Mawthooq being rerouted to Withers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is changing paths to jump-start Mawthooq’s return to the Triple Crown trail.

Mawthooq, the beaten 6-5 favorite when finishing 10 1/2 lengths behind Bluegrass Singer in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 3, is being pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 7, McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin had considered keeping Mawthooq in Florida and running him in an allowance race, but he wants to find out sooner if the son of Distorted Humor should remain on the Triple Crown trail.

“He’s an awful nice horse,” McLaughlin said. “We need to keep giving him a chance to be on the Derby trail at this time.”

Mawthooq, whom Shadwell Stables purchased for $850,000 as a yearling at Keeneland’s 2013 September sale, won a one-mile maiden race at Aqueduct by 10 1/2 lengths Nov. 26 after finishing a troubled second in his debut at Belmont.

In the Mucho Macho Man, Mawthooq broke sharply under John Velazquez from the outside post and chased Bluegrass Singer and jockey Javier Castellano through a half-mile in 44.98 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.39 before fading.

“I thought 9 of 9 was a good post, be out in the clear and be close or on the lead,” McLaughlin said. “Johnny said he was traveling great and thought he would win. He was fighting him a little bit, not that much. He thought he had Javier anytime he wanted. He thought he might have displaced; he felt like he had a lot of horse, and then he had no horse.”

While McLaughlin did not find evidence of Mawthooq displacing his soft palate, he has since equipped the colt with a tongue tie. Mawthooq has breezed twice at Palm Meadows since the Mucho Macho Man.

“He’s training lights-out,” McLaughlin said. “We’ll give him another try. You go in an allowance race, then you’re scrambling to find another Derby [prep] race with points.”

The Withers offers 17 Derby qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers.

Mawthooq, who will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez in the Withers, likely will be the second choice behind El Kabeir, the winner of the Grade 3 Jerome Stakes on Jan. 3.

C.C. Lopez will retain the mount on El Kabeir, confirmed Justin Zayat, racing manager for his father, Ahmed, via Twitter. Lopez picked up the mount for the Jerome when Calvin Borel couldn’t make it due to a death in his family.

Others under consideration for the Withers are General Bellamy, March, Market Conduct, and Tencendur.