Action Everyday adding blinkers for Gotham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Though Action Everyday has won both of his starts, trainer Todd Pletcher believes the horse has more to give. So, when Pletcher runs Action Everyday in Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, he plans to equip the son of The Factor with blinkers for the first time.

Pletcher noted that when Action Everyday won a first-level allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 27, he was a bit reluctant to load, and when he made the lead at the top of the stretch, he thought the race was completed.

“He put on the brakes and attempted to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory,” Pletcher said. “He’s got a few quirks about him. He’s been training well with the blinkers. He’s finished off his breezes well.”

Pletcher needs permission from the New York stewards to make an equipment change with a horse coming off a win, but such a request is rarely, if ever, denied.

Action Everyday is among approximately eight horses likely to be entered Wednesday in the Gotham, which offers 50 qualifying points to its winner toward the May 6 Kentucky Derby.

El Areeb, the winner of the Jerome and Withers – both Grade 3 stakes run over the inner track – will be heavily favored in the 1 1/16-mile race. In addition to Action Everyday, others expected to face El Areeb in the Gotham are Withers second- and third-place finishers True Timber and J Boys Echo, California Derby winner So Conflated, and Parx starter-allowance winner Gaetano.

On Monday, trainer Chad Brown had not decided whether he would enter Apartfromthecrowd or Cloud Computing. Miggsy, a recent maiden winner over the inner track, is also possible.

Action Everyday and J Boys Echo were flown to New York from south Florida on Monday on a Tex Sutton equine plane. So Conflated was expected to ship on Tuesday via Federal Express.

Though Pletcher is equipping Action Everyday with blinkers, he doesn’t expect him to be on the lead in the Gotham.

“Hoping he’ll behave professionally,” Pletcher said. “The one thing about a race like this is he probably won’t make the lead too soon. Hopefully, he makes the lead at some point.”

El Areeb completed preparations for the Gotham on Sunday, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Laurel Park under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Trainer Cal Lynch was initially planning to skip the Gotham and point to a race April 8 – either the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct or the Blue Grass at Keeneland. But the horse has indicated in his training that he couldn’t wait another five weeks to run. Plus, the Gotham offers El Areeb a chance to virtually secure his spot in the Kentucky Derby with a first- or second-place finish.

“We still need points to get our spot in the Derby,” Lynch said. “The Gotham is a good opportunity. If he wins or hits the board, that should get us in.”

El Areeb will ship to New York on Friday following training at Laurel Park.

Genre tops Heavenly Prize prospects

In addition to Action Everyday, Pletcher shipped Genre to New York from Florida to run in Saturday’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct.

In two starts this year at Gulfstream, Genre finished third in the Grade 3 Rampart and second in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie. Curlin’s Approval, the winner of the Hurricane Bertie, came back to win the Grade 2 Royal Delta on Feb. 18.

Genre was compromised by a bad stumble at the start of the Hurricane Bertie but still ran well to get second.

Pletcher said McCarthy will ride Genre in the Heavenly Prize. McCarthy was aboard the filly for a victory in last fall’s $200,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown.

Others expected to run in the Heavenly Prize are Highway Star, the winner of the Grade 3 Go for Wand last fall at Aqueduct; Annie Rocks; Chorus Line; Oasis At Midnight; and possibly Isabelle.