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Withers Stakes 2014; Three Aqueduct Gate to Wire Contenders

Trixie Hammer
On January 27, 2014

Withers Stakes 2014; Three Aqueduct Gate to Wire Contenders: The Grade 3 134th running of the Withers Stakes takes place at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, New York on Saturday, February 1, 2014 and will award the first place finisher with ten points on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard. Three of the 2014 Withers Stakes contenders all ran gate to wire in their last starts.

The Withers Stakes 2014 is the 9th race of the day at Aqueduct with a post time of 4:20 PM EST.
Photo: Adam Coglianese/NYRA

The $250,000 1 1/16 mile Withers Stakes draws six competitive colts to Aqueduct including New York bred favorites Uncle Sigh with 9-5 odds and Samraat with 7-5 odds. Experts expect Uncle Sigh, breaking from post position #1 with jockey Pablo Morales, and New York bred Samraat, breaking from the five post with jockey Jose Ortiz, will go head-to-head in the Withers Stakes.

Both colts won their last race by leading the competition from the starting gate all the way to the finish line impressively. Samraat won the Damon Runyon Stakes on December 18, 2013 by 16 ¾ lengths. This was Samraat’s third win in a row for trainer Richard Violette, Jr. Uncle Sigh broke his maiden on December 27, 2013 at Aqueduct by 14 ½ lengths for trainer Gary Contessa.

Street Gent, with 12-1 odds, also won a gate to wire race at Aqueduct on December 1, 2013 by ¾ length for trainer Leah Gyarmati.

The 2014 Withers Stakes field also hosts three-year-old colts Scotland, Classic Giacnroll, and Honorable Judge.

The Withers Stakes 2014 is the 9th race of the day at Aqueduct with a post time of 4:20 PM EST. The $100,000 Correction Stakes for fillies and mares three-years-old and up, the $100,000 Busher Stakes for three-year-old fillies, and the $150,000 Toboggan Stakes for three-year-olds and up are all prelude races scheduled for the big day at Aqueduct on Saturday, February 1, 2014.