A big afternoon of racing is on tap at Aqueduct on Saturday, and the most important race of the bunch is one where 10 Kentucky Derby points will be at stake. Seven will head to post at the Withers Stakes, the second prep race of the year in New York for the Run for the Roses.
You can find horse racing odds at BookMaker.eu at the online racebook.
ODDS ANALYSIS
1: Donegal Moon 15/1
2: Flexibility 7/5
3: Cards of Stone 20/1
4: King Kranz 8/1
5: Vorticity 8/1
6: Adventist 5/1
7: Sunny Ridge 5/2
For all intents and purposes, there are only two three-year olds who are considered trustworthy in the Withers on Saturday. Flexibility and Sunny Ridge are going to be the two favorites, and if they had switched posts, they probably would've switched odds as well. There isn't a lot separating these two, and it wouldn't be shocking to see either one go off as the favorite on Saturday.
As far as the rest of the field is concerned, the common thought is that Vorticity, King Kranz and Adventist are all fighting for the last spot on the board, while Cards of Stone is a longshot in every sense of the word at 20 to 1.
FAVORITE TO FOLLOW
For our money, Flexibility should be the odds on favorite here at Aqueduct on Saturday. He breezed through the Jerome Stakes earlier in the month, beating out Vorticity amongst others by 4 1/4 lengths in a race which he always looked like winning from the break. He's only got two losses in his career, both of which are against Mohaymen, who is the favorite right now to win the Kentucky Derby and the favorite to win all of the prep races down in Gulfstream Park.
What really gets us with Flexibility is how well he has trained of late. He blew through four furlongs in 48 flat both on January 21 and on January 15, the latter of which was on an off track. Though he hasn't raced in poor weather in his career, if his training suggests anything, even if the weather is iffy on Saturday, we think he can get through it all with ease.
UNDERDOG TO WATCH
Vorticity might've been second best to Flexibility at the Jerome, but he showed a lot of heart in a race which could've gone poorly for him. He showed a lot of speed out of the blocks and looked like he was going to just get shuffled to the back of the pack in the final couple furlongs. However, he found another gear at the end to hold second. Sure, it was nowhere near good enough to take out Flexibility, but for our money, it was an impressive showing.
This is really more about the price on Vorticity than anything else, as this 8 to 1 price in a seven horse field feels like a steal.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Sunny Ridge just doesn't do it for us even though he finished second in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont in October. He hasn't raced yet this year, and his training sessions haven't been anywhere near as good as Flexibility's.
In fact, we fancy Vorticity to finish second best again, a result which very well could put him on the road to Churchill Downs even if he doesn't figure out how to beat what could become his nemesis over the course of these next few months.
Flexibility is the king of New York right now as we see it, and we think we'll have the same finish at the Withers that we saw at the Jerome.
Play Flexibility to win the Withers Stakes
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