Withers Offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby Points To Top-Five Finishers

Lightline (Albaugh Family Stables) will make his stakes debut as he takes his first step on the Kentucky Derby trail in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, February 3.

The Withers, a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will award the top-five finishers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

The Withers is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 10-race card which also features the Grade 3, $175,000 Toboggan in Race 8. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

Trained by Brad Cox, Lightline will visit his fourth track in as many starts after graduating by 13 3/4-lengths on debut in September traveling a two-turn mile at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The City of Light bay followed with a runner-up effort in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer in October at Keeneland, finishing 5 3/4-lengths back of Stretch Ride, who exited that race to finish third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.

Lightline, out of the multiple Grade 3-winning Maria's Mon mare Upperline, enters from a deep-closing second in a one-mile optional-claiming event on New Year's Eve at Oaklawn Park.

With Flavien Prat aboard, Lightline saved ground from last-of-12 as the favored Carbone dictated terms through splits of 23.40 seconds, 47.76 and 1:13.04 over the fast main track. Lightline advanced outside rivals approaching the final turn and loomed large from third position, but had to settle for second as Carbone secured a four-length score in a final time of 1:38.63 in a two-turn race that ended at the sixteenth pole. The undefeated Carbone is entered in Saturday's Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn.

Lightline has breezed back twice over the Fair Grounds dirt including a five-eighths breeze in 1:02 flat Monday.

"I'm happy with what we've seen from him to start his career. He ran a good race at Oaklawn last time and maybe got a little far back. It's a short stretch in a mile race," said Cox, who won four stakes in January at the Big A. "He kind of didn't get as involved as we thought, but at the end of the day, I thought he got a lot out of it and it sets him up well for the Withers."

Cox initially targeted this event with the now-injured Jerome-winner Drum Roll Please, but said Lightline, a $600,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, should appreciate the added distance.

"He's a real good-looking physical, great-looking horse. He was an expensive yearling and he's a steady work horse," Cox said. "I think he's a horse that's going to really take to a mile and an eighth or a mile and a quarter. He's trained pretty steady down here at the Fair Grounds."

Cox won this event last year with Hit Show, who went on to finish fifth in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

Manny Franco, who guided Hit Show to victory last year, has the call aboard Lightline from post 3.

Barry Schwartz's New York-homebred El Grande O [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] will stretch out in distance following a pacesetting runner-up effort to Drum Roll Please last out in the one-turn mile Jerome on January 6 here.

El Grande O, by Take Charge Indy and out of the Unbridled's Song mare Rainbow's Song, is a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Malibu Moon mare Meal Ticket. He posted frontrunning state-bred stakes scores on wet tracks here in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard over sloppy and sealed footing in September and in the one-turn mile Sleepy Hollow in October over muddy and sealed going.

Last out, El Grande O stumbled at the start but recovered quickly to set the Jerome tempo under pressure from Regalo. He held a narrow advantage at the stretch call but could not stave off Drum Roll Please, who took command at the eighth pole and drew off to score by 3 3/4-lengths.

Trainer Linda Rice said she's keen to see how El Grande O will perform in his first voyage around two turns.

"He's training well and I think at the longer distances he will be on the lead," said Rice, who won this event in 2020 with Max Player. "[The stumble in the Jerome] didn't help, but obviously the winner was better than him on the day. He's a young, improving horse and we're anxious to try him two turns."

Brad Grady and David Grund's stakes winner Seminole Chief [post 5, Trevor McCarthy] returns to New York for the first time since an impressive maiden win in September at Finger Lakes.

Conditioned by Jack Sisterson, the Florida-bred Girvin colt out of the Dunkirk mare Secret Song, trained extensively at Saratoga Race Course before shipping to the Farmington, N.Y. oval and graduating at first asking in a five-furlong maiden special weight.

Seminole Chief made his next two outings at Gulfstream Park, posting an off-the-board effort sprinting seven furlongs in the FTBOA Florida Sire Affirmed before adding blinkers and jockey Paco Lopez to win the 1 1/16-mile FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality at odds of 12-1 over next-out maiden claiming winner Secret Lover.

