Instagrand, Knicks Go to meet in Gotham Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The graded stakes-winning 2-year-olds Instagrand and Knicks Go will make their next starts in the $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 9, adding a bit of intrigue to the Grade 3 race, which offers 85 qualifying points to the May 4 Kentucky Derby.

The one-turn-mile configuration of the Gotham was mentioned by the connections of both horses as a reason why they will be shipping in for the race.

For Instagrand, based in Southern California with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, the Gotham will be his first start since he won the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes going six furlongs by 10 1/4 lengths Aug. 11 at Del Mar. In his only other start, Instagrand won a five-furlong maiden race at Los Alamitos last June 29 by 10 lengths.

Following his Best Pal victory, Instagrand was put away for the remainder of the year, though he was not injured.

Instagrand, a son of Into Mischief who brought $1.2 million as a 2-year-old in training, was being pointed to the Grade 2, $500,000 San Felipe going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on March 9. But following a seven-furlong workout in 1:26.60 at Santa Anita on Monday and follow-up discussions between trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and owner Larry Best, the decision was made to reroute Instagrand to the Gotham.

“After discussing with Larry the best possible path to take with our horse, it was suggested and determined that the Gotham would be a better race for him than the San Felipe,” Hollendorfer said. “We’re planning on coming for the Gotham.”

Javier Castellano, who flew from Florida to California to work the horse last Monday at Santa Anita, will ride Instagrand in the Gotham.

Meanwhile, Knicks Go will attempt to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Sam. F. Davis Stakes on Feb. 9 at Tampa Bay Downs when he cuts back to a one-turn mile in the Gotham.

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Knicks Go won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland last October before finishing second to Game Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November. Following the Breeders’ Cup, he finished 11th of 14 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill before finishing fifth, beaten 13 lengths by Well Defined, in the Grade 3 Sam Davis. In his last two starts, Knicks Go was favored.

“I just think shortening him back up to one turn makes some sense. He didn’t seem to like the track at Tampa, so instead of going back [for the Tampa Bay Derby], we decided to bring him back north,” trainer Ben Colebrook said Thursday. “Speed seems like it’s pretty dangerous at Aqueduct, being on the lead or close to it.”

Colebrook said Knicks Go arrived at Keeneland on Thursday following a van ride from Tampa Bay Downs, where he had been based most of the winter. Knicks Go worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds last Saturday at Tampa.

Knicks Go is owned by the Korean Racing Authority, which would like to run him in the Kentucky Derby. Knicks Go has 18 qualifying points for the Derby, and a first- or second-place finish in the Gotham should give Knicks Go enough points to make it into the Derby field. The Gotham offers 85 qualifying points to its top four finishers (50-20-10-5).

“All we’re looking for is to hit the board and get the points,” Colebrook said.

Colebrook said that following the Gotham, Knicks Go would likely make his next start at Keeneland in either the Lexington Stakes or the Blue Grass Stakes prior to the Kentucky Derby.

As of Thursday, others pointing to the Gotham included Federal Case, Haikal, Joevia, Mind Control, Not That Brady, Spun to Run, Tikhvin Flew, and Zenden. Possible starters included Call Paul, High Crime, Mr. Ankeny and Topper T.