HIT SHOW SCORES WIN IN NEW YORK DERBY PREP RACE

Hit Show won the $250,000 Withers Stakes by 51⁄2 lengths in the Kentucky Derby prep at New York’s Aqueduct Race Course on Saturday.

Ridden by Manny Franco, Hit Show ran nine furlongs in 1:54.71 and paid $4.60 to win as the 6-5 favorite. The 3-year-old colt earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and is now third on the leaderboard for the May 6 race.

Trained by Brad Cox, Hit Show earned the first stakes victory of his career. He’s owned by Rancho Santa Fe’s Gary and Mary West, who owned Maximum Security, the colt that finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby only to be disqualified for interference.

Arctic Arrogance was second. General Banker was another 61⁄4 lengths back in third. Andiamo a Firenze was fourth and Prove Right fifth.

Cox said he would consider the $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 8 for Hit Show’s next start.

The Withers was rescheduled from last weekend after cold temperatures and high wind forced racing at Aqueduct to be canceled.

Hit Show was originally scheduled to run in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, but Cox opted to scratch and not face winner Arabian Knight.

Cox thought his 3-year-old would like the New York track since his sire and dam were stakes winners in the state.

Litigate wins at Tampa

Litigate ($7.60) moved up on trainer Todd Pletcher’s list of Kentucky Derby 2023 hopefuls, rallying from from off the pace to win the Grade III, $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

The son of Blame, ridden by Luis Saez,

broke from post 11 and secured a good stalking position on the outside.

The winner passed long shot Zydeceaux

approaching the sixteenth pole and held off closers Groveland and Classic Car Wash,

who finished second and third. The final time for the 11⁄16-mile race was 1:44.83.

Newgate off the trail

One of trainer Bob Baffert ’s promising 3-year-old colts is off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Newgate will be out of training for at least two months after being diagnosed with a hock issue.

Newgate won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes by a neck at Santa Anita last week. He was second in the Sham Stakes on Jan. 8.

The setback for Newgate is also a blow to jockey Frankie Dettori, who is retiring after this year’s Breeders’ Cup in November.

He came to Santa Anita to ride this winter to boost his chances of having a mount in the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Dettori finished sixth aboard China Visit in the 2000 derby, his only time riding in the race.