2024 Withers Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

The New York spur of the Kentucky Derby trail continues Saturday, February 3, with the $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3). The race drew a competitive field of nine three-year-olds working toward the Run for the Roses. Not only does it offer a lucrative purse, but the first vie horses across the wire get 20-10-6-4-2 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

At 1 ⅛ miles, the Withers provides a test of stamina absent from many of the Kentucky Derby prep races at this time of year, as most of the races this early top out at 1 1/16 miles. It gives connections a great chance to find out how their horses are progressing and to assess their chances of stretching out to the Classic distance and becoming the winner of the next Kentucky Derby.

The nine horses in the 2024 Withers Stakes are all trying to find their place on the road to the Kentucky Derby: none of the runners has won a graded stakes race yet. However, several have won stakes races, including El Grande O, Seminole Chief, and Uncle Heavy.

The history of the Withers Stakes dates all the way back to 1874. The next year Aristides, the first-ever Kentucky Derby winner, won the Withers Stakes as well. The Withers was run in May at Belmont until 2012, when it became one of the Kentucky Derby prep races. Winners in that era who have gone on to do important things include Early Voting (2022), who went on to win the Preakness Stakes, Max Player (2020), who won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) the next year, and Alpha (2012), who went on to win the Travers.

Withers Stakes 2024 Information

• Race Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
• Track: Aqueduct
• Post Time: 3:55 Eastern Standard Time
• Distance: 1 ⅛ miles
• Age: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Withers Stakes Odds

This is the field for the 2024 Withers Stakes, arranged by post position. It includes trainers, jockeys, post positions, and official morning-line odds for each contender.

Withers Stakes Prep Results

Two different races send out a pair of Withers Stakes contenders. One of them is the stakes-level prep for the Withers and another road to the Kentucky Derby points race: El Grande O and Khanate were the second- and third-place finishers in the Jerome. (The winner, Drum Roll Please, is injured and off the Kentucky Derby trail. The other race with two runners in the Withers is a maiden special weight on December 8 over the same distance as the Withers, 1 ⅛ miles at Aqueduct. Speed Runner battled for a narrow win, while Society Man flattened late for third.

Three other runners in the Withers come out of stakes races. Two won their most recent starts: Uncle Heavy won the Wait For It, a Pennsylvania-bred dirt route at Parx Racing, on December 27. Seminole Chief beat Florida-breds on December 2 in the In Reality, a dirt route at Gulfstream Park. Deposition comes out of the Heft, an open seven-furlong stakes at Laurel, though he finished a well-beaten seventh.

Two others come out of allowance optional claiming company. Mission Beach won a six-furlong, first-level sprint at Laurel on December 22. Lightline, the morning-line favorite, most recently finished second in a non-winners of two lifetime race on December 31 at Oaklawn Park.

Withers Stakes Contenders

These are the contenders in the 2024 Withers Stakes, organized by post position:

Speed Runner: A Gun Runner half to Brilliant Speed and Souper Speedy, he is the only horse who has won at the Withers distance and one of only two to try it—the other being one of the horses he beat in his last-out maiden win, Society Man. He has to overcome a rail draw, and he will face winners for the first time, but he is fast enough to fit, and the fact that he can battle and keep on going in a 1 ⅛-mile race is an excellent skill here and further down the Kentucky Derby trail.

Deposition: Trainer Uriah St. Lewis frequently sends mid-Atlantic long shots to stakes races in New York. Some of them over the years have fit well in major spots (remember Discreet Lover?), but Deposition has a lot to find. To his credit, he is bred to go long—the longer, the better!—and that stakes race where he was well beaten last out was a sprint. That, and his tactical speed, make him interesting for lower rungs of exotics. But, first-time blinkers is a poor move for St. Lewis, and he has to improve from a speed figure perspective.

Lightline: This Brad Cox trainee has been named the morning-line favorite, though his only win was a blowout debut maiden win at Horseshoe Indianapolis. To his credit, he has been keeping good company since then: his two starts since have been second-place finishes in two-turn allowances at Keeneland and Oaklawn Park. That form fits, and he has upside to step forward and run a career-best second off a late-autumn layoff. Hit Show, who won the Withers for Brad Cox in 2023, likewise came from an allowance at Oaklawn Park. However, be cautious at a short price, especially since he doesn’t loom large enough to take short odds.

El Grande O: With nine starts, he is the grizzled old man of this Kentucky Derby prep race. And, he has made a good account: he has won three times, including twice in New York-bred stakes company, and only missed the board once. That off-the-board finish came in the mud against Grade 1 foes—and he has enough form over wet tracks to think he’ll be fine even against this lesser company. He should be a sharp second off the layoff; the biggest question for him on the win end is that he seems to be an underneath type and not a win type if he doesn’t make the lead. He might make the lead, but with the likes of Seminole Chief and Khanate that is no guarantee.

Seminole Chief: The Withers will be a class test for Seminole Chief: he graduated at Finger Lakes, the “B”-level track in New York, and then flew south to face Florida-bred stakes company at Gulfstream Park. He found his best in the In Reality, a 1 1/16-mile race where he pressed the pace, didn’t switch leads, and still ran on to win by half a length. Expect his Florida speed to have him on or near the lead in this one; he won’t be alone, but he can fight, and he could be in the mix at a price.

