OZONE PARK, N.Y.– The prospective runners for next Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct will all be getting a class test as they make their graded stakes debut in the one-mile race.
The field is expected to be led by unbeaten New York-breds Sand Devil (3 for 3) and Sacrosanct (4 for 4), who have yet to win outside of restricted company. Several horses will be shipping here, including Normandy Coast, who is expected in from New Orleans for trainer Eddie Kenneally.
Normandy Coast, a son of Omaha Beach, has won two of three starts. He finished fourth in his debut at Churchill Downs last June 27, a race won by Keep It Easy, who would go on to win the Ed Brown Stakes last November and who is expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park next Saturday. Also in that field was Sandman, who finished fifth that day but was second in last month’s Southwest and is entered to run in Sunday’s $1.25 million Rebel at Oaklawn Park.
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“We wanted to run well and give him some experience, we weren’t certain that he’d get it done first time out,” Kenneally said. “It might have come up a little early for him. It was a deep field, he ran a decent race and didn’t get beaten far.”
Normandy Coast came back a month later and won a seven-furlong maiden race at Ellis Park, a race in which he fended off Oy Gevald by three-quarters of a length. It was 12 lengths back to the rest of the field.
Kenneally said Normandy Coast came up with “a minor issue” after the maiden win and was given time off. Normandy Coast returned to the races on Jan. 11 at Fair Grounds, where he won a six-furlong allowance by a neck, fending off two challengers, one from the inside and one from the outside.
“He was ready to run, but I didn’t know that he was that ready,” Kenneally said. “He showed talent and class and tenacity. He’s got the right frame of mind to be a nice horse. Now, with a race under his belt, it’s time to start seeing if he can go to the next step.”
Kenneally said should Normandy Coast perform well in the Gotham he would consider giving the colt a chance at a two-turn race in his next start. Ben Curtis will be in to ride.
The Gotham will be drawn on Sunday. Others pointing to the race are Flood Zone, a recent private purchase by Wathnan Racing who has been turned over to Brad Cox; Garamond, a debut winner at Tampa Bay Downs for Chad Brown, Pagode, a debut winner at Turfway Park for Paulo Lobo, and Scorching, a two-times stakes winner at Woodbine who will be making his dirt debut.
Possible starters include McAfee, Mo Plex, and My Mitole.
The top five finishers in the Gotham earn qualifying points (50-25-15-10-5) toward the May 3 Kentucky Derby.
Kenneally, who last started a horse at Aqueduct in April 2021, is also sending Amarth in for the $200,000 Busher Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Amarth is looking to bounce back from a sixth-place finish in the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds in her last start.
Liam in the Dust, third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle last December, is expected to head the Busher field. Others under consideration to run in the Kentucky Oaks points race (50-25-15-10-5) are Drexel Hill, Nilo’s Rose, Sharp Smile, She’s Fascinating, and Volleyballprincess.
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