True Timber may change tactics for rematch with El Areeb in Gotham

True Timber set the pace after stumbling badly at the break in the Grade 3 Withers, a race in which he ultimately finished second to El Areeb.

Judging by the way he breezed Friday at Belmont Park, True Timber will not be part of the pace when he meets El Areeb again in next Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.

True Timber worked four furlongs in 47.90 seconds over the Belmont training track. He began his work about four lengths behind stablemate Mission Leader, crept alongside at the three-sixteenths pole, and finished about a length in front at the wire. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.14.

Joe Lee, who oversaw the work for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, said it wasn’t necessarily the plan for True Timber to start that far behind his workmate. He just didn’t want them to go head-and-head throughout.

True Timber, a son of Mineshaft owned by Calumet Farm, came from off the pace to win a six-furlong maiden race over the inner track Dec. 10. In the Grade 3 Jerome, run in the slop Jan. 2, True Timber sat in midpack and finished third, 11 3/4 lengths behind El Areeb but a half-length behind second-place Bonus Points.

Breaking from the rail in the Withers, True Timber stumbled, picked himself up, and took himself and jockey Kendrick Carmouche to the lead before giving way and finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind El Areeb and a half-length in front of J Boys Echo.

“Kendrick said it was a little bit of a learning experience being on the front end,” Lee said. “He handled it well. He said he didn’t stop running.”

El Areeb, who is scheduled to work Saturday at Laurel, will be favored in the Gotham. So Conflated, the winner of the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields for Doug O’Neill, likely will be the second choice. Others considered definite to run are J Boys Echo, third in the Withers; Gaetano, a starter-allowance winner at Parx; and True Timber.

Trainer Chad Brown could run either Apartfromthecrowd or Cloud Computing. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has nominated 11 to the Gotham, is expected to run one, possibly Action Everyday. Miggsy, a recent maiden winner over the inner track for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, is also possible.

Miggsy worked five furlongs in 1:02.40 on Friday at Aqueduct.

The Gotham offers 85 qualifying points to its top four finishers (50-20-10-5) for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.