"He's a grinding type and with the addition of blinkers and an aggressive ride by Paco, it helped him get comfortable. They went quick enough on the lead," Sisterson said. "He's still learning - he didn't switch leads, although he switched leads perfectly in the morning. He needs to figure that out in the afternoon to move forward again."

Sisterson said Seminole Chief should also perform well with added ground.

"We always thought he would be a better horse going two turns," Sisterson said. "He's well balanced, good bone and very strong. He's a horse you like in the barn because you think he's only going to get better as he gets older. He loves to train and he's got a great foundation. He's not one of those types you have to be light on him because you worry physically about how he's built. I'd like to have 10 like him."

Seminole Chief, bred by Brad and Misty Grady, was purchased for $80,000 at the OBS June 2-Year-Old Horses of Racing Age Sale. He has banked $195,960 through a 3-2-0-0 record.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, a three-time Withers winner, will saddle a pair of contenders in maiden winners Khanate [post 9, Eric Cancel] and Speed Runner [post 1, Jose Lezcano].

Calumet Farm's Khanate, a $35,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, graduated at third asking in a seven-furlong restricted maiden special weight in October at Keeneland. He followed with a sixth-place effort traveling 1 1/16-miles in November at Churchill ahead of a distant third-place finish last out in the Jerome after stumbling at the break before attending the pace.

The Hightail colt, out of the stakes-winning Any Given Saturday mare Mongolian Shopper, has banked $62,820 through a 5-1-0-1 record.

Whisper Hill Farm's Kentucky homebred Speed Runner has made both career starts at the Big A, finishing third in a seven-furlong sprint in October won by Saturday's Grade 3 Swale hopeful Billal ahead of a narrow neck score in December when prompting the pace in a nine-furlong maiden special weight.

The Gun Runner colt, a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Brilliant Speed and graded stakes-placed Souper Speedy, is out of the Gone West mare Speed Succeeds, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Serenading and multiple graded stakes-placed Handpainted. His third dam, Passing Mood - a daughter of Canadian Hall of Famer Cool Mood - produced 1997 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Touch Gold.

Mission Beach [post 7, Dylan Davis] will look to parlay an optional-claiming score at Laurel Park into black type at the Big A for trainer Brittany Russell.

The Curlin colt, a $400,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, made his first three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert that included a first-out graduation in August at Del Mar ahead of a pace-pressing fifth in the Spa's Grade 1 Hopeful in September. He faded to last-of-4 in the Grade 3 Bob Hope in November at Del Mar in his final outing for Baffert.

Mission Beach, who scratched out of last weekend's Spectacular Bid at Laurel Park, enters from an impressive 1 3/4-length score in a six-furlong sprint at Laurel. With Sheldon Russell up from the inside post, Mission Beach saved ground in fifth in the six-horse field. He rode the rail through the turn before tipping out and advancing between rivals to secure the win and garner a career-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure.

Owned by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan, Mission Beach is out of the stakes-winning Flatter mare Stoweshoe, who is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Taris.

Rounding out a talented field are Pennsylvania-bred stakes-winner Uncle Heavy [post 8, Mychel Sanchez] for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.; maiden winner Deposition [post 2, Dexter Haddock], who add blinkers for owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis; and maiden Society Man [post 6, Isaac Castillo] for trainer and co-owner Danny Gargan.

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Pletcher sends out Speed Runner, Khanate in G3 Withers

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by a pair of contenders in Speed Runner and Khanate as he looks to secure his fourth win in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Withers, a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will award the top-five finishers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Pletcher previously won the Withers with Harlem Rocker [2008], Revolutionary [2013] and Far From Over [2015]. Revolutionary followed up his Withers score with a win in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby before closing from deep to finish third to the victorious Orb in that year's Kentucky Derby.

Whisper Hill Farm's Kentucky homebred Speed Runner has made both of his career starts in maiden special weights at the Big A, finishing a good third on debut in October in a seven-furlong sprint won by Billal, who will feature in Saturday's Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park.

