The Road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve heats up with three points races Feb. 1, including a stop at Aqueduct for Saturday’s $250,000 Withers Stakes. The historic 1 1/8-mile race — with a recent roster of winners led by 2022 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting and 2021 Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Max Player — is the fourth of six Kentucky Derby qualifying races at Aqueduct.

View the current Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard

This year’s Withers drew seven entrants and awards Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers. The field contains a couple of proven Road to the Kentucky Derby alumni: #5 Mo Quality and #7 Omaha Omaha. Both loom as logical contenders.

Mo Quality winning maiden race at Churchill Downs. (Coady Media)

Mo Quality, in particular, looks like a win threat. The bay colt is making his first start at Aqueduct. He opened his career on the Kentucky circuit, finishing second and first in a pair of maiden special weight sprints. He then shipped to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones Stakes, a Kentucky Derby qualifier in which Mo Quality raced forwardly on his way to second place.

The form of the Smarty Jones was flattered when third-place finisher Kale's Angel returned to win the Renaissance Stakes. Furthermore, the Smarty Jones winner, Coal Battle, had previously taken the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes over Speed King, who returned to win the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes last Saturday. My takeaway: Mo Quality ran well against a strong field in the Smarty Jones and warrants respect while taking his game to New York for the Withers.

As for Omaha Omaha, he won a Delaware Park maiden race and a Laurel Park allowance-optional claiming race before joining the Road to the Kentucky Derby in Aqueduct’s one-mile Jerome Stakes. Employing his usual deep-closing tactics, Omaha Omaha settled in last place behind quick early pace fractions before gaining a lot of ground in the stretch to finish second, beaten by 3 1/2 lengths. A decelerating pace in the final quarter-mile helped Omaha Omaha catch up, but he may encounter a similar setup in the Withers. A top-three finish is certainly within reach.

Beyond the two Derby trail alums, #6 Captain Cook looms a dangerous Withers win threat. He failed to factor when debuting in a sprint at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth by four lengths. But after shipping to Aqueduct and transferring to the care of Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., Captain Cook improved sharply in his second start.

Indeed, Captain Cook proved tons the best in a maiden special weight sprinting seven-eighths of a mile. He pressed a fast pace on a sloppy track before powering away down the homestretch to dominate by 9 1/4 lengths.

A son of elite sprinter-miler Practical Joke out of a mare by Indian Charlie, Captain Cook’s pedigree is arguably geared toward speed more than stamina, so the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Withers is a question mark. But on raw talent Captain Cook fits well against the Withers field, and they’ll have to catch him to beat him.

#4 Uncle Jim doesn’t appear to be as fast as the Withers favorites, at least not yet, but finishing in the top three or four isn’t out of the question. He won his debut sprinting at Keeneland then finished third in a one-mile allowance-optional claimer at Aqueduct. The top two finishers in that race, Cyclone State and Ican, returned to finish first and third (sandwiching Omaha Omaha between them) in the Jerome.

Respect must also be given to #1 Global Steve, an unbeaten colt shipping in from Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, where he’s won a maiden special weight and the Future Stars Stakes sprinting seven-eighths of a mile. According to Brisnet statistics, trainer Robert Reid Jr. wins at a lofty 30% rate with horses running long for the first time, so Global Steve is eligible to improve while stretching out in distance for the Withers.

Let’s take all of these opinions and funnel them into superfecta bets. (Note: A superfecta is a bet in which the first four finishers must be selected in exact order. If you chose to "box" them [multiple bets], the horses can finish in any order but you must have included each of the top four in the bet.)

For first place, we’ll use Mo Quality and Captain Cook. We’ll structure our tickets to favor Mo Quality, counting on him to finish in the top two. We’ll cover the possibility of Captain Cook finishing third, fourth, or even out of the top four since he isn’t guaranteed to relish racing 1 1/8 miles.

For the remaining slots, we’ll emphasize Omaha Omaha while mixing in Uncle Jim and Global Steve for good measure.

Wagering Strategy on a $10 Budget

$0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7 ($6)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7

$0.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7 ($3)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $0.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7

$0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4 ($1)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $0.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4

Wagering Strategy on a $30 Budget

$1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7 ($18)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6,7 with 1,4,6,7 with 1,4,6,7

$1.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7 ($9)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $1.50 superfecta: 6 with 5 with 1,4,7 with 1,4,7

$1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4 ($3)

What to say at the betting window: Aqueduct, 7th race, $1.50 superfecta: 5 with 6 with 7 with 1,4

Good luck and enjoy the race!