Aiken-trained Alpha returns in the Withers

2/1/2012 - Aiken-trained Alpha returns in the Withers
By Ben Baugh

Godolphin Stable's Alpha returns Saturday in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Belmont Park. The son of the 2006 Eclipse Award winning 3-Year-Old Male Bernardini won the 1-mile and 70 yards Count Fleet Stakes by 2 1/2-lenghts in his last start at Aqueduct on Jan. 7. Two-time Eclipse Award winning Jockey Ramon Dominguez gets the return call. The Withers will be the second start of Alpha's sophomore campaign, and the stakes winner drew the extreme outside post in the field of seven entries.

Alpha last breezed on Jan. 30 at Belmont Park turning in a bullet work covering 5-furlongs in 1:01 seconds. The bay colt also turned in a sharp work five days before winning the Count Fleet. The Kiaran McLaughlin charge has only finished out of the money once, a disappointing 11th place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs, but in his start prior to that race, Alpha finished second in the 1-mile Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 8. Alpha is a half-brother to graded stakes placed Lavender Sky, group winner Mystic Melody, and group placed Numaany and Yaya.

Tim Jones broke and trained Alpha in Aiken, and the 3-year-old colt has bankrolled $180,000.