The Gun Runner chestnut stretched out to nine furlongs on December 8 and utilized a prominent trip under returning rider Jose Lezcano to post a neck win over Malarchuk with Withers rival Society Man a further 4 1/4-lengths back in third.

"He's always been a forward-training colt. I thought he ran respectably in his debut which was probably a little short of his ideal distance," Pletcher said. "He seemed to make a move forward going a mile and an eighth in his second start. We felt like after stretching out around two turns, it just made sense to wait for the Withers. He's trained well and he needs to continue to improve like all of them do at this stage."

Speed Runner will exit the inside post under Lezcano.

"I think he has tactical speed. Jose can play it off the break from the rail and see where he is," Pletcher said.

Speed Runner, a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Brilliant Speed and graded stakes-placed Souper Speedy, is out of the Gone West mare Speed Succeeds, who is a half-sister to graded stakes-winner Serenading and multiple graded stakes-placed Handpainted. His third dam, Passing Mood - a daughter of Canadian Hall of Famer Cool Mood - produced 1997 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes-winner Touch Gold.

Calumet Farm's Khanate, a dark bay son of their stakes-winning stallion Hightail, will look to make amends from a distant third-place finish in the Jerome where he stumbled at the start before attending the early pace.

The $35,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, out of the stakes-winning Any Given Saturday mare Mongolian Shopper, graduated by 10 1/2-lengths at third asking sprinting seven furlongs in a restricted maiden in October at Keeneland. He exited that effort to finish sixth in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer in November at Churchill ahead of his Jerome effort.

"He's one we were expecting a little more from in his first couple of starts, so we were pleased to see him deliver what we were seeing in the mornings," Pletcher said of the Keeneland score. "Things didn't go smoothly at Churchill, but he made a nice middle move the other day [in the Jerome] before flattening out. Hopefully, getting back around two turns is going to help him. He's another one that going that far he could probably have tactical speed."

Khanate will exit the outermost post 9 under Eric Cancel.

"I don't think he minds being out in the clear," Pletcher said. "Sometimes, you're a little concerned getting hung out too wide in the mile and an eighth races at Aqueduct, but it should work out. He's been a pretty good gate horse, so hopefully he can get away alertly and get into a good rhythm."

The Withers, named in honor of prominent 1800's owner and breeder David Dunham Withers, predates the Kentucky Derby by one year with its inaugural running taking place in 1874. Coincidentally, the following year's Withers was won by Aristides who also captured the very first running of the Kentucky Derby in 1875. Four other horses have both Withers and Kentucky Derby victories on their resume including Triple Crown winners Sir Barton [1919] and Count Fleet [1943] as well as Zev [1923] and Johnstown [1939].

Pletcher will be represented by five 2023 Breeders' Cup alumni in stakes company on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, including Life's an Audible [8th, Juvenile Turf] in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant; Scalable [5th, Juvenile Fillies] in the Grade 3 Forward Gal; Noted [9th, Juvenile] and Agate Road [5th, Juvenile Turf] in the Grade 3 Kitten's Joy; and Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Fierceness [1st, Juvenile] in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, which offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Repole Stable's Kentucky homebred Fierceness graduated by 11 1/4-lengths over muddy and sealed footing in his August debut traveling six furlongs at Saratoga Race Course. The impressive score garnered a lofty 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

The City of Light bay faltered to seventh-of-8 as the odds-on favorite after lunging at the break over a sloppy and sealed surface in the Grade 1 Champagne in October at Belmont at the Big A, but returned to winning form with a powerful 6 1/4-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 3 at Santa Anita to register a 105 Beyer. The runner-up of that event, Muth, returned to win the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita last month, while the Pletcher-trained third-place finisher Locked is a well-regarded Derby prospect.

"We were super happy with the result and looking at the race now, it was very impressive," Pletcher said. "It was a really strong group of colts - Muth has come back and won since, and we still hold Locked in high regard. For him to win that emphatically against that field is hopefully a sign that he's extra special and can continue to do that and move forward."

