Gotham Stakes (gr. III) hopefuls Deceived and Master Lightning took to the Belmont Park training track Feb. 23 in tune-ups for the upcoming race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trainer Leah Gyarmati sent out Treadway Racing Stable's Deceived to work over the Belmont training track. The New York-bred son of Broken Vow breezed six furlongs in company with grade I winner Sweet Reason. Both were clocked in 1:16.10.
Deceived is to make his first start March 1 against open company in the $500,000 Gotham, a 1 1/16-mile race that is final local prep for the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. I) April 5.
Because of inclement weather in New York, Gyarmati said she put a lot of thought into her decision to have Deceived breeze six furlongs six days before the Gotham.
"It's hard when you're not able to train every day to jump up and do things," said Gyarmati. "You don't want to go from jogging in the barn for four days to breezing a mile, so you kind of have got to compromise, but he's good and fit and has been running."
"It's hard when you're not able to train every day to jump up and do things," said Gyarmati. "You don't want to go from jogging in the barn for four days to breezing a mile, so you kind of have got to compromise, but he's good and fit and has been running."
In his past three races, all at Aqueduct, Deceived broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths Dec. 7, finished third 11 days later in the Damon Runyon Stakes, and won an entry-level optional claimer by 8 1/4 lengths Jan. 31.
Alan Cook's Master Lightning, a son of Pulpit and one of three Todd Pletcher-trained colts under consideration for the Gotham, breezed four furlongs in :49.55.
Master Lightning won an optional claiming race in December at Aqueduct to cap his juvenile campaign. He began the new year finishing seventh in the Jerome Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 4 at Aqueduct and then ran fourth in the Miracle Wood Stakes Jan. 25 at Laurel Park.
"(Master Lightning) was in hand and galloped out very strongly and looked very well," reported Byron Hughes, assistant to Pletcher. "His coat is shining and looks great."
Pletcher's maiden winner Surfing U S A, a Roman Ruler colt campaigned by Stonestreet Stables and George Bolton, also is possible for the Gotham, as is close Sam F. Davis Stakes (gr. III) runner-up Harpoon, a Tapit colt owned by Let's Go Stable. Both currently are training at Palm Meadows in Florida.
