New York-bred Pandagate traveled to Dubai in March for the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby, where he finished third behind Japan’s Forever Young – the eventual Kentucky Derby third-place finisher. “He ran great,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “The question is: Do I have him back to that level or not?” Pandagate looms large back against his fellow statebred sophomores in the $159,000 New York Derby on Monday at Finger Lakes. The New York Derby, which shares the card with the $75,000 New York Oaks, is one of the richest races on the Finger Lakes stakes schedule. The race also has a history of propelling its winners into open-company success, such as with two millionaire recent winners Bankit (2019) and Americanrevolution (2021), the latter a Grade 1 winner later that season. Pandagate, a ridgling by Arrogate, has already shown himself against open company with his effort in Dubai. Prior to that, he won the Gander Stakes by 5 1/2 lengths going a mile against statebreds in February, with Doc Sullivan, who he faces again here, in second. Pandagate returned to the work tab May 1 and has six breezes on the Belmont training track in preparation for his return. Clement felt a two-turn spot against statebreds on the dirt made sense for Pandagate, but he winds up coming into the New York Derby without a prior start. “He wasn’t training as well as he should, so we just gave him plenty of time,” Clement said. “He’s doing better now, so now it’s time to run him back.” Pandagate is drawn in post 4 in this field of six with Dylan Davis in the irons. He should sit off the pace, but not out of touch, and then come with a steady run. Javier Castellano will have choices to make from the rail with Doc Sullivan, although traffic concerns aren’t as dire in a six-horse field going 1 1/16 miles. The colt is a multiple winner at a mile for Michael Miceli and comes in off a win in the Mike Lee at seven furlongs on a sloppy Saratoga track on June 9. He pressed the pace, took over midway, and then drew off by four lengths. His Beyer Speed Figure of 91 is the top last-out number in this field. Skyler’s Starship, coming off a forward allowance win sprinting at Finger Lakes, is most likely the speed from post 5. Aggelos the Great should be pressing from the outside post. Aggelos the Great was multiple stakes-placed as a juvenile and was last seen besting older horses in an allowance race in January. Elysian Meadows was third in the Mike Lee for Bill Mott. Merlin’s Moment, a maiden winner against older foes at a mile, completes the field. The New York Oaks, earlier on the card, will hinge on if multiple stakes winner Sweet Brown Sugar, who has never run beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, can stretch out to the 1 1/16 miles. Sweet Brown Sugar, trained by Paul Barrow, won two starts as a juvenile at Finger Lakes by a combined 12 1/4 lengths, including the Shesastonecoldfox. The filly comes into the New York Oaks off a pair of six-furlong stakes victories, winning the East View at Aqueduct by four lengths in March and then the Niagara back at Finger Lakes by 5 1/2 lengths, rating kindly on the front end for Jeremias Flores. That ability to relax will be key for the filly, who does have extended sprint or middle-distance ability on both sides of her family. The only other filly in this field with significant stakes experience is Caldwell Luvs Gold for trainer Brad Cox. The filly won the Seeking the Ante at Saratoga last summer and has placed in four other stakes, including a third in the one-mile Maid of the Mist last fall and a third in the East View to Sweet Brown Sugar. Most recently, she was second in the Bouwerie on June 9 at Saratoga, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 83. Sweet Brown Sugar’s best is a 76 last out. Although the speed figures and distance experience are in Caldwell Luvs Gold’s favor, the race shape may work for Sweet Brown Sugar, who appears the most committed speed and can rate kindly if loose. Caldwell Luvs Gold will want pace to rally into. – additional reporting by David Grening :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.