2026 Gotham Stakes Entries at Aqueduct

Gotham awards top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

The Grade 3 Gotham Stakes is slated for Saturday, February 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack and will award the top-five finishers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

The Gotham has established itself as a significant milestone on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, offering valuable qualifying points to its top finishers. The 2025 edition saw Flood Zone score an impressive victory, winning by 3 1/4 lengths under Reylu Gutierrez at odds of 17-1. The Brad Cox trainee defeated a quality field that included Sand Devil and the Chad Brown-trained Garamond in the one-mile Grade 3 contest worth $300,000.

Grade 2-placed Balboa has finished second and third in his two previous local starts, and will look to take one more step forward for the top prize in Saturday's Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham.

The Gotham will close out the 10-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool in Race 4, the Listed $200,000 Busher - a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifier - in Race 2 and the Listed $150,000 Stymie in Race 8. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

The Brittany Russell-trained Balboa looks to improve off a prominent two-length second to My World in the Jerome over course and distance on January 3. There, he tracked close to the early foot of Freedom's Echo and was roused in the turn by Manny Franco. Balboa responded and took a 1 1/2-length lead at the stretch call, but was collared near the sixteenth marker. The effort was awarded a career-best 81 Beyer Speed Figure. My World exited that race to finish 11th in the Group 3 Saudi Derby on February 14.

The bay son of Not This Time entered the Jerome from a 3 1/2-length third in the nine-furlong Remsen on December 6, which saw its winner Paladin exit to win the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds Race Course and runner-up Renegade follow with a win in Tampa Bay Downs' Listed Sam F. Davis. The Remsen was Balboa's first effort around two turns since a distant fifth in the Grade 1 American Pharoah in October at Santa Anita Park.

Russell said she is pleased with the way Balboa has developed through his two races at the Big A, which raised his total Kentucky Derby points to nine.

"As disappointed as you are to lose, you still have to appreciate the effort," Russell said of the Jerome. "The race before I thought was a good effort, too, and he got beat by good horses that day, so he's keeping good company and hopefully he continues to progress.

"He's a big, good-looking, classy individual," Russell continued. "He's a big horse, but at this stage I'd say he's matured a bit. He's a cool horse mentally, so that gives you confidence with these better races. You want a horse that does things right and has class; they just take things in, and that's him."

Balboa has made three starts for Russell - including a 5 1/4-length trouncing of the six-furlong James F. Lewis III in November in his barn debut - after making his first four outings for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert in California. Each of those three starts since shipping east have come about four weeks apart, but Balboa enters the Gotham with about eight weeks of rest.

Russell said she is hopeful the extra time will aid Balboa on Saturday.

"We've done the right thing by him and he's trained well and hasn't missed a beat," Russell said. "He's a nice horse and I certainly think he deserves another shot up there. Yeah, he got run down last time, but hopefully we can do better this time."

Balboa was entered in the Miracle Wood on Saturday at Laurel Park, but scratched in favor of the Gotham to try his luck again on the Derby trail. Russell worked the colt five-eighths in 1:01.80 on Thursday at her Laurel Park base.

"Everything went well, I wanted to put a steady five-eighths into him with a nice gallop-out, and he did just what we were looking for," Russell said.

Campaigned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan, Balboa was an $875,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was bred in Kentucky by Albaugh Family Stables and is out of the winning War Front mare Tap of War, a full-sister to Halladay, winner of Saratoga Race Course's Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap on turf in 2020.

Sheldon Russell, Brittany's husband with over 1,800 wins in the saddle, was aboard for the Lewis and returns to the irons from post 1.

A newcomer to the division is St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence and Cathi Glassman's Iron Honor [post 6, Manny Franco], who brings a field-best 95 Beyer earned for an impressive debut graduation on December 13 here for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The Nyquist bay, with blinkers on under returning rider Manny Franco, tracked 2 1/2 lengths off the early pace in the six-furlong sprint, and was roused into contention entering the turn after the opening quarter-mile elapsed in 22.79 seconds over the fast footing.

