3-year-olds vie for Derby points in Withers

By NY Hot List Staff | February 2, 2024

The Road to the Kentucky Derby runs through New York once again Saturday with the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, a two-turn, mile-and-an-eighth test for 3-year-olds. A total of 42 Run for the Roses qualifying points will be at stakes, awarded to the top five finishers in a 20-10-6-4-2 manner. A field of nine was drawn for the stakes that was won by Preakness winner Early Voting in 2022.

The $250,000 Withers (G3), Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 9, 3:55 pm EST

(4) El Grande O is the most experienced horse in the Withers field and has the most wins and career earnings. He has a pair of victories in NY-bred stakes races to go along with two seconds in open company stakes. Most recently he moved onto the Kentucky Derby trail for Linda Rice and finished second in the Jerome at Aqueduct after setting the pace. El Grande O is projected to get loose on the lead. (7) Mission Beach began his career for Bob Baffert. He faded in a pair of graded stakes out west before moving to the barn of Brittany Russell in Maryland. For her, the horse won an allowance. He has the breeding to say the added distance should not be a problem. (3) Lightline romped in his first start for Brad Cox by almost 14 lengths at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then ran second in a pair of allowances in Kentucky. Last time he was behind the unbeaten Carbone who is running in the Southwest (G3) on Saturday. (8) Uncle Heavy won at first asking for trainer Butch Reid at Parx and then most recently stretched out to win a Pennsylvania-bred stakes race.

The rest of the NY Hot List picks and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.