Alpha wins the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct

NEW YORK (AP) - Alpha moved into the Triple Crown picture on Saturday after easily beating Speightscity by 3 1-4 lengths in the $200,000 Withers Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

Racing wide throughout the 1 1-16 miles, Alpha needed only mild urging from Ramon Dominguez to secure his third win in five starts. The 1-5 favorite trained by Kiaran McLaughlin is a perfect 2 for 2 this season, also capturing Aqueduct's Count Fleet Stakes last month.

The time was 1:44.23 on the fast track.

McLaughlin said the colt might return for Aqueduct's $400,000 Gotham Stakes on March 3.

"There are some good 3-year-olds around the country and it's hard to tell what he actually beat today,'' McLaughlin said. "We hope we fit in well with them all.''

Alpha paid $2.70 to win, one of a trio of odds-on stakes winners on the card.

Calibrachoa overcame a stumble at the start to score a 2 1-4 length win over Diski Dance and defend his title in the $150,000 Toboggan Stakes. Caixa Eletronica was third, giving trainer Todd Pletcher the first and third finishers in the stakes.

Cornelio Velasquez was aboard as the 5-year-old paid $2.90 for his ninth victory in 19 starts. The time was 1:09.47 for six furlongs.

Nicole H, the 1-2 choice, improved to a perfect 4 for 4 over Aqueduct's winterized inner track with a 2 1-2 length victory over Honchis'n Ponchis in the $100,000 Correction Stakes for fillies and mares. The 5-year-old trained by Mike Hushion and ridden by Dominguez paid $3 to win, covering the six furlongs in 1:11.08.