Iron Honor improved position on the outside of the favored Crossingthechannel and was on his flank through the half-mile in 46.50 to set up a duel through the lane. Iron Honor stuck his head in front near the sixteenth marker and extended the margin, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:11.23. The runner-up, Crossingthechannel, exited that event to graduate locally and earn an 85 Beyer.

Brown said the blinkers helped Iron Honor show professionalism in his debut.

"I rarely do that [debut with blinkers], but he had trained inconsistent - however, the times that he had worked good were really good," Brown explained. "When he wouldn't work good, it confused me a little bit, so we put a little blinker on him, and he put it all together and he debuted good."

Since his win, Iron Honor has put together five works at Payson Park Training Center in Florida, including a half-mile breeze in 49.20 seconds on Saturday in company to the inside of older maiden winner Playing Tricks.

"It was a very good work; he's been training steady here at Payson," Brown said. "I'm excited to get this horse stretched out. He's bred to run longer. His debut number was one of the fastest in the country for 2-year-old colts. I think letting the horse get over that fast number first time out and come together for this will be beneficial for him. He's a good horse. I would expect him to move forward here."

A $475,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Iron Honor was bred in Kentucky by Mike Freeny and Pat Freeny and is out of the winning Blame mare Orencia, a half-sister to stakes-placed My Savannah Belle.

C2 Racing Stable, JRM Stables, Mathis Stables and Ken Reimer's Hammond [post 2, Jaime Rodriguez] stretches out for the farthest test of his career for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.

The Charlatan chestnut gets an extra furlong from a last-out third to stablemate Solitude Dude in the seven-furlong Listed Swale on January 31 at Gulfstream Park. He tracked in sixth early under Edgard Zayas and steadily improved position while racing five-wide into the stretch, but could not reel in the runaway winner and finished 5 1/2 lengths back in third. The effort was awarded a lifetime best 84 Beyer, a marked improvement from his previous best 71 for a win in the 6 1/2-furlong Juvenile Sprint there in November.

"I thought he ran well last time against some good horses. He didn't break the best, so then he was always in a compromised spot," Joseph, Jr. said. "He made a run and then flattened out, but he did make a very good jump in the figures. He seems to have done better since that race, we'll give him a try in the Gotham.

"This is a distance he should like," Joseph, Jr. added. "He has tactical speed. Hopefully he breaks well and puts himself in a good spot, and from there, everything goes the right way."

Solitude Dude, who is undefeated in three starts, is one of three Joseph, Jr. trainees entered in Saturday's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream.

Joseph, Jr. said Hammond gave a promising effort against a tough stablemate like Solitude Dude and the Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher-trained runner-up Class President.

"Solitude Dude has been a very good one-turn horse so far, and so was Todd's horse who ran second. I thought that third was a very credible effort - and the numbers said it was," Joseph, Jr. said. "That gave us the confidence to try the Gotham."

Hammond, who has made each of his four starts at Gulfstream, graduated at second asking sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over a muddy and sealed oval in September following a flat fifth on debut over sloppy and sealed footing. He's shown versatility in this two wins, stalking in fourth and pouncing to victory in his graduation before a more prominent effort in the Juvenile Sprint.

Bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones, Hammond was purchased for $170,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-placed Carpe Diem mare Sweet Kisses, who also produced stakes-winner Donut God.

Three Diamonds Farm's Creole Chrome [post 8, Jaime Torres] steps outside restricted company for the first time and ships in from Fair Grounds Race Course where he has made each of his three starts at six furlongs for trainer Joe Sharp.

Creole Chrome was last seen heading Tiz Mary's Comet to land an allowance score facing fellow Louisiana-breds on January 18. There, he saved ground in fourth and pounced to match strides with his rival at the quarter-pole with the pair dueling through the latter stages before Creole Chrome got his head down first at the wire in a final time of 1:10.74. The effort was awarded a career-best 87 Beyer.

