by Mike Curry

Texas Wildcatter appeared poised to earn his first career stakes win at the eighth pole of the $250,000 Gotham Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Aqueduct, but Visionaire rallied into contention from out of the fog to score a breakthrough victory.

Visionaire trailed the nine-horse field early in the 1 1/16-mile Gotham, but the Michael Matz-trained Grand Slam colt unleashed a furious late bid to reel in Texas Wildcatter and prevail by a nose under jockey Jose Lezcano.

“We went in the TV room and couldn’t see a darn thing,” said Barry Irwin of Team Valor International, which co-owns Visionaire along with Vision Racing. “That’s the way to watch a horse race: just watch the last eighth [of a mile], then you don’t get nervous.”

Visionaire entered the Gotham off a third-place finish in his stakes debut, the Risen Star Stakes (G3) on February 9 at Fair Grounds, which was won by one of the leading Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) contenders, Pyro.

Saratoga Russell surged right to the lead in the Gotham and dictated the pace through an opening quarter in :23.78 and a half-mile in :46.37 on the sloppy main track. Ling Ling Qi stalked Saratoga Russell from second with multiple stakes-placed Roman Emperor in third. Visionaire dropped back to last early and improved his position on the backstretch.

“I knew there was some speed in the race, and I was in no hurry to ask my horse,” Lezcano said. “My plan was just to make one move and come with a strong finish. I felt like I had a lot of horse coming off the turn.”

Texas Wildcatter swept past fading Saratoga Russell approaching the stretch and spurted clear to a commanding advantage at the eighth pole. Visionaire accelerated into contention when called upon, steadily sliced into Texas Wildcatter’s lead, and nipped that foe in the final strides to prevail in 1:44.60 as the 9-to-2 third choice.

Larry’s Revenge finished 7 3/4 lengths back in third. Previously undefeated Count Fleet Stakes winner Giant Moon never threatened while finishing last and Saratoga Russell, sent off as the 8-to-5 favorite off a 10 3/4-length allowance victory, faded to eighth.

Visionaire improved to three wins in five starts and boosted his earnings to $228,260. He is out of stakes-placed winner Scarlet Tango, by French Deputy.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor