Hit Show's Withers Win Puts Him on Derby Trail
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Hit Show proves the best in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
After posting an emphatic 5 1/2-length victory in the Feb. 11 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Candy Ride colt Hit Show garnered 20 points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) and debuted on Churchill Downs' leaderboard in the fourth position.
Hit Show's owners, Gary and Mary West, last rode the Derby Trail in 2019 with Maximum Security .
The Wests went through every emotion May 4, 2019 during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, when Florida Derby (G1) victor Maximum Security crossed the finish line first by 1 3/4 lengths in a wire-to-wire performance but was later disqualified by stewards for interference down the stretch. Maximum Security was judged to have cost competitors War of Will and Long Range Toddy a better placing after swerving into their path near the five-sixteenths pole, thus relinquishing the Derby trophy to 65-1 longshot Country House , who had rallied for second.
Maximum Security closing in on the wire during the 2019 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
Maximum Security went on to earn $12,431,900 in earnings for the Wests who campaigned the horse in partnership with Susan Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, and Derrick Smith. The five-time grade 1 winner stands at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $10,000 in 2023.
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"It's pretty tough to get one on the Derby Trail; we have found that out," Ben Glass, racing manager for the Wests said. "And even when you sometimes get one there, it doesn't always work out. It's exciting to have a good horse. No one knows how nice he is yet, we're not going to get too crazy from a grade 3, but it's exciting."
Hit Show is the second foal out of the Wests' Tapit mare Actress, who landed the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) and Comely Stakes (G3) for the owners in 2017. The 3-year-old was making just his fourth career start for trainer Brad Cox, and first this year, in the Withers. He had broken his maiden impressively on debut last fall at Keeneland before finishing fourth in a two-turn Churchill allowance contest. In his effort prior to the Withers, the gray skipped clear to a 3 1/2 length tally in a one-mile allowance race at Oaklawn Park Dec. 17 to conclude his 2-year-old campaign.
"He was pretty green (last year)," Glass said. "Brad has worked hard with this horse and always liked him, stuck by him. My hats off to Brad—he did a great job."
Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles in the Withers, Hit Show was bumped at the start and rated kindly in fifth position under jockey Manny Franco before powering to the front turning for home. Hit Show cruised to the wire, ears pricked, stopping the clock in 1:54.71.
The Withers had been postponed from its original Feb. 4 date after New York state was ravaged by arctic temperatures. Hit Show remained at Cox's Belmont Park barn and trained in New York up to the race.
"It worked out pretty good; I think the extra week helped everybody a little bit," Glass said. "Franco just rode him perfectly; he sat there on safe ground, an ABC textbook race. He rode a good race, and the horse ran a good race. Everybody was happy, and that's all it really matters."
While Hit Show's next immediate target is not yet etched in stone, the colt may be next seen in the April 8 Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct on his road to the Classic race May 6 at Churchill Downs.
Glass added: "That will be Brad's call, whatever he wants to do, he's done a great job with all of our horses, and we couldn't be happier."