Wilkes back on 2018 Kentucky Derby trail with Gotta Go

A year after campaigning McCraken as a 2-year-old under the Twin Spires, Ian Wilkes has another prospect worth watching as the Kentucky Derby 2018 trail heats up.

Wilkes-trained Gotta Go out-dueled Lone Sailor in the stretch of Sunday’s $80,000 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs, where the track’s “Stars of Tomorrow” card featured juvenile races with a nod to the future.

McCraken also won the Street Sense before going on to take the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes later in the meet, which will be Gotta Go’s next target “if he comes out fine,” Wilkes said. Of course, Wilkes was also the assistant trainer of the Street Sense’s namesake, the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner.

Lone Sailor split horses in mid-stretched and appeared poised to go by before Gotta Go, a son of Shanghai Bobby, re-rallied to win by a nose.

“My horse gave me a good run,” said jockey Chris Landeros. “He’s still a big kid. He’s coming along every race and getting better. I think he’s taking the next step forward for some big things.”

The top-two finishers ran in the second pack of contenders, biding their time after opening fractions of a quarter mile in 22.55 seconds and the half in 45.66. Gotta Go finished the one-turn mile in a final time of 1:37.48, scoring his second victory in three starts for Lothenbach Stables.

Bravazo ran third in the field of 10, with Gotta Go returning $18.60 for the win.

“It was a solid field today, and the horse that we just beat, he’s a nice horse,” Wilkes said of Lone Sailor. “He ran third in the Breeders’ Futurity (at Keeneland). This is a horse that’s learning — learning slowly — but he’s coming quickly.”