Pletcher said Fierceness has trained forwardly at Palm Beach Downs for his seasonal debut in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test, including a bullet five-eighths breeze in 59.48 seconds on January 20.

"He's had a really good winter. He came to Palm Beach Downs after the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and settled in well," Pletcher said. "We mapped out a schedule with the Holy Bull in mind as his first start and knock on wood everything has gone according to plan. He's had some impressive breezes and we're looking forward to getting the season started."

Hall of Famer John Velazquez retains the mount from post 7.

St. Lewis hoping to witness a G3 Withers upset by Deposition

Deposition will make his graded stakes debut for owner-trainer Uriah St. Lewis in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Withers, a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will award the top-five finishers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious Grade 1 test on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

The 3-year-old Constitution colt, a $77,000 purchase by St. Lewis' Trin-Brook Stable at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, graduated at fifth asking when traveling one mile and 70 yards around two turns on November 21 at Parx Racing.

He followed last out with a distant seventh-place finish in the seven-furlong Heft on December 30 at Laurel Park. Deposition has breezed back twice over the Parx main track, including a five-eighths bullet gate breeze with blinkers on in 58.58 on January 23.

"We put blinkers on him and that's the reason we took him to the gate," St. Lewis said. "The jockey said was looking around in his last race at Laurel instead of paying attention."

Deposition, who will sport blinkers on Saturday when he exits post 2 under Dexter Haddock, made one previous appearance at the Big A, finishing a troubled sixth on November 4 after stumbling at the break in a one-turn mile maiden special weight in which Kentucky Derby prospects Sierra Leone and Change of Command finished one-two. He returned 10 days later to finish a good third in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Parx where he was blocked at the quarter-pole before flattening.

"He's been a little unlucky. That's why we ran him back quick because we wanted to break his maiden," St. Lewis said. "He's a nice horse and does everything right. With a little luck, he might win a few races."

St. Lewis said two turns and a patient trip allowed Deposition to finally graduate.

"He was blocked in that race, too. He waited for a spot and when it opened, he went about his business," St. Lewis said.

Deposition's second dam is dual Grade 1-winner Country Star, who captured the Darley Alcibiades and Hollywood Starlet as a juvenile before running sixth in the following year's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

"He's a good-looking animal. He carries good flesh," St. Lewis said. "He has good family and he might want turf at some point, too."

St. Lewis has a history of posting upset stakes scores on the NYRA circuit, famously taking the 2018 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park with 45-1 shot Discreet Lover. In 2021, he captured the Big A's Queens County with 42-1 shot Forewarned.

"I don't mind taking a shot. If they can run, I bring them. If they can't, they stay here," said St. Lewis, with a laugh.

Seminole Chief returns to New York for G3 Withers

Brad Grady and David Grund's Florida-sired stakes winner Seminole Chief is on target for Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Withers, a nine-furlong test for sophomores offering 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

The Florida-bred Girvin colt, out of the Dunkirk mare Secret Song, graduated at first asking in September in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Finger Lakes. He made his next two outings at Gulfstream Park, posting an off-the-board effort sprinting seven furlongs in the FTBOA Florida Sire Affirmed before adding blinkers to win the 1 1/16-mile FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality at odds of 12-1 over next-out maiden claiming winner Secret Lover.

Seminole Chief, an $80,000 purchase from the OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, breezed 10 times over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course ahead of his debut.

"He was training well at Saratoga and it takes a very good horse to win first time out there," Sisterson said. "I spoke to the owners and if they hadn't given him the opportunity to go to Finger Lakes, the horse probably wouldn't have done what he's done. I thought he would be good enough to win and win convincingly at Finger Lakes.

"The bigger picture was the Florida-sire series at Gulfstream," Sisterson added. "We were disappointed in his second start, but it was the first time he felt dirt kicked in his face and he slipped right out of it. The addition of blinkers third time did the trick."

Sisterson said he was pleased to win the Florida-sire stakes for Grady, who campaigned Girvin and co-bred Seminole Chief.

"I spoke to Brad to try to get a gauge on the Girvin offspring," Sisterson said. "This horse seems hard as nails and Brad said most of the offspring of Girvin are like that. We're excited about him."