The chestnut son of Volatile was a 4 3/4-length winner on debut ahead of a close third in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile in December when one length back of Our Honeymoon in his lone stakes attempt.

Creole Chrome was bred by Gulf Haven Farms and is out of 2009 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks-winner Funny Moon. He was purchased for $55,000 at the 2024 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale.

Creole Chrome is cross-entered in Saturday's Louisiana Stallion of the Year Star Guitar at Fair Grounds, but Sharp said he expects to ship to New York instead.

"We were on the fence about staying in Louisiana and he's cross-entered there, but it seems after talking to Kirk [Wycoff, owner], we're going to go ahead and ship up there and be arriving Thursday morning," Sharp said. "He's a cool horse and I think the added distance is going to help him."

Michael McMillan's Dirty Rich [post 9, Ramon Vazquez] will stretch out from three consecutive sprint stakes efforts for trainer Peter Miller, including a win in the 5 1/2-furlong Advent in December at Oaklawn Park.

Dirty Rich was last seen finishing a distant third to Obliteration in the six-furlong Renaissance on January 3 at the Hot Springs oval, where he was pressured on the lead early before being passed by Obliteration in the turn and holding on for the minor awards in the lane. He entered that race from his wire-to-wire victory in the Advent that garnered a lifetime best 89 Beyer.

Completing the field are the dual stakes-placed New York-bred Fourth and One [post 4, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Jeremiah Englehart, two-time Ohio-bred stakes-winner Crown the Buckeye [post 3, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for conditioner Mike Maker and maiden-winners Exhibition Only [post 7, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Rudy Rodriguez and Right to Party [post 5, Christopher Elliott] for trainer Ken McPeek.

Napoleon Solo - Gotham or Fountain of Youth?

Feb 15 - Grade 1 Champagne-winner Napoleon Solo worked at Palm Meadows on Friday in preparation for a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifier on February 28 - the question is, will the Liam's Map gray stay in Florida for the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park or ship back to New York for the one-turn mile Gotham, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Chad Summers for owner Al Gold's Gold Square, Napoleon Solo worked five-eighths in company in 1:01.45 to the outside of trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s Ruleroftheuniverse [1:02.15].

"I couldn't be happier with how he's coming along," Summers said. "When we decided not to go to the Breeders' Cup and put this plan together, you need everything to go perfect - so far, everything is on track. He's scheduled to run on February 28, and he'll make one more start after that.

"Both the Gotham and Fountain of Youth are on the radar," Summers added. "We'll keep an eye on the weather in New York. The Gotham makes sense as he's had success over the track, it's a one-turn mile and possibly easier competition off the freshening, but it's also a 26-hour van ride."

The $40,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase graduated on debut in August at Saratoga Race Course in a six-furlong maiden auction event that earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. He returned with a powerful frontrunning performance in the Grade 1 Champagne in October here, drawing away to a 6 1/2-length score over Talkin to earn a 95 Beyer and 10 Kentucky Derby points in the one-turn mile.

"He's flourishing at Palm Meadows. He loves his round pen before he trains, it takes a little bit of the steam out of him before he goes to the track because he's not an easy actor on the track," Summers said. "Do I take him out of his rhythm? I don't know. If you run in the Fountain of Youth, all the options remain on the table for the next race. If you run in the Gotham, you miss a few days shipping out there and those March 28 races [Arkansas Derby, Florida Derby] go away and you're looking at the April 4 races [Blue Grass, Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.] It's something Al and I go back and forth on about seven times a day. Hopefully, we'll make a decision here in the next few days."

Gold Square's Two Out Hero, trained by Kevin Attard, drew the outermost post 12 for the 1 1/16-mile John Battaglia Memorial on February 21 at Turfway Park - a 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifier.

