Go Go Shoot toting plenty

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - When it comes to Go Go Shoot's last-place finish in the Grade 1 Vosburgh, trainer Bruce Levine says blame it on the rain.

The skies over Belmont Park opened up just as the quartet for the Vosburgh was stepping onto the track. By the time the horses left the gate, the track went from fast to sloppy. After outsprinting Fabulous Strike for the early lead, Go Go Shoot was overtaken by that rival and ultimately finished last, 12 lengths behind Kodiak Kowboy.

"It just rained so hard, all the water was going down to the inside," Levine said. "I thought the inside was the best place to be until it rained."

Thursday, Go Go Shoot will try to bounce back when he heads a 10-horse field entered in the Grade 3, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at six furlongs at Aqueduct. First post for the Thanksgiving Day card is 11:25 a.m. The Fall Highweight goes at 2:42 p.m.

Before the Vosburgh, Go Go Shoot had won the Longfellow and Mr. Prospector stakes at Monmouth Park before running a strong second to the multiple Grade 1 winner Fabulous Strike in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. In those races, he raced on the lead in extremely fast early fractions.

While Go Go Shoot figures to be on the lead again in the Fall Highweight under John Velazquez, the big question is how he will handle toting high weight of 134 pounds.

Go Go Shoot will be spotting weight to other speed types such as Drift King, Formidable, and Riley Tucker. If Go Go Shoot is unable to shake free from those, perhaps his entrymate, The Roundhouse, could capitalize. The two horses will run coupled, as both are owned by Mike Repole. The Roundhouse, trained by Todd Pletcher, should be coming late, but six furlongs may not be enough distance for him.

"Unless they go really fast," Pletcher said. "It does look like on paper there should be plenty of speed."

Ah Day, who won the Grade 3 Toboggan over Aqueduct's inner track, would also benefit from a hot pace. Ah Day finished fifth in the Grade 1 De Francis Dash at Laurel on Oct. 24.

"He makes you optimistic the way he trains," said trainer King Leatherbury, who noted the De Francis was run over "a sloppy track, which he generally likes, but it was favoring speed. He never did close any ground on them. He certainly has to run a lot better than that."

Sean Avery and Greenspring both step into stakes company for the first time off solid allowance wins.