El Areeb Shows Mettle With Withers Win

By Margaret Ransom

MMG Stable’s El Areeb proved himself anything but a one-race wonder Saturday with an impressive 4 ¼-length romp in the $250,000 Withers Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct. Under regular jockey Trevor McCarthy, the Cathal Lynch trainee stalked an early pace while racing near the middle of the track, launched a bold move while still wide at the top of the stretch and ran down his frontrunning rival in deep stretch to draw away to victory.

It was El Areeb’s fourth consecutive win and third in black-type company.

Near 30-1 outsider True Timber set… (more)