SHOWdown tomorrow: Gotham Stks here at AQU

Although it's bitterly cold today (16F in the wind), itn fine and sunny and I'll be heading out to AQU for the 62nd running of the Grade 3, Gotham Stakes, which got a nice boost in prize money to $500,000 this year, with $300,000 and a very important 50 points awarded in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points system going to the winner. Ten betting interests including a coupled entry make up this year's Gotham field, led by the winner and runner-up from last month's Grade 3 Withers Stakes, Samraat and Uncle Sigh, respectively. The contention is quite deep in this year's race with recent stakes winners Extrasexyhippzster (Miracle Wood Stakes) and In Trouble (Grade 2 Futurity Stakes) also entering the race in top form, although noting In Trouble makes his first start in five months and may need a race before running his best. Beaten a nose last month when second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes, Harpoon is yet another rising star in the three-year-old ranks to note. Noble Cornerstone is coupled with Samraat for wagering purposes as they share the same owner and before a seventh place effort in the Sam F. Davis, Noble Cornerstone missed by a neck in the Springboard Mile Stakes so has a chance to be competitive in this situation. Financial Mogul is another who ran poorly in his most recent race (sixth in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes) but he finished second prior to that in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes last fall and could be a factor. Deceived was very impressive winning against lesser rivals by eight lengths over the track last month, while Classic Giacnroll finished fourth in the Withers but prior to that finished second in the Grade 2 Jerome Stakes. Mister Lightning won over the track in December but has finished seventh and fourth, respectively, in his two stakes tries since then. Monopolize rounds out the field, the third of three starters from the barn of North American leading trainer Todd Pletcher, but the least accomplished, with only a maiden win to his credit (preview courtesy of Ellis Starr, national racing analyst at Equibase). My top selection is 1a Samraat and my Top 5 are 1,2,4,6,8. 5 is scratched. Samraat, a dark bay son of Noble Causeway, enters the Gotham off two consecutive stakes wins on Aqueduct's inner track: a 16 ¾-length romp in the Damon Runyon against New York-breds on December 18 and a hard-fought one-length score over Uncle Sigh in the Grade 3 Withers on February 1, his first start in open company. "There's no question more racing will help him," said trainer Rick Violette, who also will saddle Klaravich Stables' Financial Mogul in the Gotham. "If we're lucky enough to make it to the Derby, we felt two races [Gotham and Wood] would be the way to go and Mr. [Leonard] Riggio felt strongly about that. In the Gotham, we'll be racing out of our own stall on a racetrack he's familiar with. It's an upgrade as far as competition goes. He has to step up but if you watched the prep races over the weekend, there were a few horses who stepped up and a lot who didn't." Jose Ortiz, who has been aboard for all four of Samraat's victories, will be in the irons again when they leave from post position 8. Coupled with the Wesley Ward-trained New York-bred Noble Cornerstone in the wagering, Samraat was listed at 5-2 on the morning line. Financial Mogul drew post position 2 at 10-1 on the morning line. In the Gr2 Top Flight for F&M over 1&1/16th, my selection is #2 Teen Pauline, 9/5 second fav on the ML.