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Going with #7 Sunny Ridge.

Mike Dempsey

Gotham Stakes

#6 Conquest Big E 6-1
#2 Shagaf 3-1
#7 Sunny Ridge 7-2
#8 Rally Cry 5-1

Analysis: Conquest Big E was bumped coming out of the gate, stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth place finish in the Holy Bull (G2) at Gulfstream Park, beaten nine lengths by Kentucky Derby (G1) betting favorite Mohaymen, who returned to win the Fountain of Youth (G2) in his next outing last Saturday. The colt figures to move forward in his second start of his three-year-old campaign and he looks as if he is going to be a fair price. The $700,000 Keeneland purchase is by Tapit out of a Carson City mare that has dropped one other winner, stakes winner Aquapazza ($131,577).

Shagaf turned some heads with an impressive maiden score on the main track here in his debut last November at a mile, drawing away to win by six lengths. The runner up It’s All Relevant came back to graduate in his next outing on Jan. 15 by 8 ½ lengths and then was eighth in the Risen Star (G2). He then beat first level optional claimers in his first go against winners, winning by two lengths but we saw his Beyer drop 10 points. I still think this guy has plenty of upside and should have no problem handling his first trip around two turns. He has a nice pedigree, by Bernardini out of the stakes winner Muhaawara ($131,297).

Sunny Ridge prompted the early pace and finished gamely to win the Withers (G3) last out in his first start off a two-month break. The last two winners of this race came out of the Withers. He ran well over wet tracks two and three back, missing in the Delta Jackpot (G3) by a neck and was second in the Champagne (G1). The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and is proven on the inner track. This guy looks primed for a top effort here but his price seems likely to be less than the 7-2 morning line.

Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 2,6 / 2,6,7,8
TRI: 2,6 / 2,6,7,8 / 2,3,6,7,8

Anthony Stabile

50 Kentucky Derby points are on the line in the Big Apple this Saturday as eight three-year-olds will go a mile and a sixteenth in the G3 Gotham over the inner track at Aqueduct.na it out with pacesetter Vorticity through the stretch before edging away to win by three quarters of a length.

Overall, Sunny Ridge has won half of his six starts and finished second to Greenpointcrusader in the Champagne over a sloppy track at Belmont last fall. Manny Franco, his pilot in the Withers, returns from post 7.

The one who figures to vie for favoritism with Sunny Ridge, the most seasoned runner in this field, is the lightly raced Shagaf, who has been flawless in his two starts for trainer Chad Brown.

Shagaf dazzled in his debut over the main track at Aqueduct going a mile, demolishing a field of nine others by six lengths towards the end of November. After a two month plus layoff, Shagaf came back to dominate an allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream, making the lead as he pleased off of a wide trip to win, geared down, by two lengths. Irad Ortiz, Jr. takes his usual seat aboard from post 2 in his two turn and stakes debut.

Todd Pletcher sends out the pair of Rally Cry and Mo Power in the Gotham. Rally cry disappointed as the 3-10 favorite in his debut on the main track at Aqueduct before stretching out to break his maiden impressively going a flat mile.

Last out, Rally Cry was third behind Shagaf but had a very eventful trip, steadying while rallying along the inside going down the backstretch then spinning out five wide on the turn before grabbing the show dough. Though Javier Castellano didn’t give him the best ride through the first half mile, he seemed to teach Rally Cry through the second half mile and he should move forward off of that effort. Junior Alvarado rides for the first time from post 8.

Mo Power fell a neck short in his debut in a sprint as the 8-5 favorite at Gulfstream when he was left with a little too much to do after a wide trip but came back to break his maiden going a mile in his most recent outing. Regular rider John Velazquez is back from post 5.

Conquest Big E ships in from Florida for Mark Casse off of a fourth place finish in the G2 Holy Bull behind pro-tem division leader Mohaymen. He’s won two of his five starts, both on sloppy tracks, making him winless on fast ground. One of Aqueduct’s leading riders Jose Ortiz rides for the first time from post 6.

Adventist broke his maiden at first asking in a sprint by over 11 lengths two starts back before stretching out and trying graded stakes foes for the first time in the Withers. He raced a bit greenly in the Withers under Kendrick Carmouche, who returns here from post 3 for trainer Leah Gyarmati. He’ll need to get his act together quickly if he wants to stay on the Trail.

Vincento tries open company for the first time for trainer Rudy Rodriguez from post 4 with Angel Arroyo aboard. Vincento broke his maiden at first asking and won an entry level allowance contest two back when adding blinkers before failing to fire when wheeled back in a week for a New York bred stakes.

The maiden Laoban rounds out the field from the rail for trainer Eric Guillot. Laoban finished second two starts back when adding blinkers at Los Alamitos in a maiden special weight event before a third place finish in the G3 Sham at Santa Anita. Aaron Gryder rides.

Finally, a few words about Songbird, who’ll take on nine other fillies in the G3 Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita on Saturday. Her owner, as well as her trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, have said repeatedly that because she is a late foal she will not tackle the boys in the Derby and instead be pointed towards the Oaks.

Songbird’s presence in this race leads me to believe that they may be wavering a bit. You would think she’d need just two starts before the Oaks yet she is now on target for three. I’m hoping they’re looking to shore up a spot in the Oaks with a win here before taking on bigger game, namely the G1 Santa Anita Derby on April 9th. She’ll break from post 6 under regular rider Mike Smith.

Prep Play of the Day

Let’s keep it simple and play $50 to win on Shagaf. Good luck!!!!

Mike Beer

Gotham Stakes

1. Laoban 2. Conquest Big E 3. Shagaf

Solid running of the Grade 3 Gotham well supported by shippers with a good field of eight. LAOBAN enters a maiden, but one with some ability, and expecting to see him on the lead from his inside draw after unwisely trying to rate in the Sham, which left him stuck out in a five-wide trip around the track; took a strong try on a big pace two back, and can make himself dangerous here if reverting to front-running tactics. The talent seems to be in there, somewhere, for CONQUEST BIG E, though he does not appear to have been able to put things all together to this point; willing to forgive his Holy Bull, though he was disappointing there. SHAGAF took a step back from his impressive debut win when starting back as a 3yo at Gulfstream, but he won that race easily enough, and appears to type to continue going forward for excellent trainer.

Shagaf won the Gotham