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Cowtown squeezes through gap, pours it on in Gotham
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Cowtown Cat earned his first stakes win in the Gotham
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) |
Gulf Coast Farms and WinStar Farms' COWTOWN CAT (Distorted Humor) split
horses in the stretch and drew clear late in Saturday's $200,000
Gotham S. (G3),
enhancing his Kentucky Derby (G1) prospects while earning his first stakes win
with the 2 1/2-length decision. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the sophomore colt
completed 1 1/16 miles over the fast Aqueduct inner track in 1:44 3/5.
Breaking from the rail, jockey Ramon Dominguez saved ground while closely
stalking a surprisingly moderate pace in :24 2/5 and :49 2/5. Wollaston Bay (Sea
of Secrets) led the way early, but Wafi City (E Dubai) had advanced to take the
fore through six furlongs in 1:13 2/5, with Cowtown Cat about a length back down
on the inside. Wafi City entered the stretch with a head of steam and opened a 1
1/2-length edge through a mile in 1:38 1/5, but Cowtown Cat was also full of run
and took off after the leader after squeezing through a narrow gap between
rivals in midstretch. He quickly caught and blew past Wafi City to win going
away.
"There were definitely some tense moments (when he split horses in the
stretch)," Pletcher assistant Seth Benzel said. "Ramon looked like he was
confident in the horse he had underneath. It was a great ride."
"He was very willing to go through that hole," Dominguez explained. "I had to
go between (Mike) Luzzi (on Summer Doldrums) and (Shaun) Bridgmohan (aboard
Wollaston Bay). He was very brave. Up to that point, he was so relaxed, I had no
idea whether he was going to stop or go on. I put him on the bit, and he split
horses beautifully. He finished real nicely."
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Sent off the near 5-2 second choice, Cowtown Cat gave back $6.70, $4.90 and
$3.40 while keying the $80.50 exacta with Wafi City, who held onto the place by
a head over even-money favorite Summer Doldrums (Street Cry [Ire]) and paid
$11.40 and $5 at 13-1. Summer Doldrums, a wire-to-wire winner in the Whirlaway
S. in his previous outing, wound up being rated off the pace and was rank early.
He returned $2.40 for the show, and it was four lengths back to Sir Whimsey
(Jump Start) in fourth. The trifecta totaled $220.50 and the 1-9-3-4 superfecta
$1,096. Mint Slewlep (Slew City Slew), Longley (Seeking the Gold), Wollaston
Bay, How Sweet He Is (Sweetsouthernsaint) and Believeinmenow (Tiznow) rounded
out the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by Gulf Coast Farms, Cowtown Cat was listed as sold for $1.5
million at last year's Barretts March two-year-old sale. He's the first foal
out of the winning Tom's Cat (Storm Cat), who has also produced a yearling colt by
Proud Citizen.
The Gotham is Aqueduct's final prep for the 83rd running of the $750,000 Wood
Memorial S. (G1) on April 7.
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