Gotham S.

Chart notes

FLOOD ZONE showed the way early on before being engaged by a pair of rivals six furlongs from home, vied from the five path down the backstretch before tucking three wide through the turn, emerged in tandem with SAND DEVIL as NORMANDY COAST began to backtrack at the three-eighths, took over narrow command at the five-sixteenths, got headed spinning four wide into upper stretch, dug in under a drive taking the front inside the three-sixteenths, edged clear under a drive shying out when shown and under a left handed crop and was kept to task. SAND DEVIL stumbled at the start but only conceded a length to the front before settling into stride, ranged up to vie between foes three then two wide into the turn before emerging head to head with the top one inside three furlongs to go, came under encouragement at the five-sixteenths and spun just off the inside into upper stretch, yielded the front for the final time inside the three-sixteenths, dug in to run on willingly through to the finish. GARAMOND four wide in pursuit down the backstretch, tucked to the two path through the turn and was placed to coaxing at the five-sixteenths, cornered just off the inside into upper stretch, kept on to secure the show honors while never threatening the top pair. MY MITOLE brushed the off side stall at the start, chased six paths off the inside down the backstretch and then four wide through the turn coaxed along from three furlongs out, tipped five wide at the head of the stretch, weakened in the late stages. MCAFEE chased four paths off the inside down the backstretch and then just off the inside through the turn pushed along from midway, swung four then three wide into upper stretch forcing PAGODE to take brief hold straightened away, then passed tired rivals through to the wire. PAGODE broke in striking the near side stall and then got steadied in behind SAND DEVIL conceding four to five lengths to the front before settling into stride, chased five paths off the inside down the backstretch and then three wide through the turn under urging from the three-eighths marker, spun three wide into upper stretch and took brief hold when MCAFEE came inwards from the outside, then offered no kick. CALLING CARD chased three then two wide, came under encouragement along the inside at the three-eighths pole and angled out soon after around the retreating NORMANDY COAST, angled five to six wide into upper stretch and weakened. SACROSANCT three then two wide in pursuit, came under a ride three furlongs out, spun just off the inside into upper stretch and tired. NORMANDY COAST stumbled at the break conceding two to three lengths to the front before settling into stride and advancing in the two path, vied inside a pair of rivals from six furlongs out down the backstretch, tucked inside into the turn and came under urging with seven-sixteenths remaining and retreated through the turn, took the inside route into upper stretch, folded, and was eased home through to the finish.