Tipsheet: Gotham Stakes

The $300,000 Gotham (G3) will be run Saturday as race 10 at Aqueduct.  The one-turn mile race is for 3-year-olds and is part of the 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby series with 50-20-10-5 points going to the top four finishers. There is a good chance of a wet track so that bears watching.

Top Picks for the Gotham Stakes

• #10 Untitled
• #6 Mischevious Alex
• #9 Flap Jack
• #3 War Stopper

Betting the Gotham Stakes

• $40 win - 10
• $3 exacta - 3,6,9 with 10

Gotham Stakes Contenders

#1 Celtic Striker broke his maiden second time out on a sloppy track at Monmouth Park going 6-furlongs. He came back nine months later and was a distant fourth in the Jerome then woke up last out when blinkers were added going two turns at Parx Racing. Son of Congrats has good early speed and Romero Maragh will have to use him from post 1.    

#2 Informative began his career with six sprints but then improved in his two-turn debut in the Remsen (G2). He came back and broke his maiden at course and distance for Uriah St. Lewis who is always capable of pulling off a shocker.

#3 War Stopper was badly outrun in his first three career starts then added blinkers last out and he broke his maiden by four lengths. Son of Declaration of War earned a 97 Brisnet Speed rating, draws well and should be part of the pace down the backstretch.  

#4 Attachment Rate after being badly outrun in his June career debut he bounced back with an improved effort going 7-furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Last out there, the son of Hard Spun broke his maiden with ease going today’s distance on a sloppy track and he might get the same conditions today. Luis Saez rides back.

#5 Necker Island beat allowance foes going this distance two starts back at Churchill Downs. He was badly outrun in the Swale (G3) last out but has trained well since then. The king of Aqueduct, Manny Franco, picks up the mount.  

#6 Mischevious Alex added blinkers two starts back and he won a 7-furlong stakes race at Parx Racing. Three months later, he won the Swale (G3) by seven lengths in good time and shows up here with a huge wet-track pedigree.

#7 Sixto looked good breaking his maiden first-time out for a trainer that hardly wins in that spot. $250,000 juvenile purchase is by Curlin so another quarter mile in distance should not be a problem and Eric Cancel is riding as good as any rider that you don’t hear anything about.

#8 Montauk Traffic broke his maiden here second time out going 7-furlongs then he came back and won a $100,000 stakes race in better time. He returns four weeks later and shows a fast workout for this.

#9 Flap Jack is from an owner that runs many horses in spots they do not belong but I like that he won a stakes race last out on the synthetic at Arlington Park. Off for 182 days, the home-bred son of Oxbow is training extremely well on the main track at the Fair Grounds.

#10 Untitled broke his maiden by 11 lengths in his career debut then raced evenly as the 7-5 favorite when he suffered from a rough start in the Swale. Last out, he was a very good second going two turns behind the highly-regarded Gouveneur Morris in very fast time. The son of emerging sire Khozan has good speed and should get a clear run down the long backstretch.  

#11 First Deputy is a New York-bred that has improved in his last two starts going 6-furlongs but despite a strong pedigree, looks in over his head here.