Sisterson: 'The talent is there' for Gotham contender Flap Jack

Trainer Jack Sisterson will bring stakes winner Flap Jack off a six-month layoff in Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes.

Owned by Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm, the sophomore son of Oxbow has recorded three starts all over different surfaces. He last raced when breaking his maiden against stakes company in the Arlington-Washington Futurity on Arlington Park's all-weather surface.

Coming out of the gate, Flap Jack lightly clashed with a foe to his outside, was tucked in along the rail, floated out four wide just past the quarter pole and found a new gear, drawing off to win by four lengths at 17-1.

Flap Jack has been training forwardly at Fair Grounds this winter and most recently recorded a half-mile breeze last Saturday in 49.20 seconds

"The one turn mile is perfect. We ran Oxy Lady up there in the Tempted awhile back, who's an Oxbow as well, and she handled the one-turn mile," Sisterson said. "He's been breezing very well at Fair Grounds and he's sharp right now.

"The fitness is somewhat of a question mark, but I think he'll run great. The talent is there, and we want to give him a good experience."

Flap Jack's lone one-mile experience took place two starts back over the turf at Arlington Park going two turns. Breaking from the outside post, Flap Jack tracked a leisurely pace in second and fought gamely down the stretch to maintain his position, finishing ahead of subsequent stakes-winner Pixelate.

"He's done everything that we've asked of him. He went two turns at Arlington last year and got beat by a horse that went out and got an easy lead, but he galloped out great," Sisterson said. "He has speed and can be positioned early.

"Off the layoff, it's be a bit silly of us to try and make the lead. If we use ourselves too early, he'll end up getting too tired. Hopefully, the speed comes back to us at the end."

Jockey Declan Carroll, who rode at Aqueduct during the first half of the winter meet, will have the call aboard Flap Jack from post 9.

A Kentucky homebred, Flap Jack is out of the Tapit broodmare Synkros and comes from the same family as 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly.