Reigning juvenile champion Hansen will make his next start in the Grade III, $400,000 Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, March 3 rather than the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on February 26, according to Dr. Harvey Diamond, founder and racing manager of Skychai Racing, part-owner of Hansen along with Dr. Kendall Hansen.
“We felt that the Gotham was a good spot and the timing was excellent,” Diamond said of the Michael Maker-trained colt. “We would love to take a shot at the Big Apple.”
After an undefeated 3-for-3 campaign last year that culminated with a narrow victory over Union Rags in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, Hansen’s 2012 debut did not go as expected.
On January 29, the striking gray son of Tapit stumbled badly at the start of the Grade III Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park, rushed up to take the lead through an opening-half mile in 45.67, and was not able to fend off Algorithms in the stretch, finishing second by four lengths.
“We would like to get a better start in the Gotham,” Diamond said. “We don’t want to make excuses, but when you think about it he probably ran the first quarter a second faster than what the timer showed. He ran two really fast quarters and that affected him in the latter stages. We are not taking anything away from Algorithms. He is a super horse and was better that day than Hansen. We just hope that on Gotham Day he will settle himself in the gate and show the Hansen that we all know he is.”
Diamond added that after the Gotham, there are a number of possible options, including the Grade I Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on Saturday, April 7 and the Grade III Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park on March 24.
Alicia Wincze Hughes is the turf writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. She started riding at age 8 and was a four-year member of the Pace University equestrian team.
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