Rebel Stakes Odds
Once upon a time, the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct was a prestigious spring classic nearly on par with the Triple Crown races. It was not uncommon for Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners to use the 1-mile race as a prep for the Belmont Stakes; Sir Barton (1919), Omaha (1935), and Count Fleet (1943) managed to find time during their successful Triple Crown campaigns to compete in the Withers as well.
The Withers was inaugurated in 1874, one year before the Kentucky Derby, and has been held at five different racetracks during its long history. Dozens of high-class horses have graced the Withers winner’s circle, including Hall of Fame champions Man o’ War (1920), Native Dancer (1953), Dr. Fager (1967), and Ack Ack (1969).
But times change, and by the 2000s the Withers had slipped sharply in prominence. Fewer high-class horses were competing in the Withers, which carried a purse of just $150,000, and it slipped from Grade 2 to Grade 3 status in 2000.
2000 Guineas Stakes Group 1 race The Finish of the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket by Samuel Henry Alken (1810–1894) Location Rowley Mile Newmarket, Suffolk, England Inaugurated 1809 Race type Flat / Thoroughbred Sponsor QIPCO Website Newmarket Race information Distance 1 mile (1,609 metres) Surface Turf Track Straight Qualification Three-year-olds excluding geldings Weight 9 st 0 lb. 1 1/4 Mile Dirt. Purse $3,000,000. Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4 (Grade 1). FOR THREE YEAR OLDS. Colts and Geldings 126 lbs. Fillies 121 lbs. To place a Future Wager on the 2021.
With the race no longer relevant as a spring classic, the New York Racing Association elected in 2012 to shift the Withers to early February, gradually restructuring the event into a 1 1⁄8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race offering 10 qualification points to the winner. The purse received a boost as well, reaching $250,000 in 2014.
Rebel Stakes Odds
The results of these changes have been impressive. During the 2010s, eight Withers participants qualified for the Kentucky Derby, including the 2013 winner Revolutionary, who battled to a third-place finish under the Twin Spires.
Also of note, in 2019 Sir Winston used a fourth-place finish in the Withers as a springboard to victory in the Belmont Stakes, following in the hoofprints of Sir Barton, Omaha, Count Fleet, and others. The takeaway? No matter the date or the distance, you can count on the Withers to produce talented runners on racing’s greatest stages.
By J. Keeler Johnson
| Results | Win | Place | Show | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Risk Taking 9-5 | $5.80 | $3.90 | $2.70 |
| 6 | Overtook 9-1 | $7.00 | $4.60 | |
| 3 | Capo Kane 3-1 | $3.40 | ||
| Payouts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Double | 1/5 | $34.75 |
| Exacta | 5/6 | $20.80 |
| Grand Slam | 2,4,5/1,4-6/1,2,4/5 | $12.10 |
| Pick 3 | 5/1/5 | $799.50 |
| Superfecta | 5/6/3/2 | $35.50 |
| Trifecta | 5/6/3 | $48.62 |
2021 Rebel Stakes Odds
Few Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races can boast as long and rich a history as the Blue Grass Stakes (G2), a tried-and-true local steppingstone toward the Run for the Roses.
The Blue Grass was first run in 1911 at the long-gone Kentucky Association racetrack in Lexington, and the race quickly established its prominence when inaugural runner-up Meridian returned to win the Kentucky Derby. Donerail (1913), Behave Yourself (1921), and Bubbling Over (1926) likewise used the original Blue Grass as a springboard to success under the Twin Spires.
Following a 10-year hiatus, the Blue Grass was resurrected in 1937 at Keeneland, where it remains a prestigious spring fixture to this day. Through 2019, 19 horses have parlayed a run in Keeneland’s Blue Grass into victory at Churchill Downs, including 10 runners who won both races: Shut Out (1942), Tomy Lee (1959), Chateaugay (1963), Northern Dancer (1964), Lucky Debonair (1965), Forward Pass (1968), Dust Commander (1970), Riva Ridge (1972), Spectacular Bid (1979), and Strike the Gold (1991).
Historic Calumet Farm has won the Blue Grass half a dozen times, though arguably their most talented participant—1942 Triple Crown champion Whirlaway—was beaten to second place at Keeneland. The record for the fastest winning time belongs to Skip Away, a future Horse of the Year who blazed 1 1⁄8 miles in 1:47.29 to win the 1996 renewal.
The Blue Grass endured a dry spell between 2007 and 2014, when the race was conducted over a synthetic track; during that timeframe, only 2007 runner-up Street Sense managed to prevail in the Kentucky Derby. But Keeneland’s return to dirt is already triggering a turnaround, with 2018 Blue Grass winner Good Magic recording a runner-up finish in the Run for the Roses. Continued success seems inevitable for Kentucky’s signature Derby prep race.
By J. Keeler Johnson