NEWS
Alpha much the best in Withers Stakes romp
Posted: Saturday, February 04, 2012 5:42 PM
ALPHA WINS WITHERS STAKES
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
For video of the Withers Stakes, click here.
by Mike Curry
Godolphin Racing’s Alpha dominated five challengers in the $200,000 Withers Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Aqueduct, sweeping to the lead near the top of the stretch and coasting to victory.
Bred in Kentucky by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Alpha gives the Maktoum family’s Godolphin a formidable one-two punch for the U.S. Triple Crown series with Sham Stakes (G3) winner Out of Bounds.
McLaughlin was careful not to get too carried away after Alpha’s convincing 3¼-length Withers Stakes win, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.23 on a track rated as fast under a hand ride from Ramon Dominguez.
“There are some good three-year-olds around the country and it’s hard to tell what he actually beat today. Union Rags is out there, Todd Pletcher has what looks like a shedrow full of them, Out of Bounds in California for [Godolphin,]” McLaughlin said. “Whatever direction he goes, there’s some nice three-year-olds out there. We hope we fit in there well with them all.”
The bay colt from the second crop of Darley stallion Bernardini entered off a dominant win in the Count Fleet Stakes on January 7 and nailed down his first graded victory in the Withers, which also earned him $120,000 in graded stakes earnings.
With graded stakes earnings used to determine the field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), which is capped at 20 starters, the Withers Stakes earnings significantly improved his position in the race for a spot in the first U.S. classic. Alpha also banked $60,000 for finishing second in the 2011 Champagne Stakes (G1) and figures to be in good shape in early February with $180,000 graded stakes earnings.
More importantly for his connections, Alpha appears to be a three-year-old on the rise with two stakes wins in 2012 after closing his two-year-old season with an 11th-place finish in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs.
“He had to move a little bit early but he responded when asked, so it was an impressive race. It was impressive the way he finished. Ramon knows him well, he’s got great hands, and he’s a great jockey, so we’re just happy with things,” McLaughlin said of the 0.35-to-1 favorite. “We were hoping he’d win like that.
Alpha had problems in the starting gate in each of his two previous starts—the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Count Fleet—but showed maturity in the gate in the Withers Stakes. He tracked a moderate pace set by How Do I Win from three wide under Dominguez, quickly seized command entering the stretch, and opened a commanding advantage to cement a victory.
“I think he improved some [from the Count Fleet] because of how wide he was both trips, and he was better in the gate,” McLaughlin said. “He gets a better grade for this race—if it was a ‘B’ last time, he gets an ‘A’ this time.”
Speightscity closed from fourth to finish second at 44-to-1 odds. He was followed by Tiger Walk another 1¾ lengths back in third.
Alpha is one of four early Triple Crown nominees for Godolphin; Darley Stable has three. Kentucky-bred Alpha is out of the stakes-winning Nijinsky II mare Munnaya and is a half brother to French Group 3-placed stakes winner Mystic Melody.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
