Withers sensible spot for El Areeb

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When it comes to his talented 3-year-old El Areeb, trainer Cal Lynch is keeping it real.

After El Areeb’s 11 1/4-length romp in the mud in last month’s Grade 3 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, Lynch refused to utter the words “Kentucky Derby.” Heading into Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct, Lynch again is taking the one-step-at-a-time approach.

“He’s got to prove that he belongs,” Lynch said Thursday by phone from Laurel. “If he does, great. If he doesn’t, back to the drawing board. He’s got an opportunity to prove that he belongs. If he does, we’ll take the next step.”

This current step is the Withers, which figures to be run under different conditions than the Jerome. First, El Areeb will be the favorite in the 10-horse field, whereas he was the second choice behind Takaful in the Jerome. Second, the race will be run over a fast track, not the muddy, sealed surface on which the Jerome was contested.

“I know he’s won on an off track, but that would not be his preferred surface,” Lynch said.

The similarities are that the race is run around two turns over Aqueduct’s inner track and offers the winner 10 qualifying points toward the May 6 Kentucky Derby. The Withers is run at 1 1/16 miles, only 40 yards farther than the Jerome.

To Lynch, another similarity is how well he believes El Areeb is doing coming into the race. El Areeb entered the Jerome off a sharp 5 1/4-length victory sprinting in the James F. Lewis Stakes at Laurel. In fact, El Areeb has won his last three races by a combined 25 1/4 lengths.

Lynch was able to get three workouts into El Areeb in January, all on the schedule he preferred. On Tuesday, El Areeb breezed a half-mile in 47.40 seconds.

“There’s no excuse, there’s nowhere to hide, and we’re not looking to hide,” Lynch said. “We’re going up there and see if he’s as good as we think he is, and if he is, brilliant, we’ll have a lot of fun. We’re having a lot of fun right now. Even winning the Jerome was a nice win for our barn, so if we can go up there and get lucky again, I’d be delighted.”

El Areeb will break from post 4 as the 122-pound highweight under Trevor McCarthy. He’ll be conceding 4 to 6 pounds to his nine rivals.

The main threats look to be J Boys Echo, fourth in the Grade 3 Delta Jackpot in November; Apartfromthecrowd, a maiden winner over the inner track three weeks ago; and Fillet of Sole, a maiden winner at Parx on Nov. 29.

KEY CONTENDERS

El Areeb, by Exchange Rate

Last 3 Beyers: 91-94-82

◗ Owns the three highest Beyer Speed Figures in the field, all having come during his current three-race win streak, which began at Laurel in October.

◗ Rated nicely off odds-on favorite Takaful early in the Jerome, his first start around two turns.

Apartfromthecrowd, by Gio Ponti

Last 3 Beyers: 81-73-61

◗ Rode a golden rail to a convincing four-length maiden win over the inner track Jan. 14.

◗ Was off slowly, squeezed back, and ran in spots when finishing third behind Cavil in an off-the-the-turf maiden race going a one-turn mile over the main track in December.

◗ Irad Ortiz Jr. rides for Chad Brown.

J Boys Echo, by Mineshaft

Last 3 Beyers: 70-75-61

◗ Was wide throughout when finishing fourth in the Delta Jackpot, where he was up close early, dropped back down the backstretch, and showed late interest, just missing third.

◗ Was buried inside, got bumped hard in upper stretch, and rallied through a large opening along the rail to win his maiden at Keeneland by 5 1/2 lengths while going two turns.

Fillet of Sole, by Union Rags

Last 3 Beyers: 79-75-69

◗ Showed grit in running down a loose-on-the-lead Curtis by a nose in a two-turn maiden win in the slop at Parx last Nov. 29. It was 18 lengths back to the third-place finisher.