Gotham Stakes up for grabs on Saturday

Horseracing Betting Lines

03/06/2008 - Ozone Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - An even field of ten has been entered for Saturday's $250,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. The 1 1/16 mile Gotham is the final prep race for the April 5 Wood Memorial.

Breaking from the far outside post will be possible favorite Visionaire and jockey Jose Lezcano. Trained by Mike Matz of Barbaro fame, Visionaire is coming off a third place finish to Pyro in the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds.

"I was very pleased with his race in the Risen Star," Matz said. "It was his first time around two turns and he only got beat 2 lengths by some nice horses. Each time he's run, he's improved."

Visionaire is owned by Team Valor for whom he has won two of four starts for $78,260. The chestnut colt will be racing at his fifth different track in as many starts.

Another possible favorite on Saturday is Giant Moon, winner of the Count Fleet Stakes at Aqueduct. Undefeated in four career starts, the colt is owned by Al Fried, Jr. and trained by Richard Schosberg.

Giant Moon will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez from the inside post. The three- year-old has earned $184,785, with three of his wins coming in stakes races.

"He's on the outside looking in, which is as it should be," said Schosberg about Giant Moon. "Hopefully, after Saturday, he'll be on the inside, looking out. Any advantage we have is that he has proven himself around two turns over this track."

Taking another shot at Giant Moon will be Roman Emperor, trained by Steve Klesaris. Roman Emperor will be ridden by Jeremy Rose from post three.

Owned by Puglisi Stables, the colt was third to Giant Moon in the Count Fleet and last time out finished second by a half-length to Barrier Reef in Aqueduct's Whirlaway Stakes.

"He's doing very good and has been incredibly sharp in his training," said Klesaris. "Obviously, this is going to be his stiffest test to date. He's got the versatility, that's for sure. My only reservation is I wish we had races with more ground to run in. This colt is a true mile and a half horse. He's really gonna excel with the big distances."

Roman Emperor has earned $83,553 with two wins in five starts. Rose will aboard the son of 2003 Belmont Stakes champ Empire Maker for the fifth straight start.

Here is the complete field for the Gotham Stakes in post position order: Giant Moon,Ramon Dominguez; Laysh Laysh Laysh, Mario Pino; Roman Emperor, Jeremy Rose; Saratoga Russell, Eibar Coa; Southern Terminus, Stewart Elliott; Holidaze, Michael Luzzi; Texas Wildcatter, Norberto Arroyo, Jr.; Larrys Revenge, Joe Bravo; Ling Ling Qi, Rajiv Maragh and Visionaire, Jose Lezcano.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has three entered in the race Southern Terminus, Holidaze and Texas Wildcatter.

The Gotham has a scheduled post-time of 4:50 p.m. (et).

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

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