
A 9 1/4-length maiden winner in late December, St. Elias Stable’s Captain Cook carried his form forward in Saturday’s 145th running of the Withers S. at Aqueduct, joining the Kentucky Derby (G1) picture with a 2 1/4-length win.
The Richard Dutrow-trained colt stalked the pace an up-close third on the outside, drew even on the far turn, and powered clear in the stretch. Manny Franco, who picked up the mount for Captain Cook’s frontrunning maiden win over seven furlongs on a sloppy track, guided the son of Practical Joke through 1 1/8 miles on a fast surface in 1:51.83.
“It was his first time two turns, and I was a little bit worried about that, but at the same time confident because I’ve been working him in the mornings, and I got to know him well,” Franco said. “I knew he had stamina, but you never know. He proved he’s a runner.”
Captain Cook was favored at 1.45-1 among seven three-year-olds and picked up 20 points toward a berth in the May 3 Kentucky Derby in his stakes debut.
“He can do anything you want,” Franco said. “He can stalk. He can be on the pace. He’s a versatile horse.”
The Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series race awarded points on a 10-6-4-2 scale to the next four finishers, and turf maiden winner Surfside Moon rallied to be a clear second at 33-1 following a sixth in the grassy Awad S. in October.
Omaha Omaha, runner-up in the Jan. 4 Jerome S. at Aqueduct, closed to be a non-threatening third after a slow start, more than six lengths behind the runner-up, at 9-2. It was another big gap back to Smarty Jones S. runner-up Mo Quality in fourth at 5-2. Uncle Jim, who established moderate opening splits in :24.11 and :49.13, weakened to fifth and was followed by Global Steve and Corvus.
Bred in Kentucky by Marylou Whitney Stables, Captain Cook finished sixth in his first start at Churchill Downs in late November. The bay then sold for $410,000 at the Keeneland November sale, and he followed with a romping maiden special weight victory in his first start for Dutrow.
Captain Cool is out of the Grade 2-placed Indian Charlie mare Pow Wow Wow, and he counts 2003 champion three-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Bird Town, a half-sister to 2004 Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) winner Birdstone, as his third maternal dam. Indian Charlie, who finished third in the 1998 Kentucky Derby, is the broodmare sire of undefeated 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline and Hot Rod Charlie, the runner-up in the 2021 Kentucky Derby and Belmont, and Captain Cook commendably passed his first test at two turns in the Withers.
“It feels good that we can head him towards another big race for his next start,” Dutrow said. “I love that. I’m not thinking about the (Kentucky) Derby right now, but he did get the job done the right way and he went three-wide around both turns here, didn’t break so sharp. First time around two turns, mile and an eighth – he ran big.”
Captain Cook will target the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on April 5, a major qualifier for the Kentucky Derby offering points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis, for his next start.
“We’re very excited about running him back in the Wood, and I think that’s the next reasonable spot – a mile and an eighth, plenty of time, which he likes…any horse would like plenty of time,” Dutrow said. We’ve got a target, we’re happy, we’re excited.”
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