Lugan Knight tops overflow in deep Gotham

Mar 01, 2023 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Fifteen were entered for Saturday’s $400,000 Gotham (G3) at
Aqueduct, including one also-eligible, and the one-turn mile race serves as a Road to
the Kentucky Derby series qualifier, awarding points on a 50-20-15-10-5
scale to the top five.

Let’s examine three talking points for the Gotham.

1. Top
contenders include stakes victors, last-out maiden winners

Lugan Knight
receives top billing off a wire-to-wire victory in the Jan. 7 Jerome S., turning back
a challenge in the stretch to win his first stakes outing by a comfortable
half-length margin. The Michael McCarthy-trained colt showed an affinity for
Aqueduct and the one-mile trip last time, and Dylan Davis retains the mount.

Recruiter has
opened his racing career with four consecutive wins, including convincing
tallies in the Parx Juvenile and James F. Lewis Jr. at Laurel Park, and the
Army Mule colt will make his first New York appearance. Angel Cruz rides for
Cathal Lynch.

Uncorrelated, a
smart winner from just off the pace in his first career start on Jan. 6, will
jump straight to stakes competition for Chad Brown, and leading rider Manny
Franco will be up on the Arrogate colt.

Slip Mahoney also rates as an intriguing
stakes debuter, finishing a neck second to well-regarded Tapit
Trice in mid-December before graduating in a fast time at Aqueduct on Jan. 21,
and the Arrogate colt promises to be forwardly placed from the outside for Brad
Cox.

2. Carmel
Road, Fort Warren make first start for new barns

A pair of former Bob Baffert trainees, Carmel Road and Fort Warren,
are represented by new trainers in the Gotham.

An 8 3/4-length maiden winner at Del Mar, Carmel Road exits
a runner-up effort in the Dec. 17 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), registering a field-best
102 Brisnet Speed rating, and Tim Yakteen now trains the
Quality Road colt. Carmel Road appears likely to show speed with Eric Cancel.

Fort Warren, a first-out winner in late October and third
most recently in the San Vicente (G2), is now based at Laurel Park with
Brittany Russell, and the Curlin colt will add the services of Jevian Toledo in
the Gotham.

3. Other runners
to consider

Howgreatisnate
invades from Fair Hill with a 4-for-4 record, rolling to a 3 1/2-length win in
the Dec. 5 Future Stars S. at Parx, and J.D. Acosta will guide the stalker for
Andrew Simoff. Transect is an intriguing
challenger from Turfway Park, winning his first two starts convincingly as the
favorite on the Tapeta, and Joe Talamo will be in to ride the $300,000 son of
Gun Runner for Paulo Lobo,

Cox also has convincing Fair Grounds allowance scorer Eyeing Clover, who is unbeaten from two
starts, and the speedy colt figures to send from the starting gate with Florent
Geroux. Clubhouse, runner-up in the
Feb. 11 Jimmy Winkfield S. at Laurel Park, deserves mention for Todd Pletcher,
and New York-bred stakes winner General
Banker, third in the Withers (G3) and Jerome, is also part of the mix in
the deep field.