OZONE PARK, N.Y. – While it is unlikely Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct produces a serious Kentucky Derby contender, there are several in here who could be factors in the 3-year-old division at shorter distances. Morello and Rockefeller already have won stakes around one turn, and Dean’s List and Glider have shown potential to be stakes-caliber. The Gotham winner figures to come from one of those four in a field of 10 3-year-olds entered in the one-turn mile race. Noneedtoworry was cross-entered in Tuesday’s City of Brotherly Love Stakes at Parx Racing, but trainer Herold Whylie said Thursday the horse is expected to run in New York. Morello, a son of 2016 juvenile champion Classic Empire, is 2 for 2 having captured a six-furlong maiden race here last November and the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Stakes here last month. He has won both races utilizing a stalking style that figures to serve him well in a Gotham that does seem to possess some early speed. Some of that speed could be provided by Fromanothamutha, who does share ownership with Morello – Blue Lion Thoroughbreds and Craig Taylor are part-owners of both – though the horses have different trainers. Morello is trained by Steve Asmussen, while Fromanothamutha, a front-running winner of a seven-furlong maiden race here Jan. 13, is conditioned by Ray Handal. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Toby Sheets, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Asmussen, said he thought Morello showed maturity from his first start to his second. “He broke his maiden first out and broke a little slow and still won,” Sheets said. “So, he got a lot of schooling and got the job done. His next race you could tell he matured.” Sheets said the way Morello galloped out following the Winkfield indicated that an additional furlong Saturday shouldn’t be a problem. “I don’t think the distance will be a concern,” Sheets said. Morello breaks from post 9 under Jose Lezcano. Rockefeller, a son of Medaglia d’Oro is 2 for 2 in races run around one turn and 0 for 2 in races around two turns. His one-turn wins include the Grade 3 Nashua, a one-turn mile at Belmont, last November. Rockefeller is coming off a second-place finish to stablemate Newgrange in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on New Year’s Day at Santa Anita. Bob Baffert, who trains Rockefeller for a group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables, felt Rockefeller “took a step backwards” in the Sham. “I think he’s turning the corner again,” Baffert said. “I think he’s up for it now. I feel like he should run well there.” The Gotham offers its top four finishers qualifying points (50-20-10-5) toward the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Horses trained by Baffert are ineligible to earn Derby points as Churchill Downs has sought to ban Baffert-trained horses from its track owing to the overage of betamethasone in the system of Medina Spirit following last May’s Kentucky Derby. While the New York Racing Association held a hearing in late January seeking to ban Baffert from its tracks, no final ruling has been issued in that case so Baffert is permitted to run here. Rockefeller breaks from post 10 under Trevor McCarthy. Dean’s List went 2 for 2 at Gulfstream Park, both races at six furlongs, for two-time Gotham-winning trainer Todd Pletcher. Dean’s List did not change leads in his maiden victory, and only changed leads in his allowance win after being bumped by Dean Delivers, whom he beat by a neck. Dean’s List, a son of Speightstown owned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, has speed to be prominent early and now must carry it a mile. Pletcher also sends out Golden Code, a son of Honor Code owned by Calumet Farm. In his second start, Golden Code won a New York-bred maiden race by 10 3/4 lengths. In his debut, he was beaten 6 3/4 lengths by Bold Journey, who came back to run second in the Gander Stakes and who is entered back in the Gotham. Kendrick Carmouche rides Golden Code from post 3. :: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more Glider is up from Florida after finishing second to the promising Emmanuel – entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park – in a Tampa Bay Downs allowance on Jan 30. Mark Casse, the trainer of Glider, is turning the horse back to a one-turn mile believing that race typically has a strong early pace which he believes will aid his late-runner’s cause. “My hope is there’ll be some serious pace,” Casse said. “We see that a lot of times with the mile. We looked at our options and thought it was a good spot.” Casse is heartened by jockey Antonio Gallardo’s desire to come up from Tampa to ride the horse. “Most times he doesn’t say much of anything, but he was really excited about this horse,” Casse said. Runninsonofagun, a starter-allowance winner here Jan. 27, and Life Is Great, second to Morello in the Jimmy Winkfield, round out the Gotham field. The Gotham goes as the last of 10 races on a card that begins at 12:50 p.m. and includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool for male sprinters and the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies.