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Carmel Road on target for G3 Gotham

by NYRA Press Office

• Carmel Road on target for G3 Gotham
• Recruiter looks to remain undefeated in G3 Gotham
• Lugan Knight remains on schedule for G3 Gotham
• Meraas in fine form for G3 $1.5M Riyadh Dirt Sprint
• Far Mo Power travels in search of Stymie stakes success
• Aqueduct Racetrack Week 10 stakes probables

Graded stakes-placed Carmel Road will seek to prove his Kentucky Derby credentials when shipping to the East Coast for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham going a one-turn mile on March 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Carmel Road, a bay son of Champion-producing stallion Quality Road, was last seen finishing second traveling 1 1/16-miles in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on December 17.

He graduated with a frontrunning score at second asking in August going a two-turn mile at Del Mar, building on his advantage through every point of call and strolling home an 8 3/4-length winner for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. 

Now trained by Tim Yakteen, Carmel Road will be making his sophomore debut in the Gotham which offers 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby points to the top-five finishers. He is owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan. 

Carmel Road has fired bullets in his last two works, most recently going five furlongs in 59 seconds flat on Monday at Santa Anita. 

“He worked very well last week and came out of it well,” said Tom Ryan, who manages the ownership group. “Last week’s work made everyone pay attention. He cruised down there hard held and wanted to gallop out even further. He’s a horse that’s feeling great at the moment and this is the time of the year that you want your 3-year-olds to be doing well. The plans are firm at the moment that he will run in the Gotham as long as he’s in good shape.”

Bred in Kentucky by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, Carmel Road was bought for $650,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the multiple stakes-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Inspired. 

Inspired is a half-sister to the Medaglia d’Oro mare Treasure – the dam of dual Grade 1-placed sophomore National Treasure. Coincidentally, National Treasure is owned by the same partnership as Carmel Road and could also be targeting Derby points in next Saturday’s Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita. 

“National Treasure is out of a Medaglia d’Oro mare and you can see that in him. This one is a little more compact at this time,” Ryan said. “Both are beautifully balanced and well-made colts. We have loads of confidence in them both.”

A frontrunning victor on debut in September at Del Mar, National Treasure finished second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah the following month at Santa Anita before completing the trifecta in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland. 

Ryan also mentioned the Gotham as a possible landing spot for graded stakes-placed Fort Warren, who recently joined the barn of Maryland-based conditioner Brittany Russell. The bay son of Curlin was a pacesetting first-out winner on October 30 at Santa Anita, defeating next-out winner Spun Intended by a half-length. He then completed the trifecta in the seven-furlong Grade 2 San Vicente on January 29 at the Southern California oval. 

Ryan said Fort Warren’s Gotham status will depend on how he works this weekend with the seven-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Bay Shore on April 8 at the Big A also under consideration.

“He needs to tout himself and tell us that he’s ready,” Ryan said. “If he is, we’ll take a look. If not, we’ll look at the Bay Shore.” 

Fort Warren was bought for $550,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the graded-stakes placed Bernardini mare La Appassionata – a full-sister to graded stakes winner Wilburn. 

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Recruiter looks to remain undefeated in G3 Gotham

Trainer Cathal Lynch and Nick Sanna Stables’ undefeated Recruiter will test deeper waters in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile test for sophomores that awards 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers, on March 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Recruiter, a dark bay son of 2018 Grade 1 Carter Handicap-winner Army Mule, will make both his graded stakes debut and first start beyond sprint distances on the heels of an off-the-pace victory in the seven-furlong Parx Juvenile on January 3 at Parx Racing. 

Ridden by Mychel Sanchez, Recruiter stalked one length from the pace in fourth through the first quarter-mile before challenging pacesetter Winning Time at the half-mile call and inching clear at the top of the stretch to come home a 2 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:26.75. 

“Mychel kept him just off the pace and he finished up well for us,” said Lynch, who trained El Areeb to a third-place finish in the 2017 Gotham following scores in the Grade 3 Jerome and Grade 3 Withers at the Big A. “If you can ship them to Parx, I think you can ship anywhere because that track can be pretty tricky.” 

