Horse Racing Roundup : Easy Goer Wins Gotham Stakes by 13 Lengths

After Easy Goer romped to victory in the $280,500 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday, jockey Pat Day posed a mind-boggling question.

“What do you think he would do if I asked him to run?” Day asked.

The early Kentucky Derby favorite won the one-mile Gotham by 13 lengths in a stakes- and track-record 1:32 2/5, one-fifth of a second off the world record set by Dr. Fager in 1968 at Arlington Park.

Day barely stirred on his trip over the Aqueduct track as Easy Goer moved a step closer to the Derby May 6 at Churchill Downs. In his 3-year-old debut, the 2-year-old champion won the 7-furlong Swale at Gulfstream Park March 4 by 8 3/4 lengths.

Easy Goer will complete his Derby preparations in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial April 22 at Aqueduct, which will be his first race around two turns.

After the son of Alydar exceeded Day’s expectations, trainer Shug McGaughey said “I’m a little doubtful about the 1:32 2/5 because the track has been fast. I didn’t think he was running anywhere close to that.”

Sent off at 1-20, he beat Diamond Donnie, who was 7 1/4 lengths ahead of Expensive Decision. Texian finished fourth, another 7 1/2 lengths back, while the other starter, Cantrell Road, pulled up in the stretch.

The victory was worth $168,300 and increased Easy Goer’s earnings to $800,090.

Awe Inspiring won the $300,000 Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah, Fla., by two lengths over Irish Actor, making his move on the outside and taking the lead going into the stretch.

His victory makes even more difficult the decision whether to run Awe Inspiring in the Kentucky Derby. McGaughey, who trains both Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring, has said he won’t run Awe Inspiring in Kentucky May 6, but the horse’s owner has not ruled it out.

Although Easy Goer is owned by Ogden Phipps and Awe Inspiring is owned by his son, Ogden Mills Phipps, they would have to run as an entry in Kentucky.

“We’re going to put him in the Derby,” the younger Phipps said of Awe Inspiring, “but we don’t know if we’re going to run both of them. I do believe Easy Goer is the better horse, and I don’t see much point in just being in a race. There are other things out there.”

Phipps, however, said Awe Inspiring will be trained for the Derby because “it’s the only way to get him right for it” if he does run.

Ridden by Craig Perret, Awe Inspiring covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 3/5, nearly three seconds off the track record.

A grandson of Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Awe Inspiring went off as the 4-5 favorite. Irish Actor finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of America’s Friend, who took third.

Awe Inspiring has won two straight stakes at Hialeah, having taken the Everglades on March 25 by three lengths. His $180,000 share of the Flamingo purse increased his career earnings to $278,220 from five victories in seven starts.

At Liverpool, England, Little Polveir, a 12-year-old longshot, scored a seven-length victory in the Grand National steeplechase.

The 28-1 outsider, ridden by Jimmy Frost, took the lead halfway through the race and ran away from the rest of the field to earn the top prize of $114,960.

Last year, after jumping 25 of Aintree’s 30 fences in style, Little Polveir unseated rider Tom Morgan and did not finish.

This time, after a switch in rider and trainer, Little Polveir coped superbly with the sodden turf to give Frost a victory in his first Grand National.

West Tip, 1986 winner and a 12-1 shot, finished second, followed by The Thinker.

Little Polveir was trained by Toby Baldwin, who last won the Grand National in 1969 with Highland Wedding.

Although many predicted the wet turf would take its toll, 14 of the 40 starters finished.