Shagaf Doing Well After Gotham Win

Shadwell Stable's undefeated Gotham (gr. III) winner Shagaf came out of his 1 1/4-length victory March 5 in good order, according to trainer Chad Brown March 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

 

"He looks great this morning. He ate up well," Brown said. "He looks sound—very happy."

 

Although Shagaf's come-from-behind Gotham score awarded the colt 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, virtually locking down a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May, Brown said the $1 million Wood Memorial (gr. I) April 9 is still the next target for the bay son of Bernardini  .

 

 

"He took plenty of dirt in the race, which will hopefully serve him well down the road," Brown said of the Gotham win. "I think he gained a lot of experience, it was only his third start and this horse has done everything we asked him to do. I don't think he could've run any better in any of the three races for what we want him to do. I'm very happy with the result and I'm happy with the education he got.

 

"We've got a ways to go, but he's at least cleared one hurdle. He's emerged from the race all right, and he'll stay here and train. This is his home base, he likes it here."

 

Klaravich Stable and William Lawrence's Jerome (gr. III) winner Flexibility breezed Sunday morning at Brown's Belmont Park base, covering a half-mile on the dirt training track in :48.75. The Bluegrass Cat   colt, who skipped the Gotham after finishing fourth in the Withers (gr. III), could be pointed to either the Wood or the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) at Keeneland, the conditioner said, depending on how the Klaravich-owned Economic Model fares in next March 12 Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II).

 

"Flexibility went really well," Brown said of the Sunday-morning move. "We're giving him a little breather between starts, which we had always planned to do after the Withers. A lot of the decision about (his next race) will be made based on how Economic Model runs, because right now, tentatively, Economic Model could end up in the Blue Grass, so Flexibility is still a possibility for the Wood as well. All races are still in play."

 

Making his sophomore debut March 6 at Aqueduct, after breaking his maiden in this third start in an Belmont special weight event, Linda Rice-trained Matt King Coal returned off a four-month layoff and promptly placed himself on a potential course to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).

 

Breaking alertly from post 5 under jockey Jose Ortiz, Lady Shelia Stable's son of Cool Coal Man   went gate-to-wire in his return the races, completing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.92 to best a field of five fellow 3-year-olds in the optional-claiming allowance.

 

"I thought he might be a little short today and that he really might need this race, so we're delighted to get the win," said Rice. "He broke his maiden on Oct. 29 (at Belmont) and we had pointed towards the Jerome, and he had gotten sick. He had to take some time off and we were kind of struggling getting him back going again, but it's absolutely a step in the right direction towards facing graded stakes-level competition."

 

Opting to enter in Sunday's allowance race instead of the Gotham, Rice was pleased enough with the performance to keep sights of a start versus graded stakes-level competition and the Wood Memorial a strong possibility.

 

"We're going to take it race by race, but it's absolutely a step in the right direction towards facing graded stakes level competition," Rice said. "Obviously, the race right here at home the Wood Memorial is a big consideration, but there are a lot of races around the same time to choose from (but) the Wood Memorial would be the most probable."