Another trainer with a New York-bred gelding has his sites set on the Kentucky Derby.

This year, the trainer is Dominick Schettino and the gelding is Galloping Grocer, fully recovered from a cut leg and a bruised foot and the likely favorite for the $150,000 Gotham Stakes (Gr. III) at Aqueduct on Saturday.

"We expect a big race out of him," Schettino said Tuesday, a day after the 3-year-old son of A.P. Jet worked six furlongs in 1:12.93 at Belmont Park's training track.

Two years ago, Barclay Tagg sent out Funny Cide, who became the first New York-bred to win the Kentucky Derby _ and first gelding to do it in 74 years.

After Galloping Grocer faded to fourth in the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 12, it appeared the chestnut owned by Robert Rosenthal and Bernice Waldbaum might be pulled off the Derby trail. But it turned out Galloping Grocer suffered a cut on a back leg during the race, and then bruised a foot after he returned to training.

Five weeks have passed since Galloping Grocer's disappointing 3-year-old debut, and Schettino is eager to see how his Derby prospect will handle the one-turn mile over Aqueduct's main track, set to open Friday.

The next step would be the Wood Memorial (Gr. I) on April 16, followed by a trip to Churchill Downs.

"The Whirlaway was not as bad as everyone thinks," Schettino said. "I was disappointed, yeah. But I think it was a good race for him. The time since, he's been working well and he's 100 percent fine."

Mike Luzzi has been aboard Galloping Grocer for the last two workouts, and will ride the horse for the first time Saturday. Aaron Gryder was up for the Whirlaway.

Galloping Grocer was ridden by John Velazquez last year, when the gelding won his first three races before losing by a neck to undefeated Rockport Harbor in the Remsen Stakes (Gr. II) at Aqueduct on Nov. 27.

The 38-year-old Schettino considered Galloping Grocer for in a longer race, such as Saturday's 1 1-16th-mile Tampa Bay Derby (Gr. III) or the 1 1/8-mile Lane's End Stakes (Gr. II) at Turfway Park on March 26, but decided to stay home.

"The horse is training excellent and doing fine right here," Schettino said. "He can get high strung at times and we don't want him to ship from cold to hot back to cold (weather). He could spike a fever. And shipping does take a toll on 3-year-olds. Plus, we're pointing to the Wood."

It appears Galloping Grocer could face as many as eight challengers, including Whirlaway runner-up Naughty New Yorker. Other possibles include Byanosejoe, Distinctive Trick, Maddy's Lion, Mr. Congeniality, Pavo, Survivalist, and Touched by Madness.

« Back To Derby News