El Kabeir Continues Gotham Preparations
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Photo:
NYRA/Joe Labozzetta
Multiple graded stakes winner El Kabeir, most recently second in the Grade 3 Withers, turned in his final serious work this morning for Aqueduct Racetrack's Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham, covering a half-mile in 50 seconds over Belmont Park's training track.
With exercise rider Simon Harris aboard, the Zayat Stables color-bearer broke off about five lengths behind Finding Candy, was tipped to the outside at the sixteenth pole and hit the wire two lengths in front of his stablemate.
Trainer John Terranova caught the gray son of Scat Daddy galloping out in 1:02 and change and up 1:15 3/5.
"He's doing great," said Terranova of El Kabeir, who closed out his juvenile year with a narrow victory over Imperia in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Cup and launched his 2015 campaign with a 4 ¾-length win the Grade 2 Jerome over Aqueduct's inner track. "Today was just to see how sharp he is. He's been training really, really well every day. We wanted to keep him mentally sharp and focused. He likes to run around the turns, so the gallop out is always strong for him, so that was nice to see.
"We've been lucky in the fact we've gotten several races under him so far," he added. "He's got a great foundation, so fitness is not a problem or an issue. We've had a couple of light days in between but we never want to force anything. We just wait for the track and him to tell us. Hopefully we'll be good the next few weeks. So far this week, it looks like he's coming into this race really well."
Also working at Belmont for possible starts in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile Gotham was the fourth-place finisher in the Withers, Tencendur, who went five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 for trainer George Weaver, and the Gary Contessa-trained Combat Diver, the runner-up in Laurel's Miracle Wood who covered five furlongs in 1:03 4/5.
Also expected for the race are Ocean Knight, Blame Jim, Classy Class, Dontbetwithbruno and Lieutenant Colonel. Withers winner Far From Over remains under consideration for either the Gotham or the Grade 1 TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial, said trainer Todd Pletcher.
The Gotham, which will be accompanied on the card by the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool and the $100,000 Cat Cay, is worth 50 points under the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" qualifying system, and is followed on the New York Racing Association calendar by the $1 million TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial on April 4.
Source: NYRA Communications
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