Trainer Brad Cox will try to win the Gotham Stakes for the first time when he sends out the top two choices in the 2023 Gotham Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, N.Y. The 43-year-old Cox, who won the Eclipse award as the country’s top trainer in 2020 and ’21, will try to win the Gotham with Eyeing Clover and Slip Mahoney. Eyeing Clover is the 4-1 morning-line favorite in the 2023 Gotham Stakes odds. He is a perfect 2-for-2 in his career. Meanwhile Slip Mahoney is second in the odds at 5-1 in the 14-horse Gotham Stakes 2023 field. He will be facing winners for the first time.
The 2023 Gotham Stakes post time is 4:56 p.m. ET. With a wide-open and full field set to leave the starting gate on Saturday, you’ll want to see what Louisville, Ky.,-based racing expert Jody Demling has to say before making any 2023 Gotham Stakes picks.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also nailed Flightline’s win at the Breeders’ Cup Classic this past November.
Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the country. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 14 Oaks-Derby doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but four times in the last 14 years. He’s also called nine of the last 18 Preakness winners and nailed the 2022 Preakness trifecta.
Now, Demling has handicapped the 2023 Gotham Stakes field, given his horse-by-horse analysis, made his picks and constructed his wagers. Head to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2023 Gotham Stakes predictions
One shocker: Demling is high on the chances of Lugan Knight. This 3-year-old son of Goldencents is third in the odds at 6-1. He has won two of his last three starts.
In his last start, he won a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, the same distance and track he’ll race on Saturday. “The son of Goldencents won the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct in January and ships back in from Kentucky with another big shot,” Demling told SportsLine. Demling is using Lugan Knight prominently in his wagers. See which horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2023 Gotham Stakes picks
Morever, Demling’s top pick is a horse who “looks as if he could be the best of this bunch.” Demling also is high on a double-digit longshot who “will be part of the early speed.” He’s sharing which horses to back at SportsLine.
So what horse does Demling believe could be the best of this bunch? What double-digit longshot who will be part of the early speed is a must-back? And how has he constructed his wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Gotham Stakes, and find out.