Thorpedo Anna Half McAfee Takes a Swing in Gotham

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. has cross-entered the promising colt McAfee, a half brother to 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, in both the March 1 Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack and the City of Brotherly Love Stakes March 4 at Parx Racing. Dutrow said Feb. 27 his preference is to run in New York. "I would like to run him here, so we'll see on the day of," Dutrow said of the one-turn mile Gotham, which awards Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers. "As long as he's in the shape he's in right now on Saturday, we're going to run him here." Jockey Lane Luzzi has the call on McAfee in the Gotham. McAfee is aiming to make his first start since a runner-up effort in a one-mile starter allowance Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs, which came 23 days after a debut graduation sprinting six furlongs over the same oval. McAfee was subsequently entered in the Jan. 4 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, but scratched with a leg infection. He was then entered in a starter optional claiming tilt Feb. 14 at the South Ozone, N.Y., oval, but was again scratched. "He's been doing good. He had come up with a bad infection in his leg and the infection has been gone for quite a while, but the healing process has been slow," Dutrow said. McAfee posted a half-mile work in :48.75 Feb. 24 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in his lone breeze since the Valentine's Day scratch. Bred by part-owner Judy Hicks, McAfee is by Cloud Computing and out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Sataves. The colt sold for $40,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale with Maddie Mattmiller signing the ticket. Hicks retained a piece of McAfee's ownership and races the dark bay/brown colt in partnership with Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, and Campeche Stables.