Avery Island battles to Withers triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The way the Aqueduct main track was playing, and the way the Grade 3 Withers looked on paper after the scratch of California Night, jockey Joe Bravo thought he was going to have a relatively easy time on the lead aboard even-money favorite Avery Island.

But when Junior Alvarado gunned Coltandmississippi to the front out of the gate, Bravo realized winning the race would not be so easy.

After stalking Coltandmississippi for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/8-mile Withers, Bravo guided Avery Island to the front. After opening up a clear advantage coming to the quarter pole, Avery Island maintained that clear margin to the wire to win the $250,000 Withers by two lengths at chilly Aqueduct.

Firenze Fire, running back three weeks after winning the Jerome, outfought Marconi by a half-length for second. It was 18 3/4 lengths back to Coltandmississippi in fourth. Bal Harbour was last of five.

The victory was the third from five starts for Avery Island, who earned 10 qualifying points toward the May 5 Kentucky Derby. He now has 14 qualifying points as he also finished second in the Grade 2 Remsen, a 1 1/8-mile race run here last December.

The Withers was the first start for Avery Island since the Remsen nine weeks ago. In that race, Bravo took Avery Island off the pace behind dueling leaders. He couldn’t match strides with Catholic Boy and had to settle for second.

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who watched the Withers from Florida, said he spoke to Bravo after the race and the jockey told him “he thought that last race helped us by sitting back. He switched off easy and switched back on real easy. It was great to see.”

Bravo did a nice job of guiding Avery Island to the outside of Coltandmississippi around the clubhouse turn and sat right off his flank through a half-mile in 47.08 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.57.

Bravo said he made his move at the midway point around the turn because “I didn’t want to turn it into a sprint,” he said. “If they want to beat us they’re going to have to outrun us from the top of the lane home.”

Bravo did have to get after Avery Island four times with his left-handed whip and twice right-handed in the final furlong.

“You don’t want him to loaf, you want him to run down the lane,” Bravo said. “You just got to keep his attention. He’s a big baby and he’s just learning. I want to let him know the last eighth of a mile it’s run time.”

Avery Island, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.01 and returned $4.30 as the even-money favorite. He earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

McLaughlin said Avery Island would ship back to him at the Palm Meadows training center on Tuesday, and shortly thereafter a plan will be made for the colt’s next start. McLaughlin said it most certainly would not be the Grade 3 Gotham here March 10 as that race is run as a one-turn mile.

Firenze Fire, the Jerome winner, was third, just 1 1/2 lengths off the top two midway down the backside under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Though he outfought Marconi for second, he never seriously threatened Avery Island for the win.

“He got a little keen with me early, I would have rather had him sit back a little bit more, then make a move, but he was a bit on the muscle today,” McCarthy said. “It worked out fine where at the top of the stretch he was in contact and the way the track was playing today - it was a bit speed favoring - I was happy where he was at. He kicked well for me, the other one kicked harder.”