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03-03-2012, 11:07 AM
Race of the day: Gotham Stakes
Champion Hansen takes on 12 rivals in the $400,000 Gotham Stakes over Aqueductâs winterized inner track. The Breedersâ Cup Juvenile hero is the only graded stakes winner in the field, with only three other stakes winners of any kind.
A victory will get Hansen back among the forefront of Kentucky Derby discussion, with his Holy Bull defeat written off to losing to the talented Algorithms in the championâs first start after a layoff, having stumbled at the start and gotten overly anxious. A defeat will accelerate talk that Hansen is a one-dimensional horse who took advantage of Juvenile runner-up Union Ragsâ wide trip that day at Churchill Downs.
Hansen wonât have a blue tail â as owner-breeder Dr. Kendall Hansen considered until the idea was rejected by the New York stewards â but he does have an equipment change, with the blinkers coming off. And if the competition seems soft on paper, heâll get brownie points should he win from post 12.
âHeâs very athletic, and I think the two turns will help settle him,â said Dr. Harvey Diamond, the head of the Skychai Racing partnership that bought 25 percent of Hansen before the Juvenile. âIf heâll change leads and get onto the backstretch, I think heâll be a whole lot more comfortable than he was in the (one-turn) Holy Bull. I guess if youâre going to stumble at the gate, Iâd rather have him on the outside than the inside.
âOnce again, itâs a prep. Itâs not our goal. Itâs prep to get to our goal.â
Trainer Mike Maker isnât thrilled about such an outside post with the relatively short run to the turn. âThe only benefit I guess for us is, we wonât have to stand in the gate that long,â he said.
Acknowledging that a âvery good horseâ beat Hansen last time, Maker said heâd be very disappointed if the champion didnât win this time. âStranger things have happened,â he said. âBut yeah, obviously weâd be disappointed.â
Main competition: Jean Lafitte winner My Adonis closed from out of the clouds to take third in the Holy Bull, a half-length behind Hansen. âHe was only beaten a half-length to the juvenile champion in his last race,â said trainer Kelly Breen.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...t|Sports|p
Champion Hansen takes on 12 rivals in the $400,000 Gotham Stakes over Aqueductâs winterized inner track. The Breedersâ Cup Juvenile hero is the only graded stakes winner in the field, with only three other stakes winners of any kind.
A victory will get Hansen back among the forefront of Kentucky Derby discussion, with his Holy Bull defeat written off to losing to the talented Algorithms in the championâs first start after a layoff, having stumbled at the start and gotten overly anxious. A defeat will accelerate talk that Hansen is a one-dimensional horse who took advantage of Juvenile runner-up Union Ragsâ wide trip that day at Churchill Downs.
Hansen wonât have a blue tail â as owner-breeder Dr. Kendall Hansen considered until the idea was rejected by the New York stewards â but he does have an equipment change, with the blinkers coming off. And if the competition seems soft on paper, heâll get brownie points should he win from post 12.
âHeâs very athletic, and I think the two turns will help settle him,â said Dr. Harvey Diamond, the head of the Skychai Racing partnership that bought 25 percent of Hansen before the Juvenile. âIf heâll change leads and get onto the backstretch, I think heâll be a whole lot more comfortable than he was in the (one-turn) Holy Bull. I guess if youâre going to stumble at the gate, Iâd rather have him on the outside than the inside.
âOnce again, itâs a prep. Itâs not our goal. Itâs prep to get to our goal.â
Trainer Mike Maker isnât thrilled about such an outside post with the relatively short run to the turn. âThe only benefit I guess for us is, we wonât have to stand in the gate that long,â he said.
Acknowledging that a âvery good horseâ beat Hansen last time, Maker said heâd be very disappointed if the champion didnât win this time. âStranger things have happened,â he said. âBut yeah, obviously weâd be disappointed.â
Main competition: Jean Lafitte winner My Adonis closed from out of the clouds to take third in the Holy Bull, a half-length behind Hansen. âHe was only beaten a half-length to the juvenile champion in his last race,â said trainer Kelly Breen.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...t|Sports|p
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