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NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Gatsas Stables, Steven Schoenfeld, and trainer John Terranova’s graded stakes-placed turf sprinter Our Shot is primed for a big spring and summer after a strong run for fourth in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 2 Shakertown on April 6 at Keeneland.
The 5-year-old Kantharos gelding found himself further back than usual during the early going, 6 1/4 lengths off the pace in ninth-of-12 after an opening quarter-mile of 21.61 seconds over the good turf. He surged to fourth in the stretch and missed place-honors by less than one length, closing between Grade 1-winner Mischief Magic and stakes-winner Eamonn.
Terranova said he was encouraged by the chestnut’s effort and will likely point him towards the Grade 2, $600,000 Turf Sprint on the May 4 Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs.
“He came out of the Shakertown great. He’ll stay down there for a bit but will be coming back up here [to Belmont Park] and probably pointing towards the sprint on Derby Day down there at Churchill Downs,” Terranova said. “Our team is here so we will bring him back up here.”
The Shakertown fourth came second off-the-layoff and earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, improving upon an 84 for finishing fourth in the six-furlong Big Daddy on March 9 over the Turfway Park synthetic.
Our Shot banked $239,963 through an 8-3-2-1 record in a 4-year-old campaign that came to an end with an off-the-board finish in the six-furlong Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship on November 18. He entered that event from a rallying second in the Grade 2 Woodford in October at Keeneland.
Previously, Our Shot finished third in the Harvey Pack in September at Saratoga Race Course after beating multiple graded stakes-winner Arrest Me Red by a head in an optional claimer in July at the Spa.
Terranova said Our Shot’s long-term goal is the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing on June 8 Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga. The Jaipur offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Del Mar.
Curragh Stables’ stakes-placed Spiked seeks her first stakes score in Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Top Flight, a nine-furlong test for older fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The 5-year-old Unified dark bay was a last out sixth in a local one-turn mile optional-claimer on March 14. She entered off a closing third in the one-mile Heavenly Prize Invitational in her return from a near 10-month layoff on February 10, but broke through the gate before traveling an inside trip.
“She broke through the gate and that is why she didn’t run,” said Terranova. “I’m just going off her first race back and trying to build off that.”
Terranova said Spiked seems to prefer nine furlongs, a distance at which she won a local optional claimer last April and finished third that January after crossing the line first, but was disqualified due to drifting out in the stretch.
Jose Gomez retains the mount from post 4 in the five-horse field.
The Top Flight is slated as Race 3 on Sunday’s nine-race card that also features 6 1/2-furlong sprints for sophomores in the $200,000 NYSSS Times Square [Race 5] and $200,000 NYSSS Park Avenue [Race 8]. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.
