Godolphin Colt Takes NY by Storm
Alpha sat patiently behind leaders and made his dominating move to the lead just before the final turn in Saturday’s Withers Stakes (Replay) at Aqueduct. The talented colt cruised to an easy victory under jockey Ramon Dominguez. It was the colt’s third win in five lifetime starts. The victory not only solidified his spot on the derby trail, but it also made him a bonafide contender for the derby crown.
Alpha faced a tough test in the race and several questions surrounded his possible future as a legitimate 3 yr. old contender. His presence in the gate was the main factor. If he could not school properly, how would his connections expect him to handle a field of 20 on the first Saturday in May? However, trainer Kiaran MacLaughlin seemed to work a little magic and Alpha handled the conditions like a seasoned veteran. Breaking from the outside post seemed to benefit Alpha greatly and gave Dominguez the opportunity to settle him in and make his move when it mattered most.
The win also increased Alpha’s graded earnings from $60,000 to $180,000; moving him up on the graded stakes earnings list. It appears Alpha will remain in New York for either the Gotham Stakes next month or the G.1 Wood Memorial Stakes in April. MacLaughlin has said he will speak with Godolphin racing managers in order to make a decision concerning Alpha’s next start. He also went on to say that if Alpha were to run in the Wood, he may ship his winning colt to Florida in order to train.
Results of the Withers Stakes:
- Alpha $2.70 $2.50 $2.10
- Speightcity $16.20 $5.40
- Tiger Walk $2.90
Winning Trainer: Kiaran MacLaughlin Owner: Godolphin Racing LLC
Godolphin Racing has been beneficial to the sport of horse racing. They have produced several great champions, but the Kentucky Derby has eluded them over the years. It is nice to see that Alpha will remain in the states to compete rather than traveling to Dubai to compete in the UAE Derby and then returning back to the U.S. This colt has a bright future in front of him and has a tremendous cast of support that could possibly give Godolphin their first derby winner.
Congratulations to the winning connections of Alpha. We look forward to seeing this brave colt move forward on the trail to the derby.
Written by Big Brink
