Update: Frigid weather has prompted Aqueduct to cancel racing on Friday and Saturday. The Withers is postponed one week, to Feb. 11, with entries to be redrawn next Wednesday.
Saturday’s $250,000 Withers (G3) is the second of four Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifiers at Aqueduct this year. Six three-year-olds are entered for the 1 1/8-mile race, which will award points on a 20-8-4-2-1 scale to the top five finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series.
Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox had 11 horses listed as individual entrants in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager last month, including Hit Show, who will make his first stakes attempt following a 3 1/2-length allowance win at Oaklawn Park in mid-December.
By Candy Ride, Hit Show was re-routed to the Withers after being entered in last Saturday’s Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park, and the gray colt appears likely to go favored. Hit Show has captured 2-of-3 starts, and the late runner will add the services of Manny Franco.
Arctic Arrogance concluded 2022 with a half-length second in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, and the New York-bred colt opened his sophomore campaign with a half-length second in the Jan. 7 Jerome S. at a one-turn mile. He’s firmly on the Kentucky Derby trail at this early date, but questions remain about his quality and effectiveness at longer distances.
The Withers may provide a better gauge. Trainer Linda Rice will add blinkers to the gray frontrunner, and Arctic Arrogance will be prominent from the start with Jose Lezcano.
The remaining four Withers entrants – Andiamo a Firenze, General Banker, Ninetyprcentmaddie, and Prove Right – all are at least stakes-placed, but none have won at a two-turn distance. The 1 1/8-mile distance looks like a legitimate challenge for the quartet.