Girvin entered stud in 2019 in Florida at Ocala Stud and moved to Airdrie Stud in Kentucky for the 2023 season.

Sisterson has notched some of his biggest victories in New York, earning his first graded win at the Big A in the 2018 Grade 3 Tempted with Oxy Lady. All four of his Grade 1 wins have occurred at NYRA tracks, including scores at Saratoga Race Course by Vexatious [2020 Personal Ensign] and Lexitonian [2021 Alfred G. Vanderbilt]; at Belmont Park with Channel Cat in the 2021 Man o' War; and at Aqueduct with True Timber in the 2020 Cigar Mile Handicap.

"I need to buy one of those t-shirts that says, 'I love New York' on it," said Sisterson, with a laugh. "We've had a lot of success up there."

C T R Stables' Colorado Cruiser scored a tenacious fourth-out graduation in a six-furlong maiden special weight on December 26 at Santa Anita for his former conditioner Luis Mendez.

The Catalina Cruiser chestnut, a $90,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, earned a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure for the prominent score after battling back in the stretch run to secure a nose win over Urban Legend, a $1.3 million sale purchase trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

Colorado Cruiser has breezed back twice over the Palm Meadows Training Center dirt for Sisterson, including a six-furlong breeze in 1:14.75 on January 19. He is targeting Saturday's seven-furlong Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park.

"He's been running in blinkers and I've been tinkering with taking the blinkers off him just to get him to relax a touch," Sisterson said. "He's training like he doesn't need blinkers at the moment, so we're really happy with him."

Sisterson said he is hopeful that Colorado Cruiser will be able to stretch out in distance down the road. The colt finished fourth in a one-mile maiden special weight in November at Del Mar after setting swift splits.

"He went 21 and change and 44 and change going a mile," Sisterson said. "In watching the replay, I was pleasantly surprised with how well he ran. I think with the removal of blinkers we might be able to stretch him out a bit."

Colorado Cruiser is out of the Flatter mare Baby Nina, who is a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner Silver Tongued and a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Dubacious.

G3 Withers probables [20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points]

Probable: Deposition (Uriah St. Lewis), El Grande O (Linda Rice), Khanate (Todd Pletcher), Mission Beach (Brittany Russell), Seminole Chief (Jack Sisterson), Speed Runner (Pletcher), Uncle Heavy (Butch Reid, Jr.)

Possible: Lightline (Brad Cox), Society Man (Danny Gargan)

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Withers Stakes History

The Withers Stakes has a storied history dating back to 1874 when it was run at Jerome Park. The race has been run at a number of different New York tracks including Belmont Park from 1984-1996 and three years in the 1950's. The Withers is currently held on Aqueduct's inner track in Queens, NY and it is a Grade III event for 3-year-olds with a purse of $250,000. The race is in early February and is a `Road to the Kentucky Derby' prep race with the top four finishers earning Derby qualifying points (10-4-2-1). The Withers also serves as a prep race for the Wood Memorial in April at Aqueduct.

The Withers was historically run at a distance of 1 mile, and the race record was 1:32.40 by Williamstown (1993). The Withers distance was lengthened to 1 1/16 miles in 2012, and Far From Over (2015) holds that distance record in the Withers at 1:43.93.

Notable horses have won the Withers throughout history, including Triple Crown winners Sir Barton (1919) and Count Fleet (1943). Sir Barton became the first winner of what would be known as the American Triple Crown. Man O' War (1920) won 20-of-21 races including the Preakness and Belmont Stakes but skipped the Kentucky Derby. Native Dancer (1953) won 21-of-22 lifetime races with his lone loss in the Kentucky Derby. Additionally, 2006 winner Bernardini went on to win the Preakness Stakes that year.

The Withers was not run in 1911 or 1912 when the New York State legislated a ban on all forms of wagering on horses. Since Aqueduct's opening in the mid 1970's, the only horse hardy enough to race in the colder weather over the inner track and then go on to win the Kentucky Derby was 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones.