Howgreatisnate tested in Gotham

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Howgreatisnate, undefeated in four starts as a 2-year-old, will make his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 4.

Howgreatisnate, based at Parx with trainer Andrew Simoff, won his debut at Delaware Park by 3 3/4 lengths last Aug. 31. Though the race is listed as a maiden $40,000 claimer, Howgreatisnate was able to run without being offered for the claiming price because he was Delaware-certified, meaning he resided in the state of Delaware for 90 days before he was a 2-year-old.

Simoff said he shipped Howgreatisnate to Delaware right after he bought him for $67,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Being Delaware-certified made Howgreatisnate eligible for the $100,000 First Dash Stakes, which he won at Delaware Park on Sept. 29. Howgreatisnate won once more at Delaware before taking the Future Stars Stakes at Parx on Dec. 5. His Beyer Figures have been solid, with a range of 78 to 82 in his four starts.

“He hasn’t faced real stiff competition, but he’s done it easy pretty much every time,” said Simoff, who trains How great is nate for JohnGu ar ne re’ s Imaginary Stables. “He’s kind of an unknown. He can’t pick what horses he runs against.”

Initially Guarnere wanted Simoff to send Howgreatisnate to Florida for the winter. Instead, Simoff moved him to the Fair Hill training center in Maryland, where the horse has worked four times with one more breeze scheduled for this weekend.

“We figure give him a little break and hopefully, if everything works out, we’ll get a nice spring campaign out of him,” Simoff said.

Howgreatisnate was not made eligible to the Triple Crown when the first deadline closed on Jan. 28 for a fee of $600. Simoff said that was his fault. There is a second deadline, March 27, at which time a $6,000 nomination fee would be due. A win in the one-mile Gotham would earn Howgreatisnate 50 qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby, a total that would virtually guarantee him getting into the race.

“Like I told my owner, if we have to pay the extra [money], that’ll be a great problem to have,” Simoff said. “I told him if we have to pay the extra [$5,400] I’ll pay it.”

Entries don’t close for the Gotham until March 1, but the prospective field includes Arctic Arrogance, Carmel Road, Clubhouse, Eyeing Clover, General Banker, Howgreatisnate, Lugan Knight, Recruiter, Slip Mahoney, and Uncorrelated.

Donk goes for hat trick

Trainer David Donk sent out a pair of 3-year-old maiden winners last week and hopes to have a few more in the coming weeks.

On Saturday, Donk won a one-mile maiden race with third-time starter Register, a ridgling by Super Saver, who beat the second-time starter Asmodeus by a nose. It was 10 1/4 lengths back to third. Register

and Asmodeus both earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He ran very well, I thought he’d stretch out a bit, pretty gutty performance, big race for both horses,” Donk said.

Register is a half-brother to High Oak, winner of the 2020 Saratoga Special, who is on the comeback trail for Bill Mott. Donk, lacking options, said he may try Register at 1 1/16 miles around two turns in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes at Laurel Park on March 18.

“I’m not sure if he wants that, but I don’t have any real options,” said Donk, who noted the Gotham on March 4 is back too soon and he doesn’t want to wait until April 8 and the Bay Shore Stakes. “Listen, I’m not going to run him every two or three months and breeze him six times in between. That is not going to be my [modus operandi].”

On Monday, Donk won a New York-bred maiden special by a neck with the debuting New York-bred filly Harlan’s Bond. Donk believes she would prefer longer distances.

On Friday, Donk sends out Ormstown, a first-time starter by Bernardini in a maiden special weight for 3-year-old New York-breds. Ormstown is a half-brother to Water’s Edge, a Donk trainee who got beat a neck by Americanrevolution in his first start but ultimately went on to become a stakes winner.

“He’s trained well. I think he’s got a future. It’s fun to run those kind,” Donk said of Ormstown.

Donk added that Water’s Edge, who he was attempting to bring back to the races, suffered a setback and may be retired.

Hot Peppers on farm in Calif.

The filly Hot Peppers is convalescing on a farm in Southern California following simple surgery to remove ankle chips, owner Michael Dubb said.

Hot Peppers, a multiple stakes winner, had been scratched by veterinarians out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland in November and the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita in December.

“Because she was scratched in the Breeders’ Cup, they were very sensitive to her there,” Dubb said of the Santa Anita veterinarians. “Phil D’Amato, who was looking after her, told me she looked a little short in some of her strides. We took X-rays and we decided to take some flakes out.”

Dubb said Hot Peppers is at KingFisher Farms in Santa Barbara County in California. Dubb said with the Breeders’ Cup being at Santa Anita this year, his plan is to leave her with D’Amato and try to bring her back to the races this summer.

“If she’s the good Hot Peppers, we’ll go on, if she’s not we’ll figure it out,” Dubb said.

Hot Peppers, a daughter of Khozan, has won 5 of 9 starts, including the Grade 3 Victory Ride and the listed Jersey Girl Stakes when in the care of Rudy Rodriguez. Since the Victory Ride, Hot Peppers finished second in the Grade 1 Test and fourth in the Grade 2 Prioress, her most recent start at Saratoga, on Sept. 2.