Overtook Looks to Overtake Rivals in Withers
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Overtook breaks his maiden Dec. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack
It's anything but a surprise to find Overtook among the entries for a graded Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prep.
Grand expectations are natural when it's a son of Curlin , who sold for $1 million from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Not to mention, he's owned by the Coolmore Team of Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier, and Derrick Smith, Mike Repole of Repole Stable, and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stable, and trained by seven-time Eclipse Award and two-time Kentucky Derby winner Todd Pletcher.
"It goes without saying that he was well-thought of as a yearling," Pletcher said. "He was expensive; he has a big-time pedigree. Hopefully he can live up to it."
It also goes without saying that high hopes and reality are two vastly different items, and Overtook was hardly an overnight success on the path leading him to the Feb. 6 $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.
In his Oct. 10 debut in a six-furlong maiden race at Belmont Park, the son of the A.P. Indy mare Got Lucky, bred by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Philip Steinberg, was sent off at 10-1 odds and finished fourth beaten eight lengths.
His next try came around two turns in a Nov. 8 start at Aqueduct when he finished 21 lengths behind, yet sometimes there's something to be said about the company a horse keeps. In that 1 1/8-mile race, Overtook ran into stablemate Known Agenda, who was later third in the Remsen Stakes (G2), and Greatest Honour, who was a decisive winner last weekend in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
That experience paid off last time out when everything fell into place for the $1 million purchase, and he rolled to a two-length triumph in a Dec. 20 one-turn mile test at Aqueduct that put him squarely in the mix for the 1 1/8-mile Withers.
"He had a good set up last time, and it's encouraging that he seems to be training with more enthusiasm after his maiden win," Pletcher said about a colt who is the first of four foals from the grade 1-winning Got Lucky to race. "He has to step up and improve, but he's been coming forward in the right direction."
The Withers is the second of four monthly New York preps—and the co-longest—that will award qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The top four finishers will get 10-4-2-1 points in descending order, which in the case of seven of the starters, including Overtook, will be their first, while two can add to their total.
The Withers reunites Capo Kane and Eagle Orb, who finished 1-2 in the opening leg of the New York preps, the Jerome Stakes. On that Jan. 1 afternoon, there were 6 1/4 lengths separating the newly turned 3-year-olds as Bing Cherry Racing and Leonard Liberto's Capo Kane captured the mile stakes on a muddy track.
Capo Kane wins the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
For the Parx Racing-based Capo Kane, a California-bred son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense , it was a second straight win after a runner-up finish in his debut. It also provided him with 10 qualifying points toward a start in the Run for the Roses.
"He came out of the Jerome fine. It didn't seem to take anything out of him. He's been on his feed, and he seems fresh and ready," said trainer Harold Wyner, who will be chasing his initial graded stakes win through the efforts of a colt bought for just $26,000 from the Paul Sharp consignment at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. "He breezed well after the race (a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.96 at Parx Jan. 20) and had a nice two-minute mile (Jan. 30) while finishing up the last three-eighths in :37. He came out of that well, so we're right on track."
Eagle Orb, a New York-bred son of Orb owned by E.V. Racing Stable and trained by Rudy Rodriguez, made his first start outside of state-bred company in the Jerome. He boasts a record of two wins and three seconds in six tries with four Kentucky Derby points.
Aside from Overtook, Pletcher will send out Donegal Racing's Donegal Bay, a son of Uncle Mo who was a gate-to-wire maiden winner Dec. 12 at Gulfstream Park in his second and most recent start.
Another interesting contender exiting a maiden win is Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking, a Medaglia d'Oro colt who was best by 2 1/4 lengths for trainer Chad Brown in his third career start and first around two turns on dirt. After finishing seventh in a six-furlong dirt race and then sixth in a turf race, Risk Taking took a big step forward in the Dec. 13 test at 1 1/8 miles when he wore blinkers for the first time.
Risk Taking breaks his maiden Dec. 13 at Aqueduct Racetrack
Jockey Eric Cancel, who rode Overtook in his last two races, will be aboard Risk Taking for the first time while Manny Franco will be aboard Overtook.
The race also features two intriguing shippers from Laurel Park in Howard County Stakes winner Shackqueenking, a Shackleford colt owned by Jon Madden and trained by Gary Capuano, and Royal Number, a son of Palace Malice owned by R. Larry Johnson, R. D. M. Racing Stable, and trainer Michael Trombetta who was last seen winning by 7 3/4 lengths in an allowance optional claiming race.
Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, February 06, 2021, Race 8Entries: Withers S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Shackqueenking (KY)
Trevor McCarthy
120
Gary Capuano
10/1
2
2Royal Number (MD)
Pablo Morales
118
Michael J. Trombetta
6/1
3
3Capo Kane (CA)
Dylan Davis
120
Harold Wyner
3/1
4
4Mr. Doda (FL)
Luis A. Rodriguez Castro
118
Carlos Soto
30/1
5
5Risk Taking (KY)
Eric Cancel
118
Chad C. Brown
5/2
6
6Overtook (KY)
Manuel Franco
118
Todd A. Pletcher
6/1
7
7Donegal Bay (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
118
Todd A. Pletcher
7/2
8
8Civil War (KY)
Benjamin Hernandez
118
Thomas Albertrani
50/1
9
9Eagle Orb (NY)
Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.
118
Rudy R. Rodriguez
10/1
