Morello to get class and distance test in Gotham

Mar 02, 2022 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Morello, a convincing winner of both starts since the Aqueduct meet
commenced last November, will get a stronger test Saturday in the $300,000 Gotham S. (G3).

Run over a one-turn mile, the Gotham awards Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points of 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers. Victory in the race is
tantamount to securing a spot in the Run for the Roses, though only the might Secretariat (1973) has ever pulled off the Gotham/Derby double.

A son of juvenile champion Classic Empire, Morello won for fun by more than
four lengths in his six-furlong debut in late November, and followed up with a
five-length triumph in the seven-furlong Jimmy Winkfield S. on Feb. 6. for
trainer Steve Asmussen.

Also stretching out following two wins going shorter is the Todd
Pletcher-trained Dean's List, who notched maiden and allowances wins over
six panels at Gulfstream earlier this winter. He's joined by stablemate
Golden Code, a 10-length maiden winners versus New York-breds last time for
owner Calumet Farm.

'I like the way he's been training and he's put in some gallop outs that
suggest he is going to be able to handle a stretch out in distance – that's what
we're trying to find out here and I feel the one-turn mile is a good way to do
it and gradually stretch him out a little bit,' said Pletcher of Dean's List.

Although ineligible to earning any Derby points, the Bob Baffert-trained
Rockefeller looms a major player. The Medaglia d'Oro colt is 2-for-2 around
one turn, including a 2 3/4-length score last November in the Nashua (G3) at
Belmont. He was most recently second to stablemate Newgrange in the Sham (G3) at
Santa Anita.

Glider, second to the highly-rated Emmanuel in a Tampa Bay Downs
allowance last out, is a potential player in his stakes debut, while Life Is
Great is back after placing in both the Jimmy Winkfield and the Heft S. at
Laurel. The speedy Fromanothamutha owns the best last-race Brisnet Speed
rating, a 105, from his belated maiden win on Jan. 13 in his sixth career start.

The Gotham ends a 10-race card, with a post time of 5:27 p.m. ET. You can
watch and wager at
TwinSpires.com.