Summers noted that the Grade 1-placed War Front bay, a winner on turf and Tapeta at Woodbine last year, could also come under consideration for the Gotham.

"Unfortunately, he got post 12 so that's something that will be a conversation with the team at Gold Square and Kevin if we want to go there or weigh your options somewhere else," Summers said. "I don't think it will be a 12-horse field in the Gotham, so it may be of interest to come up here."

Two Out Hero graduated by 12 lengths on debut in July while sprinting six furlongs over Tapeta and followed with a victory on turf in the 6 1/2-furlong Listed Soaring Free one month later. The talented bay completed his campaign with a one-length third in the Grade 1 Summer, a one-mile turf test on September 13 won by Argos.

"He's always worked well enough on the dirt that we wanted to give him an opportunity to be on the Derby trail," Summers said. "We thought the Turfway angle made sense because of the success he had on the Tapeta, but post 12 has not exactly been kind to horses at Turfway. We'll see."

Talkin possible to return in G3 Gotham

Feb 11 - Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding and R.A. Hill Stable's Talkin has been away from the races since a distant ninth in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen on December 6, but could make his return in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on February 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack, according to trainer Danny Gargan.

"It's back to one-turn and who knows who will show up there," Gargan said of the 50-25-15-10-5 qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. "It's an option."

Talkin was a debut winner sprinting seven furlongs in August at Saratoga Race Course, in a race that saw subsequent Grade 3-winner and well-regarded Kentucky Derby hopeful Further Ado finish third. Talkin went on to finish second to runaway winner Napoleon Solo in the Grade 1 Champagne going a one-turn mile in October at Belmont at the Big A ahead of the Remsen, where he contested two turns for the first time and was well-beaten after tracking in fourth early.

Gargan said he felt Talkin, who is currently training at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, was not in peak form for the Remsen.

"He's doing really good right now," Gargan said. "I babied him and had some slow works in him, and I think I just brought over a real flat horse. He just wasn't himself."

Talkin, a $600,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is by Good Magic and out of the winning Tiznow mare Rote, who also produced Grade 2-placed Royal Obsession - dam of last year's Grade 1 Cotillion winner Clicquot - and dual stakes-placed Jumby Bay.

Another talented Good Magic progeny currently in Gargan's barn is 4-year-old filly Snowyte, who was an eye-catching 11 1/4-length optional claiming winner traveling 1 1/16 miles on February 1 at Gulfstream Park, an effort that garnered a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Kentucky homebred for Don Alberto Stable was second to Scottish Lassie in the 2024 Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont at the Big A, and has finished first or second in 3-of-4 starts around two turns.

Gargan said Snowyte could head to the Big A for the nine-furlong Listed $175,000 Top Flight on March 29 as a possible stepping-stone to the Grade 2 Doubledogdare on April 17 at Keeneland.

"She won impressively the other day, and she's really gotten better with age," Gargan said. "She ran the biggest number she's ever run, and in her two-turn races, she's never run worse than second other than the Breeders' Cup. We could go from there to the Doubledogdare or something like that."

Out of the dual stakes-winning War Front mare Snow Fall, Snowyte is a half-sister to Snow Dancer, dam of Dancing Groom, who finished third in the Grade 1 Champagne in 2023.

Creole Chrome points to G3 Gotham Stakes

Feb 11 - Three Diamonds Farm's Louisiana-bred Creole Chrome may be sent to New York for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on February 28.

The one-turn mile for sophomores provides 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and headlines a lucrative card that includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Tom Fool for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs, the Listed $150,000 Stymie at one mile for older horses, and the Listed one-mile $200,000 Busher for 3-year-old fillies, offering 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.

Creole Chrome, by Volatile and out of 2009 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks-winner Funny Moon, was purchased for $55,000 at the Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale.

"He's a Louisiana-bred but he doesn't know it. He acts like a nice horse, so we're going to give him a chance in the Gotham," Sharp said. "I think he's a horse that will definitely respond well to more distance. He's an exciting horse to have in the barn. The waters will get a little deeper for him, but hopefully he can rise to the occasion."

