Bram Weinstein and Joe Kristufek return in 2016 to take fans step by step down the Triple Crown trail. This week's focus is Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes, a steppingstone to the Wood Memorial Stakes with the winner earning 50 points toward a potential berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands.
The last Gotham winner to take down the Kentucky Derby was eventual Triple Crown champ Secretariat way back in 1973. No recent alum has been a factor the first Saturday in May although before being scratched the morning of the race, 2009 victor I Want Revenge was the probable Kentucky Derby favorite.
The Gotham was won by Preakness winner Red Bullet (2000) and Belmont Stakes victor Easy Goer (1989).
The last three Gotham winners were Aqueduct-based horses El Kabeir, Samraat, Vyjack.
This year's field is made up of three local horses, including Withers Stakes winner Sunny Ridge and third-place finisher Adventist, four Gulfstream invaders ducking Mohaymen and a maiden from California.
Joe's Gotham Picks
#2 Shagaf
#8 Rally Cry
#6 Conquest Big E
#7 Sunny Ridge
Joe's Gotham Wager
.50 trifecta: 2,8 with 2,5,6,7,8 with ALL = $24
Bram's Gotham Picks
#2 Shagaf
#8 Rally Cry
#7 Sunny Ridge
#3 Adventist
Price shot: #5 Mo Power
Bram's Gotham Wager
$4 exacta box: 2,5,8 = $24
Joe's Kentucky Derby Top 20
1. Mohaymen
2. Nyquist
3. Mor Spirit
4. Danzing Candy
5. Exaggerator
6. Greenpointcrusader
7. Mo Tom
8. Gun Runner
9. Suddenbreakingnews
10. Smokey Image
11. Zulu
12. Brody's Cause
13. Uncle Lino
14. Cherry Wine
15. Rafting
16. Destin
17. Cupid
18. Conquest Windycity
19. Whitmore
20. Shagaf
$400,000 Gotham StakesSaturday, Aqueduct, Race 9, 4:50 p.m. ET1 1/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds
PP
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Odds
1
Laoban
Aaron Gryder
Eric Guillot
McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable
15-1
2
Shagaf
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Chad Brown
Shadwell Stable
3-1
3
Adventist
Kendrick Carmouche
Leah Gyarmati
Treadway Racing Stable
4-1
4
Vincento
Angel Arroyo
Rudy Rodriguez
Vincent S. Scuderi
20-1
5
Mo Power
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
Repole Stable
6-1
6
Conquest Big E
Jose Ortiz
Mark Casse
Conquest Stables
6-1
7
Sunny Ridge
Manny Franco
Jason Servis
Dennis A. Drazin
7-2
8
Rally Cry
Junior Alvarado
Todd Pletcher
Paul P. Pompa Jr.
5-1