Withers Favorite El Kabeir Breezes at Belmont
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Jerome Stakes (gr. III) winner El Kabeir, likely favorite for the upcoming $250,000 Withers (gr. III), breezed five furlongs Jan. 30 over the training track at Belmont Park for trainer John Terranova.
Zayat Stables' 3-year-old Scat Daddy colt was timed in 1:01.14, eighth fastest at the distance among 28 on the morning.
The multiple graded stakes winner will be looking for his third consecutive graded stakes win in the Feb. 7 Withers over the inner track at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 1 1/16-mile Withers is a steppingstone to the $400,000 Gotham (gr. III) March 7 and the $1 million TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial (gr. I) April 4.
El Kabeir most recently scored a 4 3/4-length win in the one-mile Jerome Jan. 3 as the 7-5 favorite in a field of eight. A field of six or seven appears likely for the Withers, which offers 10 points to the winner as part of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" qualifying series.
El Kabeir wrapped up his juvenile season with a front-running head victory in the Kentucky Jockey Cup (gr. II) Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. The gray/roan colt flashed a new dimension when he kicked off his 2014 campaign with an off-the-pace win in the Jerome.
Also on the work tab Friday was Robert V. LaPenta's Withers probable March for trainer Chad Brown. The son of Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Blame turned in a bullet five-furlong breeze over the Belmont training track in 1:00.10. The dark bay colt has raced twice in maiden company, both at Aqueduct. He finished second going 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 29 and then posted a narrow victory going two turns Jan. 11.
Brown also has Market Conduct, owned by Klaravich Stables, under consideration for the Withers. A New York-bred son of 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Super Saver , Market Conduct broke his maiden at first asking before finishing third in a pair of state-bred stakes, the Bertram Bongard and the Sleepy Hollow. In his lone start in open company, he was seventh behind winner Leave the Light On in the Remsen (gr. II) Nov. 29.
Trainer Todd Pletcher, a two-time winner of the Withers, is expected to enter Black Rock Thoroughbreds' Far From Over, a game maiden winner Dec. 12. Kiaran McLaughlin, whose horses have taken three editions of the race, is likely to start Classy Class, fourth in the Remsen.
Rounding out the probable Withers starters are General Bellamy, most recently third in the Jerome, and Tencendur, a maiden winner facing state-breds Jan. 19 who breezed four furlongs in :50.66 Friday morning at Belmont.