Society Man: He improved last out when stretching to a route for the first time, finishing third behind Speed Runner. That was over the same course and distance as the Withers, though that still means this race will be his first try against winners. To his credit, he can pass horses; with plenty of speed in that race, his ability to finish could get him in the frame late if he takes a step forward. However, that has to be a significant step, as he has not yet shown he is as fast as his foes here.

Mission Beach: He started his career out west for Bob Baffert, but moved east to the Brittany Russell barn last autumn. He looked like a speed horse out west, but won his first start for Russell from off the pace. It was an exciting new dimension for this son of Curlin, and that running style may work out well for him in this spot as well. He brings an interesting combination of potential and versatility, and should be a square price.

Uncle Heavy: This Pennsylvania-bred has been strong at Parx, beating open-company foes in an open maiden race. Toss his Pennsylvania Nursery due to his bad start; he took a nice step forward again to win the Wait For It at two turns next out. Even so, he still has to find more to be a contender against the top foes at Aqueduct. He isn’t without merit—his ability to track and rally is positive—but his start in the Wait For It still wasn’t great, and he’s going to have to get his head together.

Khanate: The “B” entrant from the Todd Pletcher barn, his only win in five starts came in a maiden race going seven furlongs at Keeneland. His bad start helps explain why he was well beaten in the Jerome, and he may be better in this spot, second off the layoff. This is one to watch the board on: Pletcher can pop with some new faces in early-season Kentucky Derby preps, especially in New York, though a little bit of money would be a reassurance. Something in the neighborhood of 10-1 would be interesting: warm enough on the board to express confidence, but also good enough odds to cover the fact that he needs to improve even with a good outside pressing trip likely.

Withers Stakes Past Winners Past Performances

Even though it is a Kentucky Derby prep race, a horse does not have to come out of a stakes race to win the Withers. Last-out maiden winners have been particularly solid in recent editions of the Withers: Far From Over (2015), Max Player (2020), Risk Taking (2021), and Early Voting (2022) all went from maiden wins to Withers wins. Three of those runners graduated at Aqueduct; Max Player was the only one who graduated elsewhere, as he earned his diploma at Parx. One other winner in the last ten years came out of a non-stakes win: Hit Show (2023) had most recently won an allowance race at Oaklawn Park.

The other recent winners came out of stakes races. Though no Withers winner in the last ten years was a last-out winner of the Remsen (G2), Avery Island (2018) was 2nd in the Remsen, and Tax (2019) was third. The Remsen is run over the same course and distance as the Withers.

The other three winners in the last ten years came out of other stakes races. Samraat (2014) came out of a New York-bred stakes win in the Damon Runyon, Sunny Ridge (2016) had been second in the Delta Jackpot (G3), and El Areeb (2017) came out of a victory in the Jerome (G3).

Withers Stakes Card

The Withers Stakes is carded as the ninth of 10 races on the Saturday card at Aqueduct. There is one other graded stakes race on the card: the Toboggan (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for older horses.

Across the country, the Triple Crown prep season is heating up. With Kentucky Derby prep races happening not only at Aqueduct but at Gulfstream Park (the Holy Bull Stakes), Oaklawn Park (the Southwest Stakes), and Santa Anita (the Robert B. Lewis Stakes), it is the perfect day to make plans to watch and bet online through FanDuel and TVG.

Aqueduct

Aqueduct is New York’s winter and spring destination for horse racing, and typically runs from November through April. The track opened in 1894, getting its name from the fact that it shared a property with a conduit that delivered water to New York City. One of many tracks around New York City at the time, it has managed to stand the test of time while other courses like Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay did not survive. Its flagship races include the Carter (G1), the Cigar Mile (G1), and the Wood Memorial (G1).

Its current layout features three tracks: a 1 ⅛-mile dirt track with a mile chute, a one-mile outer turf course, and an inner turf course of about seven furlongs. The inner track was previously a second dirt course, but in 2017, Aqueduct winterized the outer dirt course and converted the inner track to grass.

Withers Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Withers Stakes?

A: The 2024 Withers Stakes will be run on Saturday, February 3, at 3:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Q: Where is the Withers Stakes?

A: It takes place at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York City.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Withers Stakes?

A: James G. Rowe, Sr. holds the record for the most wins in the Withers with five, though all of those came between 1883 and 1909. The greatest among his winners was Colin (1908), a Hall of Fame inductee who finished his career undefeated in 15 starts. Among the trainers running horses in the 2024 edition, Todd Pletcher leads with three winners. His most recent Withers win came in 2015 with Far From Over. He has two chances to notch his fourth: he trains rail-drawn Speed runner and outside-drawn Khanate.

Q: Who is the favorite for the 2024 Withers Stakes?

A: Lightline, trained by Brad Cox, is the narrow morning-line favorite for the 2024 Withers at 9-5. However, the more experienced El Grande O is 5-2 on the morning line for trainer Linda Rice, and it would be no surprise if that more experienced horse ends up taking the money when all is said and done.

Q: Who is the best Withers Stakes jockey?

A: The great Eddie Arcaro has the most Withers wins, with six, between 1940 and 1955. His greatest winner was Hill Prince (1950), who won the Preakness en route to Horse of the Year honors that year. Among jockeys entered in the 2024 edition, Manuel Franco leads with two wins, with Far From Over (2015), Sunny Ridge (2016), and Hit Show (2023). He returns in 2024 with Lightline.

Q: Who won the 2023 Withers Stakes?

A: Hit Show, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Manuel Franco, won the 2023 Withers. The pair teams up again in 2024 with morning-line favorite Lightline.

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