Green but talented, Capo Kane targets Withers Stakes after impressive Jerome Stakes win

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Capo Kane, the dominant 6 1/4-length winner of the $150,000 Jerome Stakes here on New Year’s Day, will likely return to Aqueduct for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 6, trainer Harold Wyner said Monday.

Wyner, who is based at Parx Racing, said Capo Kane came out of the one-mile Jerome “real well,” and that the Withers, at 1 1/8 miles, is the next logical target for the California-bred son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

“He shows he’ll go longer,” Wyner said. “The gallop-out was very strong, and I’m not worried about any distance for this horse, mile and an eighth, mile and a quarter.”

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Capo Kane drifted out a bit in the stretch of the Jerome under Dylan Davis. He also came out a path or two when he won his maiden going a mile and 70 yards around two turns on Nov. 25 at Parx. Wyner believes this has more to do with the colt still being a bit immature than anything else.

“In the maiden win, he switched leads early coming out of the turn and he saw something in the infield which made him drift out,” Wyner said. “His last race, when Dylan switched to his left-hand stick and showed it to him, he just shied away from it, but as soon as he went back right-handed he straightened right up again. I just think he’s still green. We’ll just have to work on.”

Wyner trains Capo Kane for Tony Como’s Bing Cherry Racing and Leonard Liberto. Wyner said Monday that while those two have fielded offers to sell Capo Kane, no deal has been made.

“They’ve already said the horse is going to stay with me even if they sell a percentage of him,” Wyner said.

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For his Jerome victory, Capo Kane earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure and 10 qualifying points toward the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

The Withers, which also offers its winner 10 Derby points, is expected to be the next target for Brooklyn Strong, the Grade 2 Remsen winner here Dec. 5. He, too, is based at Parx, with trainer Daniel Velazquez.

“I hope we finish 1-2 and I’m in front,” Wyner said.