The $200,000 Withers Stakes February 7 at Aqueduct features at least one legitimate Kentucky Derby contender in El Kabeir, who will tackle six rivals looking to acquire qualifying points in the mile and one sixteenth race on dirt.
El Kabeir, the 8/5 morning line favorite will break from post 7 under jockey CC Lopez. The grey son of Scat Daddy has won three of six career starts including back to back stakes wins in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and Grade 3 Jerome Stakes in his last two outs. El Kabeir was particularly impressive winning the Jerome after overcoming a poor start to rally from off-the-pace to win with ease. The race showed the colt’s versatility after a front-running score in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Trained by John Terranova, El Kabeir should add to his Kentucky Derby credentials in the Withers – a race that awards points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the first through fourth place finishers.
2/1 second choice Classy Class will try to live up to his name as he searches for his first stakes win. The lightly-raced colt has made just two career starts, winning a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park October 25 before finishing fourth against stakes foes in the Grade 2 Remsen November 29. Idle so far in 2015, the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee could be any kind, and has apparently won the confidence of a successful barn.
5/1 shot Far From Over gives away even more on the experience end, having made just one start resulting in a maiden special weight victory December 12 at Aqueduct. The Todd Pletcher trainee is a son of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame.
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