Iron Honor Favored as Gotham Stakes Approaches Kentucky Derby

Novel York, NY – Iron Honor, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Manny Franco, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct, a key stepping stone on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The one-mile Grade 3 race offers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top five finishers, according to officials at the New York Racing Association.

Nine three-year-olds are entered in the Gotham, the fifth of six stops on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby. The race is scheduled as the tenth of ten races, with a post time of 5:18 p.m. EST. Among the contenders, Balboa, previously trained by Bob Baffert and now with Brittany Russell, presents a notable longshot opportunity at 6-1. He has seven races of experience and earned nine Derby points from three previous starts on the Kentucky Derby trail, including a second-place finish in the Jerome Stakes.

Hammond, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., will be making his first start on the Derby trail, shipping north from Gulfstream Park. The Charlatan colt won the Juvenile Sprint at Gulfstream and is considered a win contender, despite attempting a mile distance for the first time. He is listed at 8-1 odds.

Crown the Buckeye, at 4-1, will attempt to rebound after fading to eighth in the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. Trainer Mike Maker reports the colt has been training well, suggesting a potential improvement. Ricardo Santana Jr. Is set to ride.

The Gotham Stakes has a history of producing Kentucky Derby winners, including Secretariat in 1973, Native Dancer in 1953, and Easy Goer in 1989. The race’s configuration at Aqueduct, with its inner track during the winter months, is generally considered fair to all running styles.

According to analysis from Horse Racing Nation, the Gotham often provides value opportunities for handicappers, with several double-digit winners in recent years. Horses shipping in from Florida and other southern circuits have performed well, particularly those showing recent progression.

Iron Honor, a debut winner at Aqueduct, has demonstrated impressive speed figures, leading Brown to believe the colt can handle the additional quarter-mile. The Gotham Stakes is contested as a one-turn mile, differing from many other Kentucky Derby prep races which are run at longer distances.

The Gotham Stakes will be followed by the Wood Memorial, another key prep race at Aqueduct, as horses continue their journey toward the Kentucky Derby. The Brad Cox-trained Flood Zone won the 2025 edition of the Gotham by 3 1/4 lengths.