Recruiter is undefeated in four starts, stretching out in each outing after a debut victory sprinting five furlongs in August at Monmouth Park. He followed with a wire-to-wire score when facing winners for the first time in a 5 1/2-furlong October optional claimer at Laurel Park before earning his first stakes triumph in the six-furlong James F. Lewis, III in November over the same oval. 

Lynch said Recruiter has responded well to longer breezes at Fair Hill, where he regularly posts five and seven-furlong works over the dirt. He most recently breezed five-eighths in 1:01.20 on Thursday. 

“He worked good here Thursday and that is probably his last work before he runs,” said Lynch. “We may pop him out of the gate on Tuesday. I have worked him seven-eighths and a mile in between races, and I don’t think distance is going to be a problem.”

Recruiter first impressed Lynch at last year’s OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, but was scratched and re-entered in the company’s June sale.

There, he breezed an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds flat and was bought by Lynch for $125,000 from the consignment of Wavertree Stables. 

“He fell into our price range, so we took a shot,” said Lynch. “He’s a beautiful-bodied horse, well-balanced, and has a nice walk. He worked well and we got a little value for our money. We’ve had a few Army Mules and they all can run. We’re very happy with them and a lot of my guys are looking to breed their mares back to Army Mule because of him [Recruiter].”

Bred in Florida by Beth Bayer, Recruiter is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Lady Halite. His second dam, the stakes-placed Ada’s Dream, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Buffalo Man. Recruiter has amassed $170,100 in earnings through his perfect 4-for-4 record.

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Lugan Knight remains on schedule for G3 Gotham

Trainer Michael McCarthy reported that BG Stables’ Kentucky homebred Lugan Knight is training forwardly towards his anticipated engagement in next Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham, a one-turn mile for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack. 

The Gotham is the penultimate local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and awards the top-five finishers points based off a 50-20-15-10-5 scale.

Lugan Knight, a bay son of Goldencents, will return to the site of his last conquest, where he displayed grit and determination to capture the $150,000 Jerome on January 7 going the Gotham distance. 

He broke sharply under Dylan Davis and set a good early tempo with Arctic Arrogance to his outside in second down the backstretch. The pair continued to battle down the stretch with Arctic Arrogance inching closer to even terms. But Lugan Knight had enough in the tank to ward off the challenge, and captured his stakes debut by a half-length while registering a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Lugan Knight’s Jerome victory earned him 10 points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, where he is currently 17th. 

Lugan Knight has been training with McCarthy’s division at Churchill Downs Trackside Training Center, recording a five-furlong bullet on in 59.80 Sunday. 

“His last work was a pretty serious work. It was kind of what we were looking for,” McCarthy said. “He’ll have another maintenance work this coming weekend and he’ll be ready to make his way to Aqueduct.” 

Lugan Knight was a half-length winner at second asking in October going 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland before finishing third to Victory Formation – winner of the next-out Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park – in a six-furlong allowance optional claimer in November at Churchill Downs. 

Despite already etching his name on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Lugan Knight is not a sure aspirant for the Run for the Roses. 

“We’re taking it one race at a time, we’ll see what he does in the Gotham. We’re concentrated on that right now,” McCarthy said. 

Lugan Knight is the first progeny out of the Speightstown mare Sly Roxy, whose dam is multiple Canadian Champion Roxy Gap, a multiple graded-stakes winner. 

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Meraas in fine form for G3 $1.5M Riyadh Dirt Sprint

Maitha Salem Mohammed Belobaida Alsuwaidi's Meraas, trained by New York-based Chad Summers, will exit post 6 under Abner Adorno in Saturday’s Group 3 $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint, a 1,200-metre test [about six furlongs] on the undercard of the $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. 

Meraas, a Group 3-winner at Meydan last February for his former conditioner Musabbeh Al Mheiri, made three NYRA circuit starts for Summers in 2022 led by a frontrunning optional-claiming score with Adorno up on December 30 here that garnered a 97 Beyer. 

