Afleet Ascent to try Gotham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is changing plans with his 3-year-olds, opting to keep Kanthaka in Southern California for the Grade 2, $400,000 San Felipe at Santa Anita and deciding to ship Afleet Ascent to New York for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct. Both races are March 10.

Kanthaka, a son of Jimmy Creed, is 2 for 2 at Santa Anita, including a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 San Vicente going seven furlongs on Feb. 10. The San Felipe, at 1 1/16 miles, will be his first try around two turns. Flavien Prat, aboard for the San Vicente, will retain the mount for the San Felipe.

“We can keep our same rider and he won on this racetrack,” Hollendorfer said by phone Thursday from Southern California.

Joey Migliore, client representative for West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns Kanthaka, said that getting the colt around two turns sooner than later was also a factor in the decision to stay home.

“If he is a Derby-material type horse then we would prefer two shots going two turns before the big day,” said Migliore, referring to the fact the horse could run back in a two-turn race in April.

Meanwhile, in the Gotham, Afleet Ascent will return to the dirt for the first time since he finished third in his debut last September at Los Alamitos going 5 1/2 furlongs. Since then, he has won twice sprinting on turf and finished fourth in a stakes over Golden Gate’s synthetic surface. Most recently, Afleet Ascent finished second in the Baffle Stakes, another turf sprint, at Santa Anita.

“He worked good on the dirt,” said Hollendorfer, who trains Afleet Ascent for Ed and Susie Orr. “He’s a really nice-looking horse, we thought would run well, and our owners would like to give it a try. We think he would be better going a little longer distance.”

Dylan Davis, who was to ride Kanthaka in the Gotham, will ride Afleet Ascent.

Another California-based runner confirmed for the Gotham is Fire When Ready, who is coming off a fourth-place finish in the California Cup Derby on Feb. 19. Owner Ron Paolucci said that Fire When Ready, trained by Bob Hess Jr., will get blinkers for the first time in the Gotham.

Trainer Bob Baffert is considering shipping a horse in for the Gotham. He nominated four, including the electrifying debut winner Justify as well as San Vicente runner-up Nero, Restoring Hope, and Ike.

Others considered definite for the Gotham include Cove Blue, Dial Operator, Enticed, Firenze Fire, Nine Route, and Where she told me togo. Beautiful Shot and Quip are possible.

Westerdale to Wood Memorial

Westerdale, a 14 3/4-length maiden winner at Aqueduct on Sunday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 7, trainer Tom Morley said Thursday.

Morley, who is part owner of Westerdale, has always been high on this son of Flat Out. He finished third in his two starts at 2, including in a race won by Mask when both debuted at Belmont last Oct. 20. Mask came back to win the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream in January.

“He was a bit too keen in the race,” Morley said.

In his second start, Westerdale finished third going a mile after making the lead in midstretch.

“He hit the front and looked up into the grandstand, didn’t switch leads,” Morley said.

Morley said he was thinking of running Westerdale as a maiden in the Withers Stakes on Feb. 3, but the horse developed a foot bruise that forced him to miss some training time. Morley said that had last Sunday’s maiden race not filled, he would have run Westerdale in the Gotham on March 10. In his maiden win, Westerdale caught a sloppy track that he obviously relished and went gate to wire breaking from the rail under Kendrick Carmouche. He ran a mile in 1:38.58 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83.

“I know he’s a very good horse on a fast track,” Morley said. “I said to all my partners when we went over there” ‘You don’t know till you run them on it whether they handle [an off track] or not.’ It wasn’t the most ideal draw for us. I’ve been trying to teach this horse to relax off horses a bit, but on paper he was not only the best horse in the race but he was the fastest horse in the race.”

Morley said he has not ruled out running recent New Yorkbred maiden winner Danny California in the Gotham. Part of his decision depends on whether a statebred allowance race in the coming days filled.