El Kabeir Marquee Name in Gotham

Led by Zayat Stables' El Kabeir, winner of the Grade 3 Jerome and runner-up in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct Racetrack, the 62nd running of the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham drew a field of ten emerging 3-year-olds on March 7 at the Big A.

The 1 1/16-mile Gotham, which serves as the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Twinspires.com Wood Memorial on April 4, will offer the winner 50 qualifying points as part of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" system. Additionally, the runner-up will receive 20 points, with 10 points going to third and five points to fourth. The previous round of preps, including the Withers, was worth 10-5-2-1 points to the top four finishers.

The Gotham will be joined on Saturday by the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, headed by salty sprinter Salutos Amigos, and the $100,000 Cat Cay, which was won by Princess of Sylmar last year in its inaugural running. A live-bankroll, $300 buy-in handicapping tournament, offering a berth to the NHC to the winner, is also on tap for Gotham Day, as well as a party at Longshots.

General admission to the Longshots Party is $20, and $10 for NYRA Rewards members. Admission will include a free lunch, including sandwiches, deli salads, soft drinks and water, and is based on availability.

Trained by John Terranova, El Kabeir enters the Gotham off a second-place finish in the Withers on February 7. After sitting in third early on in the Withers, the gray/roan colt engaged pacesetter Classy Class down the backstretch, initiating a protracted duel that resulted in both horses being passed late by Far From Over. Prior to the Withers, El Kabeir took the one mile, 70-yard Jerome on January 3 by an easy 4 ¾ lengths.

"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. "We've been lucky in the fact we've gotten several races under him so far. 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."

El Kabeir, who currently sits in fourth on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard with 25 points, will be ridden again by C.C. Lopez. He is listed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite and will break from post 4.

Cheyenne Stables' Classy Class will look to improve upon his third-place finish in the Withers for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. The bay colt has made only three career starts, with only one win to his credit. He also finished fourth in the Grade 2 Remsen on November 29 at the Big A to end his 2-year-old campaign.

"We thought [Classy Class] ran very well in the Withers," said McLaughlin. "El Kabeir challenged him a lot earlier than we were expecting, and he ran on well. [In the Gotham], we'd prefer to see him come from off the pace; he doesn't need to be on the lead."

A son of Grade 1 King's Bishop winner Discreetly Mine, Classy Class broke his maiden brilliantly in his debut, sitting patiently off a rapid pace and drawing off to win the 6 ½-furlong sprint by four lengths. Should Classy Class fail to establish himself on the Derby trail, a return to sprinting could be in his future, according to McLaughlin.

"Obviously, we always have the option of turning him back [in distance]," said the trainer. "We think he's a two-turn horse, but if it doesn't work out, he showed in his debut he's a talented sprinter."

Classy Class, 7-2 on the morning line, will depart from post 3 with Junior Alvarado aboard.

Trainer Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole will send out a trio of horses, forming a three-pronged entry led by stretch-out sprinter Blame Jim.

Blame Jim has made only two career starts, but boasts the top Beyer Speed Figure of the Pletcher/Repole entry of 88, which he earned in a six-furlong optional claimer on February 8 at Gulfstream Park. Previously, the son of Sharp Humor took a 5 ½-furlong maiden race by three lengths on July 19 at Saratoga Race Course.

Blame Jim will break from outermost post 10 with the meet's leading rider, Jose Ortiz, in the irons.

Joining the Pletcher triumvirate are Dontbetwithbruno, who broke his maiden by a nose on February 1 at the Big A, and Uninfluenced, who remains a maiden after two starts.

Dontbetwithbruno will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 2, while Fernando Jara will pick up the mount aboard Uninfluenced from post 8. The entry sits at 5-1 on the morning line.

Rounding out the field are Combat Diver, runner-up in the Miracle Wood at Laurel Park; Lieutenant Colonel, a recent maiden-breaker for trainer Chad Brown; Tiz Shea D, who broke his maiden in his debut on February 7 at Parx Racing and was subsequently purchased by Wachtel Stable, Brous Stable, and Gary Barber; Toasting Master, a two-time winner for trainer Dale Romans; and Tencendur, fourth in the Withers.

Source: NYRA Communications