The Gotham Stakes is run in
early March each year at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York, and is
a Gr 3 event contested over 1 1/16 miles on dirt by three-year-old
thoroughbreds. It currently offers a purse of $250,000 and was named not
after the 'fictional' city from Batman comic books, but after New York
City itself, which in years gone by was often called Gotham City.
Inaugurated in 1953, the Gotham Stakes was then run at the now defunct
Jamaica Racetrack. In 1960 it was moved to its current location
(Aqueduct Racetrack) where it has been contested ever since, although
over various distances. For instance, In 1984 and 2003 it was run over 1
mile 70 yards, and in between until now it has been run over 1 1/6
miles.
The Gotham Stakes is an official prep race for the Kentucky Derby in
May. As such, the Gotham Stakes has yielded more than its fair share of
Kentucky Derby hopefuls and winners, the most famous of which is
Secretariat, who famously won the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973.
The fastest the time over 1 1/16 miles is 1:43.00 set by Atoll in 1959.
The fastest time over 1 mile is 1:32.40 set by Easy Goer in 1989.
Jockeys Jorge Velasquez, Angel Cordero, Jr, Jacinto Vasquez, Richard
Migliore and Mike E. Smith have each won the Gotham Stakes three times.
Trainer Claude R. McGaughey III has won the race a record three times -
in 1989, 1992 and 2005. |
