Dean's List Seeks High Grades in Gotham

Whomever wins the March 5 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack will be assured of a spot in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

The runner-up may also accrue enough qualifying points to run in the May 7 first leg of the Triple Crown.

But none of that means the connections of those 3-year-olds will be booking travel plans to Louisville right after the race.

As much as the $300,000 Gotham offers a total of 85 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, it is hardly your typical early March Run for the Roses prep for 3-year-olds. As part of that proof, the last Gotham winner to run in the Kentucky Derby was Enticed   in 2018.

Contested at a one-turn mile, the Gotham serves as a much different Kentucky Derby prep than Saturday's San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park and the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, both of which are run at longer, two-turn distances and are more suitable penultimate preps for the grueling 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses.

The question marks surrounding the two-turn abilities of the 10 starters in the Gotham are well reflected in WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Dean's List . Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of Speightstown   is undefeated after his two career starts, both at Gulfstream Park, but has yet to race beyond six furlongs.

Given those circumstances, the Gotham promises to be a defining race for the colt bred by WinStar Farm.

"We're excited about running in the Gotham and seeing how he does at a mile. We'll see how it plays out," said WinStar CEO, president, and racing manager Elliott Walden. "He's undefeated at two starts and the horse he beat in an allowance race (Dean Delivers ) just got beat (by a half-length) in the (Calumet Farm Swale Stakes, G3)."

Adding even more glitter to Dean's List's Jan. 8 allowance optional claiming win, the third-place finisher, In Due Time , was a 5 3/4-length winner of his next start and is listed at 6-1 in the morning line for the Fountain of Youth.

While Walden would not rule out running Dean's List at two turns in his next start, he would prefer to see what happens Saturday before mulling future plans for the son of the Sharp Humor  mare Mildly Offensive who is aiming to become the first stakes winner for his dam.

"I want to see him run a mile before we talk about a mile and an eighth," Walden said, "but his works have been good. He's very game and this is a good test for him."

This weekend kicks off a busy period for WinStar-connected 3-year-olds with Emmanuel  a 9-2 offering in the Fountain of Youth and Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Major General  expected to make his 3-year-old debut March 12 in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

As much as the Gotham is scheduled to reward 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers, that may not happen. 

Trainer Bob Baffert, whose 3-year-olds are currently ineligible to run in the Kentucky Derby or rack up qualifying points for it, will be sending out a top threat in Rockefeller , who is already a graded stakes winner in New York at the Gotham distance.

While Baffert is mounting legal challenges over suspensions stemming from the disqualification of 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit , he is in the midst of a two-year ban at Churchill Downs. He is also the subject of a New York Racing Association disciplinary hearing, whose outcome has yet to be announced and could ultimately lead to a suspension of the two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer at its three racetracks.

Owned by a group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, and Robert E. Masterson, Rockefeller has already raced around two turns but lost both times. He was second in the two-turn Sham Stakes (G3) and fourth in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah Stakes (G1).

In contrast, the son of Medaglia d'Oro   is undefeated in two tries around one turn, winning the one-turn mile Nashua Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park last year and his six-furlong career debut at Del Mar.

Rockefeller, out of the Speightstown mare Dance to Bristol, was bought for $750,000 from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Any qualifying points earned by Rockefeller will be vacated.

Pletcher will send out two starters, also entering Calumet Farm's Golden Code .

An Honor Code   colt, he is coming off a 10 3/4-length victory in a Feb. 5 seven-furlong state-bred maiden race over a muddy track at Aqueduct.

"Visually, it was an impressive performance," Pletcher said. "He had trained well for his debut and we thought he would improve with added distance in his second start, which he did. We're interested to see how he handles the step up in class. Hopefully, he continues to improve. We're pleased with the way he's coming up to it." 

Morello  will stretch out to a mile after winning the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Owned by Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor, and Diamond T Racing, the Classic Empire   colt won the Winkfield by five widening lengths over fellow Gotham starter Life Is Great .

Blue Lion and Taylor also own Fromanothamutha  in a partnership with Peter Rinato and trainer Raymond Handal. The Unified   offspring comes into the Gotham off a 4 1/4-length maiden victory in his 3-year-old debut.

The field also includes D. J. Stable's Glider  (Quality Road  ), who was second to the unbeaten Emmanuel at Tampa Bay Downs, and Bold Journey  (Hard Spun  ), who was second in the Gander Stakes for New York State-breds.

Entries: Gotham S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 05, 2022, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo
• 5:27 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Runninsonofagun (KY)	Jalon L. Samuel	118	John T. Toscano, Jr.	30/1
2	2Glider (KY)	Antonio A. Gallardo	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
3	3Golden Code (NY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Todd A. Pletcher	12/1
4	4Fromanothamutha (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Raymond Handal	6/1
5	5Dean's List (KY)	Manuel Franco	118	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
6	6Life Is Great (FL)	Eric Cancel	118	Robert P. Klesaris	15/1
7	7Noneedtoworry (KY)	Silvestre Gonzalez	118	Herold O. Whylie	30/1
8	8Bold Journey (NY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	118	William I. Mott	6/1
9	9Morello (KY)	Jose Lezcano	120	Steven M. Asmussen	3/1
10	10Rockefeller (KY)	Trevor McCarthy	123	Bob Baffert	4/1