Hit Show takes off in Withers

Feb 11, 2023 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Hit Show resoundingly announced his presence on the Kentucky
Derby trail in Saturday’s $250,000
Withers (G3) at Aqueduct, rolling to a 5 1/2-length decision in his stakes
debut. The Brad Cox-trained colt garnered his first 20 points in the Road to
the Kentucky Derby series qualifier.

Manny Franco picked up the mount on the gray son of Candy
Ride, and Hit Show saved ground along the inside in fifth before launching his
move on the far turn. The 1.30-1 favorite overcame traffic issues, advancing to
overhaul 1.75-1 second choice Arctic Arrogance in upper stretch, and he drew
off in the final stages.

The Gary and Mary West homebred completed 1 1/8 miles in
1:54.71 over a slow track.

Arctic Arrogance held second by 6 1/4 lengths over General
Banker. It was another 14 3/4 lengths back to Andiamo a Firenze, who edged
Prove Right by a head. The second-through-fifth finishers received points on an
8-6-4-2 scale toward a berth in the May 6 Kentucky
Derby. Jungfrau and Ninetyprcentmaddie completed the order.

Hit Show was exiting a 3 1/4-length allowance victory at
Oaklawn Park on Dec. 17, and the Kentucky-bred sophomore has now won 3-of-4 starts.
He’s out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Actress, a daughter of Tapit,
and this is the immediate female family of Canadian champion three-year-old
filly Milwaukee Appeal.

The $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct on April 8 may
be next for Hit Show.

“I’m going to talk it over with the Wests and we’ll make a
decision,” Cox said. “He’ll go back to Belmont tonight and chill out there for
a while and recover, and we’ll come up with a game plan for him. It very well
could be the Wood Memorial. He obviously likes the racetrack and we’ll see how
things go.”