Pletcher has three lined up for Withers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher is expected to send out a trio of runners against Jerome Stakes winner El Areeb in next Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

Pletcher’s horses Bonus Points and Win With Pride, who finished second and fourth in the Jerome, will try El Areeb again. They will be joined by Fillet of Sole, a colt coming off a maiden victory at Parx in November.

The Withers is the second of four stakes on this circuit for 3-year-olds with hopes of making it to the Kentucky Derby on May 6. El Areeb galloped to an 11 1/4-length victory in the Jerome here on Jan. 2 and likely will go off a strong favorite in the Withers.

Bonus Points, last down the backside that day, split horses and finished second by a half-length over True Timber. Win With Pride, who appeared to be sitting in a good stalking position early, only managed fourth.

The Jerome was run over a sealed, muddy surface.

“It was the second time Win With Pride ran on a sloppy track,” said Byron Hughes, the Belmont Park-based assistant to Pletcher. “We’re using that as an excuse. He was wide. He came out of the race good and has been training well since then. We’re hoping it’s the off track he didn’t like.”

Hughes said Bonus Points “we thought ran a good race. It was a tough track to close on, and we thought he made up some ground. He came out of it in good form and has been training well also.”

Fillet of Sole, a son of Union Rags, finished third in his first three starts, two of which came for trainer Dominick Schettino. On Nov. 29, Pletcher sent Fillet of Sole to Parx, where he ran down a loose-on-the-lead Curtis in the final strides to win by a nose. It was 18 lengths back to the third-place finisher.

“Two turns, I think that was the key for that race. He responded well to that,” Hughes said.

On Friday, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin’s pair of Withers hopefuls, Always a Suspect and True Timber, worked four furlongs in company over the training track. The pair went in 48.42 seconds, with a final quarter-mile of 23.82.

Always a Suspect, second to Caledonian in the Lost in the Fog Stakes, will be stretching out for the first time. True Timber comes off a third-place finish in the Jerome.

Others pointing to the Withers are Jaime’s Angel and Square Shooter. Apartfromthecrowd and Small Bear are possible.

The Withers, as did the Jerome, offers qualifying points to its top four finishers on a 10-4-2-1 basis toward the Kentucky Derby.