Hansen to bounce back in the Gotham Stakes at the Big A
Kendall E. Hansen, who bred and part owns the early Kentucky Derby contender, the newly turned 3-year-old colt, Hansen, under the banner of Sky Chai Stable, which is founded by racing manager of the stable, Dr. Harvey Diamond, will be hoping that the Kentucky
bred rebounds from his second place defeat to, Algorithms, in the last month’s Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park at about 1 mile, in the Grade 3, $400,000 Gotham Stakes.
The 1 1/16 mile race on dirt is set to go on at Aqueduct race track on 3 March, 2012, as Hansen will look to take 4 other 3-year-old males.
“We felt that the Gotham was a good spot and the timing was excellent,” Diamond said of the Mike Maker-trained colt. “We would love to take a shot at the Big Apple.”
Trained by Michael Maker, Hansen is the son of Tapit, out of mare Stormy Sunday by Sir Cat, was undefeated in his juvenile season with a perfect 3 of 3, breaking his maiden under V Lebron at Turfway Park, going over a distance of five and a half furlongs.
Hansen then took his winning momentum into the Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes at about 1 1/16 miles, over the Turfway Park’s synthetic surface, defeating Fine in second and Downtown Driggs in third, while covering the distance in 1 minute and 45.83 seconds.
He capped off the season with a win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which eventually earned him the top 3-year-old male honours at the Eclipse Awards. He defeated the rampant, Union Rags in second and Creative Cause in third.
Hansen might’ve missed the opportunity to defeat, Algorithms, in the Holy Bull Stakes because of a stumble at the gate, which spoiled the colt’s chances to go in front of the pack.
“We would like to get a better start in the Gotham,” Diamond said. “We don’t want to make excuses, but when you think about it he probably ran the first quarter a second faster than what the timer showed. He ran two really fast quarters and that affected
him in the latter stages.”
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