Owner Mike Repole will be well represented in Aqueduct’s graded Triple Crown
“I’ve been watching the Gotham and the Wood for years, and I want to run
The two colts, both currently with trainer Todd Pletcher’s string at Palm
“Todd and I will talk on Sunday or Monday, but we’re leaning 95 percent in
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After breaking his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths at Saratoga in his second start,
Stay Thirsty was second to Boys at Tosconova (Officer) in the Hopeful S. (G1) on
Labor Day and fifth in November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), a race Uncle Mo
won by 4 1/4 lengths.
“Stay Thirsty has $110,000 in graded earnings, so he’ll need to win or finish
second or third in his next two starts,” Repole noted. “The Gotham is a race
that will be competitive, but we expect to be one of the favorites. Ramon
Dominguez will ride him.”
Uncle Mo will most likely prep for the Wood Memorial in the one-mile Timely
Writer at Gulfstream Park on March 12, Repole said.
TOBY’S CORNER (Bellamy Road), winner of the 1 1/16-mile Whirlaway S. at
“The work was good, very routine,” said Graham Motion, who trains Toby’s
Toby’s Corner looks for his fourth consecutive victory in the Gotham, having
“I was a little concerned at the eighth-pole (in the Whirlaway) because it
In addition to Stay Thirsty and Toby’s Corner, the Gotham is likely to
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CROSSBOW (Bernardini), who drew the rail for Saturday’s Hutcheson S. (G2) at
Gulfstream, could scratch in favor of the Gotham, according to the
Blood-Horse.
On the Gotham undercard, SENSATIONAL SLAM (Grand Slam) and VENGEFUL WILDCAT
(Vindication) are among the possible entrants for the $65,000 Fred “Cappy”
Capossela at six furlongs.
Also on Gotham Day, Repole will have at least two and possibly as many as
four starters, in th $150,000 Tom Fool H. (G3), a six-furlong sprint for older
horses. The owner admits that running four horses in a single graded stakes
would be unorthodox, but believes the plan would maximize his chances of leaving
Aqueduct in possession of the Tom Fool trophy.
“Mike Repole is not a typical owner,” he said. “It took me a while to win a
graded stakes, and now that I’ve won three I want to keep winning more.”
Repole said that CALIBRACHOA (Southern Image), winner of three straight,
including the Toboggan (G3) on January 22, is definite for the Tom Fool, with
HAVE YOU EVER (Van Nistelrooy), sixth in a February 11 optional claimer in his
first start since being claimed by Repole, probable for the race. DRIVEN BY
SOLAR (Freud) and DRIVEN BY SUCCESS (Precise End), who competed in separate
races on Monday, could also join the field.
“I’ll guarantee that I’m running two horses and that Calibrachoa is going in
the race,” Repole said. “Right now Have You Ever has the edge (as the second
starter), but that’s only because Driven by Solar (fourth against New York-breds
in the Hollie Hughes) and Driven by Success (fifth in the General George H. [G2]
at Laurel Park) just ran. We’ll see how they come out of their races. A race
like this is wide open, and I have a lot of bullets.”
The top threat to the Repole juggernaut figures to be Florida shipper CUSTOM
At this time last year, Homewrecker Racing’s Custom for Carlos had won the
This year, the Tom Fool has replaced the Toboggan on Gotham Day, and while
“He’s always been a quality horse,” trainer Eddie Kenneally said. “He was
Custom for Carlos injured a hoof in his stall the night before a planned run
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“He came back (from the layoff) as good or even better than you might expect
from a horse of his caliber,” Kenneally said. “He’s been doing really well since
that race and he has the advantage of having a race over the inner track last
year. Even though he didn’t win, he ran a big, big race.”
Kenneally said Custom for Carlos would breeze five furlongs at Palm Meadows
on Saturday before shipping to New York on Wednesday.