Gotham Day at Aqueduct - Saturday, March 7
2,138 views · Published 2 March 2009 · 0:32 · Indexed 24 October 2026
Channel: The New York Racing Association · 2009 · Sports
Saturday, March 7, Aqueduct Racetrack will offer a pair of Grade 3 races, headed by the 57th running of the $250,000 Gotham, New Yorks first major Triple Crown prep for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth. The races will be part of a live 10-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m., and all overnight races carded for Gotham Stakes Day will receive a $10,000 purse increase. Likely to contend in the Gotham are Jeff Singers Axel Foley; Turtle Bird Stables Haynesfield, David J. Lanzman Racing Stables I Want Revenge, Sequoia Stables Imperial Council; Peachtree Stables Masala; West Point Thoroughbreds Mr. Fantasy; Starlight Partners Naos and Mark E. Russells Russell Road. Russell Road, a West Virginia-bred Wheaton gelding, has won six straight after a half-length loss at Charles Town to begin his career. Trained by James Casey, he will get a strong test for class in the Gotham. Haynesfield, a New York-bred son of Speightstown, lost his debut race at Saratoga last August, but has since reeled off four straight victories, including two in open company here in the Count Fleet and Whirlaway. I Want Revenge and Axel Foley both ship in from California, where I Want Revenge ran third to Pioneerof the Nile in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis and Axel Foley was second in the California Derby. Imperial Council, a son of 2003 Wood Memorial and Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, has won two of three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, while Mr. Fantasy is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Naos has won two of three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also figures to run Masala here. Saturday, Aqueduct will again feature a guaranteed $250,000 late Pick 4 on races 7-10.
