HORSE RACING ROUNDUP : Thirty Six Red Wins, Rhythm Fades Again in Gotham Stakes

Rhythm, the 1989 2-year-old champion, remained a disappointment Saturday, finishing fifth in the one-mile Gotham Stakes while going for his first victory in three starts this year.

It was Rhythm’s first start since throat surgery March 8.

“Now you know how good Summer Squall is,” Nick Zito, the trainer of Thirty Six Red, said after his colt won the Gotham by 1 1/4 lengths and paid a winning mutuel of $67.

In his previous start, Thirty Six Red had finished third behind sprinter Housebuster and Summer Squall in the seven-furlong Swale March 17 at Gulfstream Park.

Summer Squall, who was making his first start of the year in the Swale after having bled during a February workout, finished six lengths ahead of Thirty Six Red.

Last Saturday, Summer Squall was impressive in winning the 1 1/8-mile Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park.

The fifth-place finish for Rhythm was his best in three starts this year.

“When I asked him, he didn’t give me anything,” jockey Craig Perret said. “He just pulled up. He didn’t do anything.”

“It’s a mystery,” said trainer Shug McGaughey, who won the Gotham last year with Easy Goer, the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby.

Zito said Thirty Six Red would next start in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial April 21 at Aqueduct.

Thirty Six Red, on or near the lead for the entire mile, won in 1:33 4/5 on a good track under 114 pounds over Senor Pete, who was 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Southland-based Burnt Hills. Kentucky Jazz was another 1 3/4 lengths back.

Thirty Six Red, owned by B. Giles Brophy and ridden by Mike Smith, earned $182,400 from the purse of $304,000 and paid $67, $20.60, $7.20 for his second victory in four starts this year.

Home At Last scored a 2 3/4-length victory in the $233,600 Preview Stakes for 3-year-olds at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla.

Home At Last finished 1 1/8 miles in a very slow 1:53 1/5. Run Turn was second and Sound of Cannons, a 241-1 shot, was third in a field of 12.