Flood Zone made the leap from maiden special weight to Graded Stakes a successful one with a sharp three-and-a-quarter length victory in the $300,000 G3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday, 1 March.
The victory earned the three-year-old Frosted colt 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in May. Flood Zone entered the Gotham off a five-and-a-quarter length victory in a maiden special weight contest at Gulfstream Park on 25 January. Purchased privately over the winter by Wathan Racing, Flood Zone was making his first start for trainer Brad Cox.
Breaking alertly under jockey Reylu Gutierrez, Flood Zone went to the lead where he was soon joined by Normandy Coast and Sand Devil. Gutierrez was content to let that pair set the pace as he settled Flood Zone just behind them in third, staying off the rail and in the clear as he traveled five-wide down the backstretch.
Flood Zone edged closer to the leading duo on the far turn, then pulled alongside Sand Devil at the top of the stretch as Normandy Coast began to fade. Flood Zone and Sand Devil battled for several strides before Flood Zone shook free and began to pull away, eventually hitting the wire three-and-a-quarter lengths in front. Sand Devil held second, with Garamond closing belatedly to claim third.
Flood Zone was bred in Florida by Al Figiolia Westbury Stables and is out of Curls for Girls, a winning daughter of Curlin. Curls for Girls is a full sister to G2-placed Conquest Curlgirl and half-sister to Stakes winners Sue’s Good News (G3) and Easyfromthegitgo, and hails from the immediate family of G1 winners Cozzene, Tiz Miss Sue, Serape, Hawkbill, and Free Drop Billy.
Flood Zone becomes the 33rd Stakes winner for his sire, Frosted, who is also represented this year by White Rocks, recent winner of the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park. In 2024, Frosted was the sire of 11 individual Stakes winners which included the outstanding Post Time, a multiple Graded Stakes winner who concluded the year with a bang-up second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Frosted is standing the 2025 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $15,000 stands and nurses.
