El Kabeir proves too strong in Gotham Stakes
Ozone Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Post-time favorite El Kabeir made a sweeping move into the stretch on his way to winning Saturday’s $400,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct.
The 1 1/16-mile stakes is the final local prep event for the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 4. The Gotham attracted 10 3-year-olds with eight betting interests. El Kabeir was sent off as the 13-10 favorite.
Trained by John Terranova for Zayat Stables, El Kabeir and jockey C. C. Lopez broke cleanly from the gate and settled off the pace being set by Toasting Master and Blame Jim. Blame Jim was coupled with Dontbetwithbruno and Uninfluenced.
El Kabeir raced well back of the leaders up the backstretch but began to advance on the final turn. The favorite was four wide coming into the stretch and moved easily to the lead with a furlong to run.
El Kabeir drove to a three-length victory over 11-1 longshot Tiz Shea D with 4-1 third pick Classy Class getting third.
The Gotham win was worth 50 points in the Kentucky Derby points system. El Kabeir now has 75 points toward a place in the 20-horse starting field of the Run for the Roses on May 2.
El Kabeir adds $240,000 to this earnings which stand now at $678,892 with wins in half of his eight starts.
El Kabeir won the Jerome at Aqueduct on Jan. 3 as the 7-5 top pick by almost five lengths as he began his 2015 season. Five weeks later the colt, sent off as the 1-2 favorite, was second to Far From Over in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
El Kabeir broke his maiden by 10 3/4 lengths in his second start on Aug. 30 at Saratoga. He was fourth in the slop in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 4 and second in Aqueduct’s Nashua Stakes on Nov. 2 in the mud. The colt went wire to wire to win the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.
El Kabeir paid $4.60, $3.10 and $2.50. Tiz Shea D returned $8.00 and$4.60, and Classy Class paid $3.80 to show.
Categorized in: Horses