Distance may be the biggest question National Identity and Mo Plex have to answer when they start as the likely two top betting favorites in Saturday’s $125,000 Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds at Aqueduct. National Identity, trained by Danny Gargan, has run two strong seconds in his last two starts. In December, he was beaten a neck by Sacrosanct in the Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series. In February, he came within a neck of Sand Devil in the Damon Runyon Stakes. Those two horses were a combined 7 for 7 before each got beat in last week’s Gotham Stakes. “I can’t knock anything this horse has done,” Gargan said of National Identity. “He got beat by a real good horse last time and they ran fast. He’s laid it down his last two races.” Both of National Identity’s runner-up finishes came at seven furlongs. This will be his first start at one mile and Gargan isn’t completely sold National Identity wants to run that far. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. “I think he can get a mile on grass, I don’t’ know if he can get a mile on dirt,” Gargan said. Kendrick Carmouche rides National Identity from post 5. Mo Plex, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, won his first three starts at 2, including the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. Those were all at six furlongs or shorter. In two starts going a mile, Mo Plex was third in the Grade 1 Champagne and second in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes. Englehart said Mo Plex wintered at Travis Durr’s training center in South Carolina before being shipped back to him in late January. “He was raving how he was training there and the way he looked,” Englehart said. “You never know until they do it but every horse is a little different when you bring them off the bench.” Englehart noted he had a horse, Cut the Cord, run and win last summer at 1 1/8 miles, a distance he thought might have been beyond his reach. Manny Franco rides Mo Plex from post 3. Englehart also has Sunday Gilt in the Gander. While Sunday Gilt won a one-mile maiden race by eight lengths, he will be facing winners for the first time. Givememythememusic won his debut going seven furlongs on Jan. 25. A son of Game Winner, Givememythememusic was owned by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm for his first start. He was purchased by MyRacehorse and Donarra Thoroughbreds for $140,000 at a digital sale in February. He has remained with trainer Christophe Clement. Skytown, Soontobeking, Corvus, Resilient Hero, Grand Cash, and Swift Magic complete the line-up. Maddie May Bernieandtherose seeks her fourth straight win when she heads a field of seven New York-bred 3-year-old fillies entered in the $125,000 Maddie May Stakes at one mile. After finishing third on debut at Aqueduct last October, Bernieandtherose won a maiden and allowance to end her 2-year-old year. After missing the Busher Stakes in January due to an eye irritation, Bernieandtherose made a winning 3-year-old debut, wearing down Storm Changer to win the $121,500 East View Stakes by a half-length. “I thought she got a lot of education out of that race, wound up inside had a lot of kickback hitting her and then Katie [Davis] getting her out,” trainer Dominick Schettino said. “She showed us that she’s versatile and kickback doesn’t affect her.” Schettino could have run Bernieandtherose in last weekend’s Busanda going one mile, but opted to keep her against New York-breds since both races were run at the same distance. “Gives her more of a chance to develop against her own kind and it gave her another week between her last race and this race,” Schettino said. While Storm Changer is back in the Maddie May, the main competition for Bernieandtherose likely comes from Lottie Margaret. A daughter of Global Campaign trained by Brad Cox for Madaket Stables, Lottie Margaret has won each of her last two starts – a maiden and a first-level allowance for New York-breds – by 10 lengths or more. Both wins came with the addition of blinkers. Lottie Margaret, to be ridden by Manny Franco, drew a cozy outside post in this seven-horse field. Boston’s Phinest, fourth in the East View Stakes, was purchased out of a digital sale for $95,000 and turned over to trainer Bruce Brown. In her lone start at a mile, she was second, beaten 3 1/4 lengths by With the Angels, in the Maid of the Mist. Howling Wind, Lady Wisdom, and Army Gal, who just won a first-level allowance on Sunday, complete the field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.