That effort followed a third-place finish in September at Saratoga in his North American debut, a six-furlong optional-claimer won by returning rival Elite Power; and a troubled off-the-board effort in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler in October at Belmont at the Big A.

Elite Power, who drew post 5 Saturday under Frankie Dettori, exited his Saratoga effort to win the Grade 2 Vosburgh at Belmont at the Big A and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Keeneland en route to Champion Male Sprinter honors. 

Chief among Meraas’ rivals will be the Japan-based defending race winner Dancing Prince [post 7, Damian Lane] and multiple graded-stakes winner Gunite [post 2, Tyler Gaffalione], who won the 2021 Grade 1 Hopeful at the Spa. 

“He shipped over well,” said Summers via phone from Saudi Arabia. “He has plenty of experience traveling before and has really blossomed since arriving. He had his final piece of work on Monday over the main track and was striding out beautifully. He’s giving us a lot of confidence he will take to this deep track here in Saudi.”

Summers said Meraas should benefit from his post 6 draw with both his main North American rivals to his inside and Dancing Prince in the next stall over.

“We love the draw. The gates here are really narrow. So, the less time in there the better,” Summers said. “Dancing Prince we feel is the other main speed and he is drawn just to the outside. So, we can play the break and if we outbreak him, we go. If he outbreaks us, we will sit on his hip. I would imagine Gunite will try and work out a stalking trip from his inside draw, but may have to deal with significant kickback down in there. We will watch the races Friday and first part of Saturday and make final plans, but overall we’re very happy with the draw.”

Summers has enjoyed past success in the Middle East, taking consecutive editions of the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2017-18 at Meydan Racecourse with New York-bred Mind Your Biscuits, who is now a successful stud in Japan.

Summers said Saturday’s test is reminiscent of the 2018 Golden Shaheen in which Joel Rosario guided Mind Your Biscuits to a rallying head score over X Y Jet in a track record time of 1:10.12. Roy H, winner of the 2017 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, finished less than a length back in third with multiple Grade 1-winner Wild Dude fourth and the well-regarded Japan-based Matera Sky finishing fifth.

“It feels very similar to the 2018 Golden Shaheen with a Breeders’ Cup winner, a fast American horse coming off a huge speed figure, and top Japanese horses,” Summers said. “So, not necessarily a position we haven’t been in before.”

The Riyadh Dirt Sprint is slated as Race 7 at approximately 11:45 a.m. Eastern on Saturday’s eight-race card that concludes with the $20 million Saudi Cup. Coverage of the Saudi Cup card will be broadcast live from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Eastern on FS2.

***

Far Mo Power travels in search of Stymie stakes success

Joseph E. Sutton’s multiple stakes-placed Pennsylvania-bred Far Mo Powerwill make his first start outside of Parx Racing in Saturday's $125,000 Stymie, a one-turn mile for older horses at Aqueduct.

Trained by Louis Linder, Jr., the 5-year-old son of Uncle Lino bested multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control by a neck in the Parx Dirt Mile in September only to be disqualified and placed second for interference late in the lane.

Sent to post at odds of 12-1 under regular pilot Dexter Haddock, Far Mo Power set splits of 24.06 seconds, 47.54 and 1:11.50 over the fast main track before Mind Control, who tracked from second under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, put a head in front at the eighth pole with an outside move. A game Far Mo Power battled back but drifted out under left-handed encouragement, crossing the wire a neck in front in a final time of 1:36.59. Following a stewards' inquiry and a claim of foul, Far Mo Power was disqualified and placed second.

Linder, Jr. said he was proud of the tenacious effort from Far Mo Power.

"He's a fighter and they had a five-sixteenths of a mile shoulder-to-shoulder duel in that race," Linder, Jr. said. "He was better than Mind Control that day by a neck and unfortunately the stewards got involved, but things happen."

Linder, Jr. said Far Mo Power’s Parx Dirt Mile effort demonstrated the gelding could handle himself in open company.

“We knew he would run good. Obviously, you don't go in there thinking you can beat Mind Control, but that showed me that maybe there's something for him in tougher places like New York,” Linder, Jr. said. “It's his first time traveling and off Lasix, so there’s a few question marks, but it is what it is.”

