After Gotham win, Cox has plenty of options for Flood Zone

Flood Zone, the 3 1/4-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, was expected to return to trainer Brad Cox’s stable at Payson Park in Florida this week while his connections map out his next start.

Flood Zone made a successful stakes debut in the Gotham, making the lead soon after the start under Reylu Gutierrez before battling head and head with favored Sand Devil from the middle of the far turn to midstretch and drawing clear. Flood Zone, in what was his first start following a private purchase by Qatar-based Wathnan Racing and a transfer to Cox, earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance. He also earned 50 qualifying points to the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

Cox on Sunday said he wasn’t sure where Flood Zone would make his next start, but said he’d prefer to have him training in Florida where he will avoid any lingering weather issues in New York.

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“That and probably just not knowing where we’ll go,” Cox said Sunday at Payson Park. “We got a good group of horses we can match him up with. He did well here obviously. He’s had two runs at Gulfstream.”

Cox mentioned that because Gulfstream hosts the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on March 29. Naturally, the Wood Memorial, at Aqueduct on April 5 would be considered as well. Cox said when Wathnan Racing purchased the horse, the UAE Derby in Dubai on April 5 was mentioned as a possible race. Cox said Flood Zone would have to be invited to that race, which seems more likely now after winning the Gotham.

Cox, who was in South Florida on Saturday, said he spoke with Gutierrez Saturday night and the jockey was encouraged with Flood Zone’s performance.

“He broke running and Reylu said he gave him a ton of confidence right away,” Cox said. “He could have crossed over and cleared if he chose to; he thought he would sit there and let horses come up on his inside if they chose to, and they did, and he responded well.”

Flood Zone, a Florida-bred son of Frosted, ran a mile in 1:39.62, which was .67 seconds faster than the 5-year-old Bank Frenzy ran in the Stymie.

Sand Devil, who stumbled at the start and rushed into contention, did well to hold second in his first start against open company after winning his first three starts against New York-breds. Trainer Linda Rice said she would most likely run Sand Devil back in the Wood Memorial.

“I thought it was a credible effort first time against open company, no shame in finishing second,” Rice said. “I think we’ll go ahead and try the Wood where the fractions should be softer. It’s right here at home. If he trains well into it, you go with it.”

Garamond, in his second career start after a debut win at Tampa Bay Downs in January, finished third in the Gotham, beaten five lengths. Though trainer Chad Brown thought Garamond was a bit green in the stretch, he thought enough of the effort to point him to the Wood.

“He was sustaining his momentum, he just wasn’t quickening,” Brown said. “Watching the gallop-out, the horse galloped out with a lot of interest. I think that horse deserves a shot around two turns for his next start. He’s in New York, it’s likely he’ll go to the Wood.”

The Wood will be the next start for the Rick Dutrow-trained Withers Stakes winner Captain Cook. Trainer Todd Pletcher is likely to run either Grande, an allowance winner Thursday at Gulfstream, or his Mike Repole-owned stablemate Disruptor, a 9 1/4-length winner of a seven-furlong maiden race Saturday at Gulfstream, in the Wood.

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