Le General, Not That Brady going in Withers
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Multiple winning New York-bred 3-year-olds Le General and Not That Brady have been confirmed by their connections as starters for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 2 at Aqueduct.
Le General has won two straight races after losing his debut. In his most recent start, he won a one-mile, statebred first-level allowance race by 6 3/4 lengths. Two starts back, Le General won a six-furlong maiden race by 3 1/4 lengths over Blindwillie McTell, who has come back to win two straight restricted stakes, including Sunday’s $100,000 Rego Park.
The Withers, which offers qualifying points to the May 4 Kentucky Derby, is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns. It will be Le General’s first time at that distance and configuration.
“It’s definitely something that we’re not going to know until we try,” trainer Michelle Nevin said. “I keep throwing different things at him, and he keeps handling it the right way.”
Le General is a son of 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid out of the unraced mare Regal’s Encore. Regal Engagement, the dam of Regal’s Encore, won twice around two turns, including the Busher Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track in 2006.
Not That Brady, a son of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, is coming off two straight wins, including a three-length victory in the Damon Runyon Stakes going a one-turn mile on Dec. 31. He returned to the work tab last Friday, breezing a half-mile in 51.94 seconds over Aqueduct’s main track.
“We got to see what we got,” said Rudy Rodriguez, trainer and part owner of Not That Brady. “It looks like he’s come back good, he’s training good, he’s eating good.”
Mind Control, winner of the Jerome Stakes and likely favorite for the Withers, was scheduled to return to the work tab Tuesday. Moretti, Tax, and Lucky Lee are others whose connections are pointing to the Withers.
