The Grade 3 Withers Stakes, a prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will award the top-five finishers qualifying points, respectively, towards the prestigious st Grade 1 test on May 3 at Churchill Downs. First post is p. He wasn't tired after the race," Davis continued.
He earned a career-best 83 Beyer Speed Figure, showing improvement from a debut runner-up effort to stakes-placed Touchy when rallying from last at the same distance one month prior at Keeneland. I ran him sooner than I thought I would because he started waking up really fast," Davis said.
We are trying to teach him to go two turns. Going from six and a half, to a mile and a sixteenth, it was a big difference, but I don't think it was the distance - it was overall the way the race set up for us. His third dam, Revealed, produced dual Grade 1-winning millionaire Belle Gallantey.
The Practical Joke bay stalked one length off the pace in second position before drawing clear in the turn and extending to a big lead over the sloppy and sealed going. The performance, engineered by returning rider Manny Franco, earned a career-best 83 Beyer. We were very, very happy with his race," said Dutrow, Jr. Manny was happy with the horse, excited, and liked the feel the horse gave him. He's an exciting horse who ran a big race and I can't wait to watch him run again.
He will travel two turns for the first time. He won going seven-eighths and ran big, so we are looking forward to it," Dutrow, Jr. He won over that same course and distance in his November debut, coming from off the pace under returning jockey Mychel Sanchez in both. If you watch the races, it does look like he's playing around a bit out there," said Reid, Jr. He's not going to be able to fool around like that against his group, so he's going to have to step it up.
