Cherokee's Boy Looks To Put Capuano Back On The Derby Trail In Gotham
By: Jenny Kellner

OZONE PARK, N.Y. (Mar. 14, 2003) - Trainer Gary Capuano has been down the Kentucky Derby (GI) trail before, with memorable results. His Captain Bodgit won the Florida Derby (GI) and the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct in 1997 before finishing second as the favorite in a photo finish with Silver Charm in the 123rd "Run for the Roses".

Now, Capuano is returning to New York on Sunday for the 51st edition of the $200,000 Gotham Stakes (GIII) with another promising 3-year-old, Cherokee's Boy, who is looking for his third straight victory. Capuano has no doubt the son of Citidancer can make the 1 mile and 70 yards of the Gotham, run this year on the inner track around two turns because of the stubborn refusal of winter to leave New York. Whether he can make it all the way to Kentucky for the first Saturday in May remains to be seen.

"I haven't looked that far ahead for him," said Capuano of Cherokee's Boy, who will face 10 other 3-year-olds in the Gotham. "He's a very different horse than Captain Bodgit, who showed early on he was a definite contender. Cherokee's Boy has a lot to prove. The first step for him is on Sunday."

A half-brother to the stakes-placed Runnin Wonder, who races with a screw in her knee and one eye, Cherokee's Boy has five victories, one second and three third-place finishes from 10 starts for earnings of $309,929 for his owners, Foard Wilgis and Dave Picarello.

Four of those victories came in restricted stakes in Maryland, including the Deputed Testimony on Mar. 1. Also on his resume are the three thirds in open stakes company, including a third-place finish in the Laurel Futurity to Toccet, who was a top Derby prospect until he was sidelined.

"In the race against Toccet, he had a bad trip and made three different runs. He should have been an easy second. Then, in Sam Houston's Great State Challenge Juvenile, he ran three lengths behind Supah Blitz," said Capuano. "He's run with some nice horses, that's for sure."

Cherokee's Boy, who drew post No. 11 under Ryan Fogelsonger, will be facing a group with fewer credentials, but a lot of potential, on Sunday. There is not a graded stakes winner in the group, which includes, from the rail out, Midnight Charlie (Herberto Castillo Jr.); Grey Comet (Aaron Gryder); Alysweep (Richard Migliore); Mustbeinthefrontrow (C.C. Lopez); Spite the Devil (Mike Luzzi); Torre and Zim (Norberto Arroyo Jr.); Max Forever (Javier Castellano); Colita (Jorge Chavez); Gimmeawink (Tony Black) and New York hero (Luis Castillo).

Colita, a son of 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone owned by Team Valor, won a pair of races at Aqueduct over the winter, but then finished fifth as the favorite in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in his stakes debut.

"We had a lot against us," said Team Valor president Barry Irwin. "That was a tough track to ship into. Most tracks bank on the turns and straighten out in the stretch. That track is banked all the way round. If you're wide, it's like running on the side of a mountain ridge." On the plus side, said Irwin: "We missed all that crappy weather in New York."

Horses who stuck it through this winter include the New York-bred Grey Comet, New York Hero, Alysweep, and Torre and Zim. Grey Comet, who won his first four starts including the Count Fleet, suffered his first loss on the Whirlaway on Feb. 8, then was a distant third to Champali in the John Battaglia at Turfway Park on March 1.

"It's going to be a big field but I think it's one of the softest Gothams we've had," said Grey Comet's trainer, Gary Contessa. "I've also got home field advantage."

New York Hero, who faced older horses in his last start -- and nearly won -- will be making his fifth start in eight weeks in the Gotham for trainer Jen Pedersen.

"He's improving with every race," said Pedersen, who trains the colt for Paraneck Stables.

Alysweep, who was claimed for Michael Dubb by trainer Pat Reynolds in Dec., won an allowance and the Fred "Cappy" Capossela on Jan. 20 before finishing sixth as the favorite in the Best Turn.

"We're just trying to bury that last race," said Reynolds. "We had high aspirations going in, and we probably shouldn't have run him over that track."

In his last start, Torre and Zim - named for New York Yankee skipper Joe Torre and assistant Don Zimmer - was bet down to 4-5 and then was trounced in the Whirlaway, finishing fifth.

"He was four wide coming off the turn," said Richard Dutrow Jr., who trains the Elusive Quality colt for Sanford Goldfarb. "I don't care if you're Secretariat. Horses don't win going four wide on the far turn of the inner track."

Speaking of Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner is one of several top horses who won the Gotham, along with Dr. Fager and Native Dancer. Of more important consequence is the next step on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby - the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) on April 12, a race which produced two of the last three Kentucky Derby winners in Monarchos (2001) and Fusaichi Pegasus (2000).

Not just Capuano, but all of the connections in the Gotham are looking to move on to bigger things down the road. The owners of Cherokee's Boy have received offers for him, but have turned down every one for just that reason.

"I've been a poor boy all my life," said Wilgis. "What do I need the money for now? I enjoy the game too much and I've spent too much time with this horse to sell him. I helped deliver him. If I sold him for $1 million and watched him win the Derby, I'd never forgive myself."

Jenny Kellner is one of the most respected, multi-faceted journalists in New York. She served as the New York Islanders beat writer for the New York Times and has covered Thoroughbred horse racing and professional football for several major publications in the Big Apple and beyond. She is a frequent contributor to a myriad of Thoroughbred racing trade publications and has covered numerous Kentucky Derbys and Breeders' Cups.

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