Keeneland Select Derby Prep Hotlist | The Withers | - February 5

Keeneland Select Derby Prep Hotlist

Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022

By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

The $250,000 Withers (G3) – Aqueduct - Race 8

The Grade 3 Withers drew a field of eleven 3-year-olds including the top 3 finishers from the Jerome which was run on January 1 at the Big A. The Southwest field will vie for a purse of $250,000 and a share of the Derby qualifying points of 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

(9) Early Voting (A) was an impressive debut winner for Chad Brown at odds of .95-1 at Aqueduct going a mile. He has a pedigree as a son of Gun Runner with a strong female side that suggests that he should comfortably handle the stretch out to nine furlongs. Jose Ortiz returns from Florida and stays on board even though he rode Courvoisier in his last start. (5) Courvoisier is unbeaten in his last two starts at the Big A. He broke his maiden going the 1 1/8 mile distance in December and came back to win the Jerome by more than a length and picked up 10 Derby qualifying points. Ruben Silvera will get the mount for the first time for trainer Kelly Breen. (3) Smarten Up hit the board in all four career starts including his second in the Jerome. His prior three races were all at Parx Racing and included his nine-length maiden breaker. (11) Cooke Creek won his first two starts at Delaware Park in a maiden special weight and a one-mile stakes race. From there, he was second in the Nashua (G3) and then third in the Jerome.

Betting strategy:  Exacta key box: 5 with 1, 3, 5, 9, 11. Trifecta part-wheel: 5, 9 with 1, 3, 5, 9, 11 with 1, 3, 5, 9, 11.