Small field seems likely for Withers Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The field for Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct is in flux after several defections from the list of possible starters.
Lord Miles (trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.), Classic Catch (Todd Pletcher), Mr Bob (Robert Falcone Jr.) and Classic Legacy (Bill Mott) – all based in South Florida – were all removed from consideration for the Withers by their trainers. Subpar workouts or difficult shipping logistics were the primary reasons given.
The Withers, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds, offers 40 qualifying points (20-8-6-4-2) to its top five finishers to the May 6 Kentucky Derby.
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As of Sunday, the three confirmed starters were Arctic Arrogance, General Banker and Hit Show, who scratched out of Saturday’s Southwest at Oaklawn Park. Ninetyprcentmaddie, runner-up in the Parx Juvenile, and Andiamo a Firenze, who may need a spot to run after the Rego Park Stakes for New York-breds failed to fill, are possible.
Trainer Butch Reid said he was planning to run Ninetyprcentmaddie in the Miracle Wood, a one-turn mile race at Laurel Park on Feb. 18. But he left the door open to run in the Withers if the race comes up light in numbers, which is looking likely.
“We didn’t want to jump him up from seven eighths to a mile and an eighth, but [we might] if the field is light enough,” Reid said. “His big sister could run all day.”
Ninetyprcentmaddie is a full brother to Ninetypercentbrynn, who has recorded four wins, all around two turns, up to a mile and 70 yards.
Reid said he would love to be able to get Paco Lopez up from Florida to ride Ninetyprcentmaddie if possible, though there are six stakes at Gulfstream Park that day.
On Sunday, both Arctic Arrogance and General Banker put in their final workouts over the Belmont Park training track for the Withers.
Arctic Arrogance, the Grade 2 Remsen and Jerome runner-up, worked five furlongs in 1:02.94 in company with Complete Agenda, a 4-year-old claiming/starter allowance type. Arctic Arrogance, with Jose Lezcano up, started one length back of his workmate and went from the half-mile to the wire in 50.02 seconds and worked an additional eighth in 12.92. He galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.98.
Arctic Arrogance wore blinkers for the work and will wear them in the race, trainer Linda Rice said.
“A little slow early, the track’s a little dull, probably not the right company, but we got what we needed,” Rice said of the work. “I think he’ll be a little tighter this time than he was last time.”
Rice said Arctic Arrogance had missed a work leading up to the Jerome, which he lost by a half-length by Lugan Knight.
General Banker, third in the Jerome, went the final three furlongs of a strong one-mile gallop in 38.57 seconds.
“I didn’t want him to do too much,” trainer Jimmy Ferraro said.
Hit Show is by Candy Ride out of the dam Actress, who in 2017 won the Grade 3 Comely Stakes by 8 1/4 lengths going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct.
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