Aqueduct Racetrack Racing Picks: Gotham Stakes Day, 3/1/2025

The Kentucky Derby trail and the Kentucky Oaks trail return to the New York Racing Association on Saturday, March 1 with the Gotham (G3) and the Busher at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Gotham is a one-turn mile that offers 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winner, while the Busher covers the same distance with 50 Oaks points being awarded to the winner.

In addition to this pair of three-year-old features, Saturday’s Aqueduct card includes two other stakes as well. The Tom Fool (G3) showcases older sprinters, while the Stymie is a one-turn mile for older horses. The ten-race program gets underway at 12:40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, and you can watch all day long at FanDuel TV and place your bets at FanDuel.

Make sure to check the program on race day for scratches and changes before you bet. The forecast is supposed to be clear, but there can always be late changes, and it’s good to make sure that your wagers make sense given the track condition and final field on race day.

Aqueduct Racetrack Picks

Race 7 - Busher Invitational, one mile on the dirt - She’s Fascinating, Volleyballprincess

FanDuel odds: 5-1 and 10-1

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She’s Fascinating (5-1) faces winners for the first time, but things came together for her last out when she tried a mile on fast dirt at Aqueduct. She drew to the outside of an eight-horse field, tracked an honest pace, and kept going to win by 8 ¼ lengths. The waters get deeper in the Busher, but she should catch another dry track and should catch another honest pace, with several horses in this field happy to be on or near the lead. This means Jose Lezcano, who rode her last time as well, should be able to give her a similarly good trip.

Volleyballprincess (10-1) came to Aqueduct from Parx for the seven-furlong Ruthless on February 1. Parx horses can’t always bring their form to New York, but she did: she won that race in a procession. She led at every call that day, though her maiden win at Parx also showed that she can stalk the pace and take over as well. Her Parx connections and the fact that she is trying a mile for the first time should keep the price up, but she has upside for this spot. The step up in trip should be no trouble for a daughter of Mo Town and a Stephen Got Even mare, and her good efforts over 6 ½ and 7 furlongs bode well for her to handle this one-turn mile.

Race 8 - Gotham Stakes (G3), one mile on the dirt - Sand Devil, Calling Card

FanDuel odds: 9-5 and 6-1

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Sand Devil (9-5) faces horses bred outside of the Empire State for the first time, but has the tools to handle it. He won a first-level New York-bred allowance in his only start at a mile, and he galloped home by double-digit lengths. But, he doesn’t need things easy. Next out, in the seven-furlong Damon Runyon, he was challenged in the stretch and had to grit things out to win by a neck. He has tactical speed, he can dig in and fight when he needs, and with trainers like Brad Cox and Chad Brown in here, he may well drift up from his morning-line price since he is trained by Linda Rice.

Calling Card (6-1) is the only horse in the field with graded-stakes experience. That race didn’t go very well, as he was a no-threat eight in the Lecomte (G3). However, now he comes back to Aqueduct, where he thrashed New York-bred maidens over the one-turn mile back in November. The turn back from two turns to one should be key for Calling Card: his sire, Complexity, had a hot start, but his foals are looking like they have some distance limitations. And, the new blinkers may sharpen him up a bit—but if he still maintains something close to his later-running style, all the better, as there’s no shortage of early gas in this bunch.

Race 10 - New York-bred maiden special weight, six furlongs on the dirt - Merica’s Back, Share the Ludt

FanDuel odds: 9-2 and 4-1

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This is not only the biggest field of the day, but has a great bet-against angle: a likely favorite with a serious case of second-itis. Morning-line chalk Vekinda certainly fits the level, as he has raced five times and hit the board in all five starts, with four of those five outings coming at this distance on the dirt at Aqueduct. However, this horse has been the beaten favorite four times in a row. Horses who finish second that many times often keep finishing second unless their connections make a change. Furthermore, the rail draw in a field of 12 is a recipe for trip trouble.

Merica’s Back (9-2) has tables to turn on Vekinda from his last race, but he has more upside than that foe. After all, that race was this horse’s debut. Perhaps he rallied just a little too early, or got a little tired late in that first-ever race. But, he gets a switch to jockey Luan Machado, who has been going well with trainer Mike Maker. He shouldn’t lose too much ground from this middle gate, and any improvement second time out should make him a major contender.

Share the Ludt (4-1) broke poorly and was never involved last out, but ran well two starts back in a seven-furlong open maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park in December. These New York-breds are a class drop from championship meet company in south Florida. The cut back to six furlongs is a question, as his pedigree looks even more suited to something like a mile, but he didn’t run badly in a six-furlong stakes race last October despite still being a maiden. Trainer Melanie Giddings does well bringing fresh horses back from layoffs, and if he breaks well enough, he can beat these.

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