Remsen win by Shotski puts Wachtel and partners on Kentucky Derby trail

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Adam Wachtel grew up coming to Aqueduct in the 1980s and 90s when his father Ed owned horses, including Smokin Mel, who won the 1997 Gotham Stakes and finished third in the Wood Memorial.

The younger Wachtel has owned horses himself now for quite a while and on Saturday he enjoyed a terrific afternoon at Aqueduct, winning the Grade 2 Remsen for 2-year-olds with Shotski and the Grade 3 Go for Wand for fillies and mares with Spiced Perfection.

“I remember going there, suffering with my dad sitting outside in the freezing cold,” Wachtel said. “I don’t remember the outdoor seating being quite as rundown as it is, man they need a paint job, but it is what it is. But it was a good day.”

Wachtel and his partners hope for some more good days with Shotski, who earned 10 qualifying points toward next year’s Kentucky Derby. Shotski, whom Wachtel and Gary Barber bought into following a maiden win at Laurel, went gate to wire in the Remsen to win by a half-length. He earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Shotski had been entered in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs on Nov. 30, but was scratched from that race as Wachtel, his partners and trainer Jeremiah O’Dwyer felt the Remsen was a better spot.

“I was trying to give myself the best chance to win and I thought that was the Remsen,” Wachtel said. “I saw some nice horses in there, I didn’t see any monsters. That gave me a chance to win and also importantly find out if a mile and an eighth was something he could do.”

Shotski, who had been pressed through the opening six furlongs by Prince James, had a 3 1/2-length lead in midstretch and was able to hold Ajaaweed at bay late, winning by a half-length.

“The horse never really got a break, he had a little bit of a right to get tired the last 100 yards, 50 yards,” Wachtel said. “All in all, I got to be pretty happy.”

Shotski gave O’Dwyer his first graded stakes victory as a trainer. Shotski returned to O’Dwyer’s Laurel Park barn Saturday night and will remain there while his connections decide where to begin his 3-year-old season. Wachtel mentioned the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds or the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 1 as the two most likely options.

Wachtel said he would like to stay away from Independence Hall, the 2-year-old who won the Nashua by 12 1/4 lengths on Nov. 3. Independence Hall is expected to make his next start in the $150,000 Jerome here on Jan. 1.

Ajaaweed, the Remsen runner-up, will soon head to South Florida to join trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s division.

Two options for Spiced Perfection

While Shotski returned to Laurel on Saturday, Spiced Perfection was scheduled to be flown back to trainer Peter Miller’s Southern California barn on Tuesday. The multiple Grade 1 winner was a relatively easy front-running winner of Saturday’s Go for Wand, her first win going a mile.

Wachtel said that the two logical options for Spiced Perfection to begin her 5-year-old season would be the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Monica at Santa Anita or the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel. Both are on Feb. 15.

Last year, Wachtel, looking to avoid the hard-hitting female California sprinters such as Marley’s Freedom, ran Spiced Perfection in the Barbara Fritchie where she finished second, beaten a head by Late Night Pow Wow.

“In a perfect world, if the Santa Monica doesn’t come up brutal then it’s easier to just stay home and she’s run well over that track,” Wachtel said. “If Bellafina and other tough ones run, then the Barbara Fritchie would be the softer spot, but they’re all open for discussion.”

Spiced Perfection received a 90 Beyer Speed Figure after running a mile in 1:39.11 over a slow main track.