Enticed gets company in final work for Gotham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Enticed, the beaten favorite in the Grade 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park last month, worked five furlongs in 1:01.85 Friday morning at the Palm Meadows training center in south Florida, his final serious move before he starts in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham at Aqueduct next Saturday.

Noting that Enticed had worked a slow half-mile – he went in 53.90 seconds – on Feb. 22, McLaughlin worked Enticed with another horse on Friday. McLaughlin also resorted to communicating with his exercise rider via two-way radios, something he said he hadn’t done before until Friday.

“He worked in company because he worked so slow last week,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin was satisfied with the work and said that as long as Enticed jogs well Saturday morning he will be flown to New York on Tuesday.

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Enticed has made his last two starts around two turns, winning the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs last November before finishing fourth in the Holy Bull. McLaughlin felt that Enticed didn’t like being down inside and taking dirt in the Holy Bull.

By running in the Gotham, Enticed will be shortening up to a one-turn mile, and McLaughlin feels he should have a clear run early.

“We feel like it’s a mile out of the chute,” McLaughlin said. “Hopefully no bad post positions, less trouble, and we felt like it was maybe the right move. Whether it’s six or 10, still not a bad position going a mile, so we feel like he should have a clean trip.”

McLaughlin noted that he and officials from Godolphin Racing also considered running Enticed in the Tampa Bay Derby on the same day.

In the Gotham, Enticed will be reunited with Junior Alvarado, who rode the colt in his first three starts – two wins and a third in the Grade 1 Champagne.

McLaughlin said Withers winner Avery Island was scheduled to work on Saturday, and he remains on target for the Louisiana Derby on March 24.