Weyburn edges Crowded Trade in Gotham upset

Mar 06, 2021 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

After registering a maiden win in early December, Weyburn jumped straight to stakes competition and likely secured a Kentucky Derby berth with a massive upset in Saturday’s $300,000 Gotham S. (G3) at Aqueduct.

Weyburn got up late along the inside to edge Crowded Trade by a nose at 46-1 odds. Contested over a one-turn mile, the Gotham awarded points on a 50-20-10-5 scale as a Kentucky Derby qualifier.

James Jerkens trains the Chiefswood Stables’ homebred colt, and Trevor McCarthy was up. By Pioneerof the Nile, Weyburn tracked in second as Freedom Fighter, the 2-1 second choice, set the pace on a short lead.

Crowded Trade advanced to take a short lead in upper stretch on the far outside, but Weyburn kept grinding away and prevailed late by the slimmest of margins. 

The winner stopped the teletimer in 1:38.70.

Crowded Trade, who was exiting a one-length debut win at Aqueduct on Jan. 28, easily held second by nearly two lengths over odds-on favorite Highly Motivated, who rallied belatedly while never a threat to the top two in his 2021 opener.

It was another three lengths back to Freedom Fighter, who was followed by The Reds, Capo Kane, Wipe the Slate, and Atlantic Road.

The dark bay colt needed three starts to earn his first win, scoring by a 1 1/2 lengths over a sloppy track at Aqueduct, and Weyburn returned from a 91-day freshening in the Gotham. Bred in Ontario, Weyburn counts multiple Grade 3 winner Yorktown as a half-brother. He’s out of the unraced A.P. Indy mare Sunday Affair.

Weyburn isn’t presently nominated to the Triple Crown, but the Canadian-bred can be added as a late nominee by March 29.

Jerkens indicated the $750,000 Wood Memorial S. (G2) on April 3, a major qualifier for the Kentucky Derby, could be next for Weyburn.