It wasn't the 3-year-old debut that trainer Dominick Schettino had planned on.

Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Galloping Grocer not only finished fourth to Sort It Out in the $84,150 Whirlaway Stakes on a chilly and gray Aqueduct afternoon, but emerged from the 1 1/6th mile race with a cut on the back of his left hind leg.

"I don't know if a horse stepped on him on the first turn," said Schettino of Galloping Grocer, a New York-bred son of A.P. Jet who finished second to Rockport Harbor in the Remsen (G2) 2 1/2 months ago. "He's got a pretty big gash on the back of his left-hind leg - I'll have to check it out."

Under Aaron Gryder, Galloping Grocer was pressed through early fractions of 23.24, 46.76 and 1:11.27 by Diamond Wildcat and Scrappy T, then weakened through the final 220 yards as longshot Sort It Out rallied for the neck victory over Naughty New Yorker. Scrappy T closed to finish another 1 ¼ lengths back, a neck in front of Galloping Grocer.

The winning time of 1:43.32 was the second fastest running of the Whirlaway behind Noble Nashua's time of 1:43 in 1981.

"Ever since he went long he's been steadily improving," said Larry Paltrowitz, managing partner of Preferred Pals Stable, owner of Sort It Out. "There is always the thought of nominating him to the Triple Crown. We'll see how the horse comes out and evaluate."

Schettino, who trains Galloping Grocer for Robert Rosenthal and Bernice Waldbaum, was disappointed but not disheartened by the gelding's performance.

"He'll move forward," said Schettino. "He's been away a long time and he ran a hard race."

Galloping Grocer won his first three races against New York-breds by 31 3/4 lengths, prompting comparisons to another New York-bred, 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. He then finished second in his first start against open company to top Derby contender Rockport Harbor by a neck after a long stretch duel in the Remsen on November 27.

"He was off for 11 weeks," said Gryder, aboard Galloping Grocer for the first time, replacing John Velazquez, who rode Harlington for trainer Todd Pletcher in the Risen Star at the Fair Grounds. "And sometimes, a big horse like him, takes racing more than training. Physically, he was very good."

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