Far Mo Power, who boasts a record of 12-6-3-1, exited that effort to finish off-the-board after a troubled trip in the M. P. Ballezzi Appreciation Mile on October 18. 

Linder, Jr. said he second guessed his decision to run back Far Mo Power one more time after his strong outing against Mind Control. 

"We took a shot because it was a good distance for him, but he just had a horrible trip," Linder, Jr. said. "Off of that, I told the owner we should let him tell us when he's ready to run and that's what we did and he came back just as strong as ever."

Far Mo Power returned three months later to post an open-company allowance win on January 30 in which last year’s Grade 2 Kelso Handicap-winner, Double Crown, finished third.

"I can't be more pleased with his effort there and how he came out of it," Linder, Jr. said. "He's right where we need him to be."

Far Mo Power has breezed back once, covering five-eighths in 1:01.73 over the Parx dirt on February 15.

“He's an easy horse to train, but he's a little hard to keep weight on,” Linder, Jr. said. “What we've been doing has been working, so we don't worry about training him too hard. He had a five-eighths work well within himself and he came out of it aces. It's really all he needs.”

Far Mo Power has been piloted through all 12 career starts by Dexter Haddock, who engineered a pair of upset stakes scores here with Forewarned in the 2021 Queens County [$86] and last year’s Excelsior [$11.40 as the third choice in a four-horse field.]

“Dexter was trying to get in my barn at the time when he was a young horse and we let him help out,” Linder, Jr. said. “He gradually worked his way in and stayed on him the whole time because he got along good with him.”

Linder, Jr. said he is hopeful that Haddock can work out a stalking trip from post 2 for Far Mo Power.

“As long as we're within 4-to-5 lengths out and he's eyeing them and not left with too much to do to go and get them,” Linder, Jr. said. “He's very versatile - if you ask him to go, he's going.”

Linder, Jr. said Bran Jam Stable and David W. Clark’s stakes-placed Kentucky-bred Daydreaming Boy spiked a temperature following his last out fourth-place finish in the Jimmy Winkfield on February 11 at the Big A with Haddock in the irons.

“I was really disappointed because I really thought we'd be right there with them,” Linder, Jr. said. “Dexter said the horse was very dull for him. The next day he didn't eat and had a 103 temperature, so we'll let him tell us when he's ready again.”

The sophomore Goldencents colt graduated at second asking at Parx and followed with a runner-up effort in the six-furlong Future Stars won by Howgreatisnate, who is targeting next Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham here. Daydreaming Boy was fourth in the Parx Juvenile on January 3 won by another potential Gotham starter in Recruiter.

Daydreaming Boy, a half-sibling to stakes-winner New Boss, is out of the Corinthian mare Denali Dreamscape, who is a half-sister to graded-stakes placed Sophia’s Song and multiple stakes-winner Tax Refund.

“There's more upside to him,” Linder, Jr. said. “He's still filling out in his body and putting on muscle. We'll let him tell us when he’s ready.”

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Aqueduct Racetrack Week 10 stakes probables

Saturday, March 4

G3 Gotham [offering 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points]

Probable: Arctic Arrogance [Linda Rice], Carmel Road [Tim Yakteen], Clubhouse [Todd Pletcher], Eyeing Clover [Brad Cox], Howgreatisnate [Andrew Simoff], Lugan Knight [Michael McCarthy], Recruiter [Cathal Lynch], Slip Mahoney [Cox], Transect [Paulo Lobo]

Possible: Fort Warren [Brittany Russell]

G3 Tom Fool Handicap

Probable: Drafted [David Duggan], Eastern Bay [Norman Cash], Little Vic [Juan Carlos Avila], Pirate Rick [Cash], Runninsonofagun [John Toscano, Jr.]

$200K Busher [offering 50-20-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points]

Probable: Asset Purchase [Chad Brown], Capella [Cox], Check Engine Light [Jorge Abreu], Shidabhuti [Brown], Ziaerati [Robert Falcone, Jr.]