Historians will note that a Gotham Stakes (G3) winner has not captured the Kentucky Derby (G1) since the immortal Secretariat in 1973.
That was when gas sold for 39 cents a gallon and the No. 1 song sweeping the nation was "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando and Dawn.
The last time a Gotham winner finished second in the Kentucky Derby was 1989 when Easy Goer was runner-up to Sunday Silence.
These days, the Gotham awards 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, which likely puts the 3-year-old winner in the field of 20 for the May 2 first jewel in the Triple Crown. But with the Gotham contested at a one-turn mile at Aqueduct Racetrack, the list of winners are filled with sprinters better suited for the 7-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) than the 1 1/4-mile Run for the Roses.
Yet trainer Chad Brown believes that streak and mold could possibly be shattered by his Feb. 28 winner of the $300,000 Gotham, Iron Honor.
Running for just the second time, the son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist edged away late to take the Gotham by a length as a 4-5 favorite ($3.88) and convince Brown that the April 4 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles and the Kentucky Derby are in play for the colt owned by St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing.
"The Wood is absolutely on the radar. He's going to stay in New York and I would not rule out the Derby," Brown said. "He got a lot of experience today. He has a lot of foundation. He's been in our care since the summer and has two good races. The Wood will tell us a lot. He's a fast horse on the speed figures."
The Gotham marked just the second career start for Iron Honor, who posted an impressive speed figure in his Dec. 13 debut in a 6-furlong maiden special weight race at the Big A. He was then shipped to Florida where a minor issue cost him some training time. His day-long van ride arrived Feb. 25 in New York and allowed just a race eve gallop to stretch his legs for the Gotham.
"I thought he ran great. He showed a lot of heart and he'll be much better for the race," Brown said ahead of the race. "I think he can really move forward."
The Kentucky Derby in theory would be Iron Honor's fourth career start, but that does not faze Brown.
"You can be playing catch up with a horse who is trying to get to a figure they need for the Kentucky Derby but he's different. You can't get away from the lack of experience but he has a good 2-year-old number. If he can run through that number he'll be one of a handful of horses who can run that fast by early May. He's bred for a distance and it looked like he was interested in more distance galloping out," said Brown, who also trains top Triple Crown series candidate Paladin for different connections.
Iron Honor and jockey Manny Franco vied for the lead with Crown the Buckeye through fractions of :46.30 and 1:11.45 in what turned into a two-horse duel. Iron Honor eventually took charge in the final furlong and was timed in 1:37.94 on a track rated good.
"I feel the horse can go a mile and an eighth," Franco said. "There's still room to improve. Race by race, he's learning."
Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Hooties Racing's Crown the Buckeye gained 25 points for his runner-up finish, giving the Ohio-bred a total of 28 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. He is not nominated to the Triple Crown.
"Second-best. He ran a good race," said jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. who rode Crown the Buckeye, a son of Yaupon , for trainer Mike Maker. "The horse that beat us, you will see that he is a nice horse."
Chester Broman Sr.'s Right to Party (by Constitution ) finished 6 1/2 lengths back in third for trainer Ken McPeek, but also is not nominated to the spring classics.
Iron Honor, who was bought for $475,000 by agent Monique Delk from the Gainesway consignment at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, was bred by Mike and Pat Freeny in Kentucky out of the Blame mare Orencia. He is her second foal and first to race. She also has a 2-year-old Audible colt named Spears.
