The Gotham Stakes is a prominent Grade 3 horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York. It is a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, covering a distance of 1 mile (8 furlongs) on dirt for 3-year-old thoroughbreds.
The 2026 Gotham Stakes is scheduled to take place on February 28. This race is eagerly anticipated by horse racing fans and bettors, as it plays a crucial role in determining contenders for the Kentucky Derby.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balboa | Sheldon Russell | Brittany Russell | 6-1 |
| 2 | Hammond | Jaime Rodriguez | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | 5-1 |
| 3 | Crown the Buckeye | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Michael Maker | 4-1 |
| 4 | Fourth and One | Jose Lezcano | Jeremiah Englehart | 20-1 |
| 5 | Right to Party | Christopher Elliott | Kenneth McPeek | 8-1 |
| 6 | Iron Honor | Manuel Franco | Chad Brown | 6-5 |
| 7 | Exhibition Only | Ruben Silvera | Rudy Rodriguez | 15-1 |
| 8 | Creole Chrome | Jaime Torres | Joe Sharp | SCR |
| 9 | Dirty Rich | Ramon Vazquez | Peter Miller | 10-1 |
The Gotham Stakes has seen numerous iconic winners over the decades, many of whom went on to achieve further success in major races. One of the most famous winners is Secretariat in 1973, who clocked an impressive time of 1:33.40.
Other notable winners include Easy Goer (1989), known for his rivalry with Sunday Silence, and Dr. Fager (1967), regarded as one of the fastest horses of his era. More recent champions include Deterministic in 2024 and Raise Cain in 2023.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iron Honor | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | 1:37.94 |
| 2025 | Flood Zone | Reylu Gutierrez | Brad H. Cox | 1:39.62 |
| 2024 | Deterministic | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | 1:36.37 |
| 2023 | Raise Cain | Jose Lezcano | Ben Colebrook | 1:38.90 |
| 2022 | Morello | Jose Lezcano | Steven M. Asmussen | 1:39.28 |
| 2021 | Weyburn | Trevor McCarthy | James A. Jerkens | 1:38.70 |
| 2020 | Mischievous Alex | Kendrick Carmouche | John C. Servis | 1:38.80 |
