Go Go Shoot likely to be favored for second straight year in Fall Highweight

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Thursday’s 97th running of the Fall Highweight Handicap at Aqueduct could easily be renamed the Fall Middleweight Handicap. None of the five top-weighted horses – including the 140-pound highweight Girolamo – entered the Grade 3 race, leaving a competitive if not compelling field of nine carrying anywhere from 126 to 129 pounds.

The Fall Highweight, run at six furlongs, is the traditional Thanksgiving Day feature and goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 11:25 a.m. Eastern and concludes at 3:10 p.m.

Go Go Shoot, who last year finished seventh carrying 132 pounds in the Fall Highweight as part of a 6-5 favored entry with The Roundhouse, will likely be favored again Thursday, but there are certainly alternatives. Go Go Shoot, trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Mike Repole, carries 129 pounds as do Endless Circle and Wall Street Wonder.

Go Go Shoot, a 5-year-old gelded son of Songandaprayer, is coming off his best performance of the year, a front-running victory in an optional claimer at Belmont Park in which he flashed brilliant speed from the rail. He has post 7 on Thursday.

“His best races are when he’s forwardly placed, he’s a naturally fast horse,” Pletcher said. “He was so quick into stride in his last race that if he breaks like that there might be no other option than to be there. Having an outside post might give us the luxury of calling an audible if needed.”

There is ample speed, including Wildcat Frankie, who has the rail and likely must go under Javier Castellano, Jack on the Rocks, who is coupled with the late-running Mitigation, and Wall Street Wonder, who went 3 for 3 over Aqueduct’s inner track last winter.

Mesa Sunrise has won two straight allowance races from just off the pace for trainer Tony Dutrow, who took over the training of the Sky Mesa colt earlier this year.

“I don’t think I’ll ever see a time that he’s ready to do better than he is right now,” Dutrow said. “If he is going to perform well and shine, what better race than the Fall Highweight?”

Ramon Dominguez rides Mesa Sunrise from post 2.

Endless Circle had won two consecutive New York-bred sprint stakes before throwing in a clunker as the even-money favorite in the Hudson Handicap on New York Showcase Day. He could easily rebound for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Emma’s Posse, who has won his last two starts over Aqueduct’s main track, and Todd Got Even are threats from off the pace.