He has made three career starts, all in six-furlong sprints versus fellow state-breds at Fair Grounds, beginning with a 4 3/4-length debut romp on November 20 over next-out winners Dickie T [2nd], Wherethehitsare [3rd], and Go Get Trae [7th].

Creole Chrome returned on December 13 and finished a hard fought one-length third in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile.

"I think he was a little quick back off his maiden," Sharp said. "We might have surprised him by asking a lot of him in a short time, that's all."

Creole Chrome scored a redemptive effort last out in a second-level allowance on January 18, posting a head score over Tiz Mary's Comet. The winning effort earned an 87 Beyer.

"He has a lot of heart. I do think with a little more distance he won't have to chase as much," Sharp said. "He's still figuring it out. I expect him to show some maturity on the stretch-out, for sure."

Talk to Me Jimmy Nominated for Grade 3 Gotham

Feb 7 - Talk to Me Jimmy (SEI Thoroughbreds and trainer Rudy Rodriguez) announced his presence in the sophomore dirt division and stepped onto the Kentucky Derby trail with an emphatic 11-length romp in Friday's Listed $200,000 Withers, a nine-furlong test for sophomores at Aqueduct Racetrack. The winning effort saw Talk to Me Jimmy secure the maximum allotment of the 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points on offer towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Ridden to victory by Ruben Silvera, the New York-bred son of Modernist became the first stakes-winner for his sire after dueling for early command with the favored Schoolyardsuperman, marking splits of 23.96 seconds, 48.18 and 1:12.47 over the fast footing. He kicked clear of Schoolyardsuperman entering the turn and brought his advantage to 6 1/2 lengths at the stretch call, furthering it in the lane to bound through the wire a much-the-best winner in a final time of 1:51.68. The effort garnered a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

The win came on the back of a 5 1/2-length maiden score going one-mile against fellow state-breds in November here when adding blinkers following a third on debut in September.

Rodriguez said he always believed that Talk to Me Jimmy would relish additional ground.

"He looked like he wanted to go the distance," Rodriguez said. "He's got a nice cruise control, and even in his gallops, he's nice and steady. We were lucky that we got to breeze him out of the gate for the race, and we put another good half-mile into him after that.

"We were thinking to put the blinkers on right from the get-go, but the first time, I just said to leave it alone," Rodriguez added. "Thank God, we did add them, because it looks like he gets himself together with them. Ruben breezed him the other day and said he gets a little lazy without them."

Rodriguez noted after the race that Talk to Me Jimmy grabbed a quarter on his front right at some point in the race, and said on Saturday morning that the colt was in good order.

"Thank God, everything looks good," Rodriguez said. "I'm not too sure where in the race he grabbed himself, maybe a little past the half-mile pole. The little cut on his foot isn't too bad, but we'll just make sure with the vet. He's comfortable this morning and we're very happy with the way he ran."

Rodriguez noted there are several options for Talk to Me Jimmy going forward this winter and spring. He expects to nominate the colt to at least four upcoming stakes, including local options in the one-turn mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham [a 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifier] on February 28 and the nine-furlong Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino [a 100-50-25-15-10 qualifier] on April 4. At Laurel Park, Talk to Me Jimmy is likely to be nominated to the one-mile Miracle Wood on February 21 and the 1 1/16-mile Private Terms on March 21.

"Let's see what the owners want to do," Rodriguez said, noting the Wood Memorial is a logical spot. "They said to nominate him for the Gotham and the couple of races at Laurel, too."

Bred in the Empire State by Majestic View Farms Intl., Talk to Me Jimmy is out of the 10-time winning Trippi mare Prairie Trip, whose half-sister Russian River produced turf Grade 2-winner Marckie's Water. Talk to Me Jimmy was purchased by Rodriguez for $31,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

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