Horse Race Preview: Gander Stakes at Aqueduct

The 2025 Gander Stakes is set to take place on March 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack. This one-mile dirt race, with a purse of $125,000, is exclusively for three-year-old colts and geldings foaled in New York State. Let’s dive into the details of the horses, jockeys, trainers, and pedigrees for this exciting event.

Horses and Pedigrees

1. Givememythemusic
   1. Sire: Game Winner
   1. Dam: Jackpot Joanie
   1. Breeder: Jerry Bilinski, DVM
   1. Owner: MyRacehorse and Donarra Thoroughbreds LLC
   1. Trainer: Christophe Clement
   1. Jockey: Romero Ramsay Maragh
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
2. Skytown
   1. Sire: Echo Town
   1. Dam: Trouble for Skylar
   1. Breeder: TLC Thoroughbreds LLC
   1. Owner: Adelphi Racing Club
   1. Trainer: John P. Terranova II
   1. Jockey: Katie Davis
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
3. Mo Plex
   1. Sire: Complexity
   1. Dam: Mo Joy
   1. Breeder: Everythings Cricket Racing
   1. Owner: R and H Stable
   1. Trainer: Jeremiah C. Englehart
   1. Jockey: Manuel Franco
   1. Weight: 123 lbs
4. Soontobeking
   1. Sire: King for a Day
   1. Dam: Swayed
   1. Breeder: Our Blue Streaks Stable & SGV Thoroughbreds
   1. Owner: Our Blue Streaks Stable, SGV Thoroughbreds, and George Weaver
   1. Trainer: George Weaver
   1. Jockey: Eric Cancel
   1. Weight: 120 lbs
5. National Identity
   1. Sire: Solomini
   1. Dam: Cheyenne Autumn
   1. Breeder: Hunter Valley Farm
   1. Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
   1. Trainer: Danny Gargan
   1. Jockey: Kendrick Carmouche
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
6. Corvus
   1. Sire: Vino Rosso
   1. Dam: Dolores Westworld
   1. Breeder: Dr. Rod Stewart & Spendthrift Farm
   1. Owner: R.T Racing Stable
   1. Trainer: Jose M. Jimenez
   1. Jockey: Sofia Vives
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
7. Resilient Hero
   1. Sire: Improbable
   1. Dam: Espiritu
   1. Breeder: John P. Hicks
   1. Owner: R.T Racing Stable
   1. Trainer: Jose M. Jimenez
   1. Jockey: Carol Cedeno
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
8. Grand Cash
   1. Sire: Instagrand
   1. Dam: Speightstown Lady
   1. Breeder: EKQ Stables Corp.
   1. Owner: Atreopersaud, Adram
   1. Trainer: Chetram Bhigroog
   1. Jockey: Ruben Silvera
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
9. Swift Magic
   1. Sire: Good Samaritan
   1. Dam: Helen Sung
   1. Breeder: Jeffrey Cohn
   1. Owner: Bona Venture Stables
   1. Trainer: George Weaver
   1. Jockey: Jose Lezcano
   1. Weight: 118 lbs
10. Sunday Gilt
    1. Sire: Goldencents
    1. Dam: Saturday Bliss
    1. Breeder: Blissful Stable
    1. Owner: R and H Stable
    1. Trainer: Jeremiah C. Englehart
    1. Jockey: Luis R. Rivera, Jr.
    1. Weight: 118 lbs

Key Contenders and Analysis

• Mo Plex: Trained by Jeremiah Englehart and ridden by Manuel Franco, Mo Plex is a graded stakes-winner making his sophomore debut. He has shown consistency in his performances, including a second-place finish in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow Stakes.
• Skytown: Making his stakes debut, Skytown is trained by John Terranova and ridden by Katie Davis. He has shown promise in his previous races and will be looking to make a strong impression.
• Soontobeking: Trained by George Weaver and ridden by Eric Cancel, Soontobeking has been a consistent performer and will be looking to build on his previous successes.
• National Identity: With Kendrick Carmouche as his jockey and Danny Gargan as his trainer, National Identity has the potential to be a strong contender in this race.

Jockeys and Trainers

• Romero Ramsay Maragh: Riding Givememythemusic, Maragh is known for his aggressive riding style and ability to navigate through traffic.
• Katie Davis: A rising star in the jockey ranks, Davis will be riding Skytown, looking to make a strong debut in stakes competition.
• Manuel Franco: Riding Mo Plex, Franco is known for his strong finishes and ability to handle pressure situations.
• Eric Cancel: Riding Soontobeking, Cancel is known for his patience and ability to get the best out of his mounts.
• Kendrick Carmouche: A seasoned jockey with a knack for timing his moves perfectly, Carmouche will be aboard National Identity.
• Jose Lezcano: A veteran jockey with numerous stakes wins, Lezcano will be aboard Swift Magic.