
Chad C. Brown
Harvey Clarke and Paul Braverman
7-2
6
6
Tiz Shea D
Taylor Rice
Bill Mott
Wachtel Stable, Brous Stable and Gary Barber
8-5
7
7
Toasting Master
Angel Arroyo
Dale Romans
West Point Thoroughbreds
5-1
8
1A
Uninfluenced
Fernando Jara
Todd Pletcher
Repole Stable
15-1
9
8
Tencendur
Cornelio Velasquez
George Weaver
Philip S. Birsh
20-1
10
1X
Blame Jim
Jose Ortiz
Todd Pletcher
Repole Stable
8-1