Adventist works half-mile for Gotham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Adventist, the third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Withers on Jan. 30, worked four furlongs in 50.63 seconds Friday over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes on March 5.

Adventist, with jockey Kendrick Carmouche up, worked behind stablemate Sea Raven, starting two lengths behind that 5-year-old ridgling before moving on equal terms after a quarter in 25.75 seconds. The pair came home in 24.88 over a track that seemed to be tiring in the stretch. Adventist galloped out five furlongs in 1:04.56. Sea Raven was given a time of 51.03 seconds.

“With the track being the way it is, I wasn’t looking for too much,” trainer Leah Gyarmati said. “Just wanted to stretch his legs and get a little dirt in his face.”

Adventist won his debut by 11 1/4 lengths going six furlongs on Dec. 19. In the Withers, he broke slowly and went wide into the first turn. In the stretch, he bumped several times with Flexibility, the Withers favorite, before outfinishing that one to the wire. He was beaten only 1 3/4 lengths in the Withers by the winner, Sunny Ridge.