The Highway to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve heats up with three factors races Feb. 1, together with a cease at Aqueduct for Saturday’s $250,000 Withers Stakes. The historic 1 1/8-mile race — with a latest roster of winners led by 2022 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting and 2021 Grade 1 Jockey Membership Gold Cup winner Max Participant — is the fourth of six Kentucky Derby qualifying races at Aqueduct.
View the present Highway to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard
This 12 months’s Withers drew seven entrants and awards Kentucky Derby qualification factors on a 20-10-6-4-2 foundation to the highest 5 finishers. The sector comprises a few confirmed Highway to the Kentucky Derby alumni: #5 Mo High quality and #7 Omaha Omaha. Each loom as logical contenders.
Mo High quality, particularly, seems to be like a win risk. The bay colt is making his first begin at Aqueduct. He opened his profession on the Kentucky circuit, ending second and first in a pair of maiden particular weight sprints. He then shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones Stakes, a Kentucky Derby qualifier by which Mo High quality raced forwardly on his strategy to second place.
The type of the Smarty Jones was flattered when third-place finisher Kale’s Angel returned to win the Renaissance Stakes. Moreover, the Smarty Jones winner, Coal Battle, had beforehand taken the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes over Pace King, who returned to win the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes final Saturday. My takeaway: Mo High quality ran effectively towards a powerful discipline within the Smarty Jones and warrants respect whereas taking his sport to New York for the Withers.
As for Omaha Omaha, he received a Delaware Park maiden race and a Laurel Park allowance-optional claiming race earlier than becoming a member of the Highway to the Kentucky Derby in Aqueduct’s one-mile Jerome Stakes. Using his ordinary deep-closing ways, Omaha Omaha settled in final place behind fast early tempo fractions earlier than gaining quite a lot of floor within the stretch to complete second, overwhelmed by 3 1/2 lengths. A decelerating tempo within the ultimate quarter-mile helped Omaha Omaha catch up, however he might encounter an analogous setup within the Withers. A top-three end is actually inside attain.
Past the 2 Derby path alums, #6 Captain Prepare dinner looms a harmful Withers win risk. He did not issue when debuting in a dash at Churchill Downs, ending sixth by 4 lengths. However after delivery to Aqueduct and transferring to the care of Kentucky Derby-winning coach Rick Dutrow Jr., Captain Prepare dinner improved sharply in his second begin.
Certainly, Captain Prepare dinner proved tons the perfect in a maiden particular weight sprinting seven-eighths of a mile. He pressed a quick tempo on a sloppy monitor earlier than powering away down the homestretch to dominate by 9 1/4 lengths.
A son of elite sprinter-miler Sensible Joke out of a mare by Indian Charlie, Captain Prepare dinner’s pedigree is arguably geared towards velocity greater than stamina, so the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Withers is a query mark. However on uncooked expertise Captain Prepare dinner matches effectively towards the Withers discipline, and so they’ll must catch him to beat him.
#4 Uncle Jim doesn’t seem like as quick because the Withers favorites, not less than not but, however ending within the high three or 4 isn’t out of the query. He received his debut sprinting at Keeneland then completed third in a one-mile allowance-optional claimer at Aqueduct. The highest two finishers in that race, Cyclone State and Ican, returned to complete first and third (sandwiching Omaha Omaha between them) within the Jerome.
Respect should even be given to #1 World Steve, an unbeaten colt delivery in from Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, the place he’s received a maiden particular weight and the Future Stars Stakes sprinting seven-eighths of a mile. Based on Brisnet statistics, coach Robert Reid Jr. wins at a lofty 30% charge with horses working lengthy for the primary time, so World Steve is eligible to enhance whereas stretching out in distance for the Withers.
Let’s take all of those opinions and funnel them into superfecta bets. (Be aware: A superfecta is a wager by which the primary 4 finishers have to be chosen in actual order. When you selected to “field” them [multiple bets], the horses can end in any order however it’s essential to have included every of the highest 4 within the wager.)
For first place, we’ll use Mo High quality and Captain Prepare dinner. We’ll construction our tickets to favor Mo High quality, relying on him to complete within the high two. We’ll cowl the opportunity of Captain Prepare dinner ending third, fourth, and even out of the highest 4 since he isn’t assured to relish racing 1 1/8 miles.
For the remaining slots, we’ll emphasize Omaha Omaha whereas mixing in Uncle Jim and World Steve for good measure.
Wagering Technique on a $10 Finances
$0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7 ($6)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7
$0.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7 ($3)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $0.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7
$0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4 ($1)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4
Wagering Technique on a $30 Finances
$1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7 ($18)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7
$1.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7 ($9)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $1.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7
$1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4 ($3)
What to say on the betting window: Aqueduct, seventh race, $1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4
Good luck and benefit from the race!
