Courtesy Of NYRA Press Office
Pandagate bears watching in $100K Gander; Deterministic, Capital Idea possible for G3 Gotham
Maiden-winner Pandagate will ship back to New York from Florida this week to make his stakes debut in Sunday’s $100,000 Gander, a one-turn mile for New York-bred sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable and On The Rise Again Stable, the Arrogate ridgling breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:01.80 Saturday over the Payson Park Training Center dirt in company with impressive maiden winner Deterministic.
“It was a good work. He worked in company with Deterministic, who is a nice horse. It was a strong work and he came out of it in good shape,” Clement said.
Pandagate, a $130,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale purchase, graduated by nine-lengths in his October debut here traveling a one-turn mile against fellow state-breds but was squeezed at the start next out in an open optional-claimer in December at Laurel Park before closing to finish third.
St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable’s Deterministic earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure for his rallying half-length debut score sprinting seven-furlongs in August at Saratoga Race Course.
A $625,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Liam’s Map bay required time off after his impressive debut and has now breezed six times at Payson Park since January 13.
Clement said Deterministic could return in the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 2 at the Big A, providing 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. A total of 37 horses are nominated to the Gotham.
“He won very impressively as a 2-year-old. We put him aside and he's on his way back,” Clement said. “He's a very exciting horse to have, but the question is, where should we bring him back? He might come back in the Gotham. I will make my mind up later this week.”
Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Capital Idea, yet another impressive maiden winner on January 28 here, is also training towards the Gotham.
“If we believe they both have a chance, they will both run,” Clement said.
Capital Idea, by Classic Empire, romped to an 8 1/4-length score in a one-turn mile maiden tilt over sloppy and sealed footing. With Trevor McCarthy at the helm from the inside post, Capital Idea tracked in third position before angling four-wide through the turn to take the lead at the three-sixteenths and draw clear in a final time of 1:40.42. The comfortable score garnered an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.
Capital Idea breezed five-eighths in 1:02.90 Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track.
“He's doing well. If he works well next week, we'll go for the Gotham,” Clement said. “He's getting more mature and better. It's the right time of the year. He's learning his job.”
The $260,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Rever de Vous, who is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Dreaming of Drew.
Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Otello finished sixth last out in the Grade 3 Holy Bull on February 3 at Gulfstream Park in a race won from a prominent trip by Hades, who walked through splits of 25.03 seconds and 50.53 en route to a two-length score in a final time of 1:46.07.
Otello, who was bumped at the break in the Holy Bull and never factored, breezed back a half-mile in 50 flat Friday over the Payson Park dirt.
“He came out OK. It was a bit of a puzzling race for me,” Clement said. “I'm not sure what to think about it. There was no pace whatsoever. I thought he trained better than the outcome. I'm going to re-group with him a little bit.”
The Curlin sophomore won his first two starts traveling a one-turn mile, taking a maiden score by a neck in November here ahead of a rallying effort in the Mucho Macho Man on New Year’s Day at Gulfstream where he posted a half-length score over First World War, who exited that effort to win the Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy on turf.
Otello, bred in Kentucky by Siena Farms, is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Eskendereya mare Isabella Sings.
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Aqueduct Racetrack Week 8 stakes probables
Sunday, February 25
$100K Gander (NYB)
Probable: Antonio of Venice (Rudy Rodriguez), Brown Don’t Stop (Orlando Noda), Doc Sullivan (Michael Miceli), Liberty Central (Quick), Pandagate (Christophe Clement), The Big Torpedo (Tom Morley)
