Aqueduct Racetrack Picks – Saturday, February 6, 2021

The Withers Stakes — one of the prep races on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby — is being hosted at Aqueduct Racetrack Saturday, and I review that match, as well as a maiden and an allowance race that are each offering sizeable purses to attract the best competition.

Remember that while I review those three races here, you can find Aqueduct’s entire race card — including horses, jockeys, trainers, M/L odds, and wagering options — at one of our recommended online racebooks.

Read on for my Aqueduct Racetrack picks and betting tips for Saturday, February 6, 2021.

This is a maiden special weight race for four-year-olds and upward running a distance of seven furlongs for a purse of $70,000.

I’m backing the 6/5 morning line favorite in this race — Clever Fellow, ridden by Manny Franco. This five-year-old gelding moneyed one of his two career starts, but more importantly, he has shown good performance in recent workouts, particularly in the longer distances.

Speaking of good performance in recent workouts, I’m liking the look of the 10/1 Shinjuku, with Luis Cardenas aboard. This four-year-old colt failed to money in his single career start but has shown consistently good times in workouts. It also helps that Cardenas brings his five-pound apprentice allowance to the run. Show ticket only.

This is an allowance race for fillies and mares running four years old and upward running a distance of seven furlongs for a purse of $72,000.

While this could turn out to be a very tight race, I’m sticking with the 5/2 morning line favorite in this run — Mabel Island, with Jorge A. Vargas, Jr., in the irons. This four-year-old filly finished in the money five of her ten career starts, winning four.

She’ll see some significant competition from the second half of the coupled entry — Dublinornothin, ridden by Andre Shivnarine Worrie. This five-year-old mare moneyed 17 of her 23 career starts, winning six. Might be worth an across the board wager.

No longer-odds entries in this race look likely to finish anywhere near the money, so save yours.

This is the Withers Stakes, a Grade III stakes race for three-year-olds running a distance of 1-1/8 miles for a purse of $250,000. The Withers is a prep race on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the top four finishers earn points (10-4-2-1) toward qualification for a starting position in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

I like the second-favored (3/1) entry here — Capo Kane, with Dylan Davis in the irons. This colt moneyed all three of his career starts, winning two, one of which was the Jerome Stakes (Listed) at Aqueduct in January.

I can’t resist the 50/1 longshot in this race–Civil War, with Benjamin Hernandez aboard. After breaking his maiden in his first start, this colt missed the money in his subsequent three starts with two fourths and a fifth — but two of those were graded stakes races — the Champagne Stakes (Grade I) and the Nashua Stakes (Grade III). Show ticket only.

Plenty more stakes races at the other two tracks I reviewed for Saturday: