Flood Zone dominates Gotham; Drexel Hill joins stablemates in Oaks picture

Mar 01, 2025 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Horses trained by Brad Cox rarely win Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races at big prices. Flood Zone proved one of the rare exceptions on Saturday when springing a 17-1 upset of the $300,000 Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct over 1.45-1 favorite Sand Devil and seven others.

A recent addition to the Cox barn, Flood Zone was privately acquired by Wathnan Racing after the son of Frosted captured a maiden race restricted to Florida-breds by more than five lengths at Gulfstream in early January. Flood Zone has now two of three starts and is firmly on the Derby trail.

Briefly leading after a quarter mile and then taken back into stalking position by jockey Reylu Gutierrez, Flood Zone collared the previously unbeaten Sand Devil in upper stretch and drew off to a comfortable 3 1/4-length score in a time of 1:39.62 for one mile over a fast track. He paid $37.60.

Sand Devil finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Garamond, while My Mitole and McAfee rounded out the top five.

'Reylu knew more about the horse than I did — he was a recent purchase and Reylu had ridden him the first two times as well,' assistant trainer Dustin Dugas said. 'He said he was full of horse today and really happy with him. He broke very sharp, and he said as soon as he crossed the chute, he was full of horse and in command from there on.'

Flood Zone earned 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby, while San Devil secured 25 points and Garamond 15 points, Fourth-place finisher My Mitole and fifth-placed McAfee were ineligible to earn qualifying points as they are not currently nominated to the Triple Crown.

Previously in the shadow of stablemates Her Laugh and Simply Joking, Drexel Hill threw her own hat into the ring for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) earlier on Saturday with a come-from-behind victory in the $200,000 Busher S.

The 5-1 fourth choice in a field of eight three-year-old fillies, Drexel made up a 3 1/2-length deficit in the final furlong to take the one-mile test by three parts of a length over 23-1 longshot Armarth. Volleyballprincess finished four lengths behind in third. Rounding out the top five were Fortuna Mia and Ramify, while 2-1 favorite Liam in the Dust trailed the field.

Drexel Hill covered the course in 1:41.46 under Ben Curtis and paid $12.

Drexel Hill races for Legion Racing and is trained by Whit Beckman, whose roster of Oaks contenders includes the aforementioned Her Laugh and Simply Joking. In her first two starts for Beckman, Drexel Hill finished fifth behind Her Laugh in the Untapable S. at Fair Grounds in December, and then third to Simply Joking in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds the following month.

'She came out and looked a little flat,' Beckman said. [Curtis] was nudging her along the whole way and down the backside, so I was a little unsure if she was going to fire. Once he got her pointed outside, she engaged and once she flattened out down the stretch she responded beautifully.'

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Bolt d'Oro, Drexel Hill has now won two of seven starts. She earned an additional 50 Oaks qualifying points and now has 57 in total.

Armarth earned 25 points and Ramify increased her total from five points to nine points. Third-place finisher Volleyball Princess and fourth-placed Fortuna Mia were ineligible to earn Oaks points as they are currently not nominated to the Churchill Downs fixture.