Gold for the King hard to deny in Great White Way

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Beginning Saturday, there are only five scheduled racing days remaining on this circuit in 2016, and Gold for the King could be participating in two of them.

Gold for the King figures to be a strong favorite in Saturday’s $150,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Stakes for 2-year-olds by New York-based sires. If things go well for him Saturday, Gold for the King could wheel back in 12 days in the $100,000 Damon Runyon Stakes for New York-breds going long on Dec. 29.

“I might stretch him out,” trainer Charlton Baker said Thursday. “I might go in that race and then give him time off until the spring.”

First things first. Gold for the King has to take care of business in the six-furlong Great White Way, where he’ll seek his third stakes victory of the year. Gold for the King won the $219,000 New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes on Oct. 1, and after finishing third in the Sleepy Hollow at a mile on Oct. 22, he won the Notebook at Aqueduct on Nov. 19. Gold for the King is 3 for 3 at six furlongs.

Gold for the King’s victory in the Notebook came with blinkers added. Baker said he put the blinkers on because he felt that when Gold for the King raced inside of other horses, he was paying too much attention to them. He had an outside draw in the Notebook and is drawn in post 5 of 6 on Saturday.

“I didn’t think [blinkers] made a big difference,” Baker said. “Numbers-wise, it looked like it did, but he ran his race.”

Gold for the King earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure last out. His three top figures are higher than the highest numbers achieved by any of his five rivals.

Baker doesn’t think Gold for the King runs as well over a wet track as a dry one, and there is precipitation in the forecast for Saturday, with snow turning to rain. Gold for the King won the Breeders’ Futurity over a “good” track and twice finished third over muddy or sloppy surfaces.

“He runs good, but he doesn’t give you his ‘A’ race,” Baker said.

Bavaro, a son of Freud owned by Bill Parcells and named after former New York Giants All-Pro tight end Mark Bavaro, earned a 73 Beyer in winning his only start on Nov. 19. Remstin, Three to Thirteen, Eddie’s Gift, and Ethan Hunt complete the field.

The Great White Way will go as race 3 on Saturday’s nine-race card.