By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

The $250,000 Withers Stakes (G3), Aqueduct, Race 9, 3:55 p.m. EST - The Withers is the fourth of six stops on the New York road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby with qualifying points [20-10-6-4-2] that are available to the eligible finishers. Only two horses entered in the nine horse field have already earned some Derby points. A fast pace is expected in this 1 1/8 mile race which is carded as race 9. Post time is set for 3:55 pm EST. (4) El Grande O is the most experienced horse in the Withers field and has the most wins and career earnings. The son of Take Charge Indy has a pair of victories in NY-bred stakes races to go along with two seconds in open company stakes. Most recently he moved onto the Kentucky Derby trail for Linda Rice and finished second in the Jerome at Aqueduct after setting the pace and earned five Derby qualifying points. El Grande O is projected to get loose on the lead. (7) Mission Beach began his career for Bob Baffert and was a debut winner in the summer at Del Mar. He faded in a pair of graded stakes out west before moving to the barn of Brittany Russell in Maryland. For her the horse won an allowance. He has the breeding to say the added distance should not be a problem. (3) Lightline romped in his first start for Brad Cox by almost 14 lengths at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then ran second in a pair of allowances in Kentucky. Last time he was behind the unbeaten Carbone who is running in the Southwest (G3) on Saturday. (8) Uncle Heavy won at first asking for trainer Butch Reid at Parx and then most recently stretched out to win a Pennsylvania-bred stakes race. Reid is a past winner of the Withers.

Betting strategy: Exacta key box: 4 with 3, 5, 7, 8. Trifecta box: 3, 4, 7, 8.