It’ll be a cold one Saturday at Aqueduct, where a field of 11 3-year-olds will head to the gate for the Grade 3 Withers. At one time, this was one of the most prestigious races on the New York circuit. Its winners list includes Hall of Famers Sir Barton, Man o’ War, Count Fleet, Native Dancer, Dr. Fager and Ack Ack, among others.
It now serves as a stepping stone on the road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, the big field should provide several enticing wagering opportunities. Let’s take a look.
A tale of two favorites …
Several runners in this race exit the Jerome, which was won by No. 5 Courvoisier. The regally bred son of Tapit and champion Take Charge Brandi was close to a fast pace that day but still had enough left to hold off several rallies to win by more than a length. He has two wins and two seconds in four starts at a mile or longer, so it seems like going long is what he wants to do. Add in that he’s a perfect 2-for-2 at Aqueduct, and I think he makes plenty of sense.
Of those not coming out of the Jerome, I most prefer No. 9 Early Voting. I won’t be alone, as he’s the lukewarm 3-1 morning line choice. He steps up into stakes company after a win in his debut, which came over this surface in late December. I’m not sure he beat much that day, but this son of Gun Runner is bred to get better with experience. Based on speed figures, he may not need to improve all that much in order to best this group.
… and two long shots
The first two runners I mentioned hit me as the ones to beat. However, I’m intrigued by No. 4 Gilded Age, who is 10-1 on the morning line. He’s another with a world-class pedigree (by Medaglia d’Oro, out of stakes-winning mare Angela Renee), and he rallied to break his maiden in November at Churchill Downs. His starts prior to that may not look like much, but he ran against some very good horses. Names like Giant Game, Call Me Midnight and Rattle N Roll are in his running lines, and those are very promising horses. It’s possible Gilded Age is moving forward with experience and improving now that those runners are elsewhere. I need to use him, especially at his likely price.
I also need to use No. 8 Un Ojo, who ran second in his last start against New York-bred stakes competition but was good enough to win. He was a bit wide around the turn that day, and he was also on the receiving end of a bump near the wire. While this is a new distance for him, he’s shown he can go two turns in two starts over the bullring at Delta Downs. Jockey Trevor McCarthy has enjoyed a strong meet to date, and I think this Anthony Dutrow trainee could be sitting on a career-best race.
Betting strategies for Withers
I’ll lean on my top two choices for most of my action, which comes in a two-horse exacta box. I’ll also play smaller exactas that use each top choice above and below the other three runners I’ve mentioned.
- $6 exacta box: 5, 9 ($12)
- $1 exacta box: 5 with 4, 8, 9 ($6, $18)
- $1 exacta box: 9 with 4, 5, 8 ($6, $24)
