Butch Reid to send stakes-winner Mailata to Withers at Aqueduct

Trainer Butch Reid indicated Feb. 5 that Parx stakes winner Mailata would ship to Aqueduct for the rescheduled Withers Stakes if connections elected to run, setting up a possible bid for 20 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The decision is not finalized, with Reid also publicly leaning toward targeting the one-turn mile Gotham on Feb. 28 instead of jumping from seven furlongs to nine furlongs too quickly.

Mailata, a 3-year-old bay colt by Maximus Mischief out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Bouquet of Gold, is a homebred for Cash is King and LC Racing. The owners named the colt for Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata, a nod to their status as Eagles season ticket holders. Mailata has developed rapidly at Parx under Reid, breaking his maiden at one mile on Oct. 29, taking the Pennsylvania Nursery by 3 1/2 lengths on Nov. 26, and romping by 19 lengths in the seven-furlong Parx Future Stars Stakes on Dec. 30. The Future Stars carried a $67,500 purse and was contested against two rivals.

Equipment changes have paid off. Mailata is 3-for-3 since blinkers were added, and Reid has credited the gear with sharpening the colt’s attention. “It really seems to have sharpened up his focus, and he’s really paying attention to what he’s doing on the track,” Reid said of the blinkers. Reid also defended the decision to keep the colt at Parx for the Future Stars instead of shipping to Aqueduct earlier, noting, “We wanted to get one more race into him before we put him in the van, and it worked out very well.”

The Withers Stakes was rescheduled from Jan. 31 to Friday, Feb. 6 and is listed as Race 10 at Aqueduct with a 4:20 PM local post time. The 1 1/8-mile dirt stakes carries a $200,000 purse and awards Derby points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers in a field of seven. BloodHorse described Mailata as the lone stakes winner in the compact field. Reid acknowledged the distance question ahead of a potential move up in class and distance. “The big question for me is going from seven-eighths to a mile and an eighth, but he acts like a horse who has no limits on how far he can run,” Reid said, while also noting pedigree that suggests stamina.

At the same time Reid has signaled prudence. “It's not 100 percent certain and we'll see how it comes up, but I don't think we'll go to the Withers. We're leaning towards the Gotham - the Withers is a little tight for us and it would be a big jump going [from seven furlongs] to the mile and an eighth,” Reid said, pointing to the Gotham’s 50-25-15-10-5 Derby points as a more attractive, single-turn mile option.

Reid brings Withers form and experience to the decision. He previously won the race with Afleet Again in 2010 and Uncle Heavy in 2024, and his familiarity with winter meets and Aqueduct factors into campaign planning. The Feb. 6 card itself was reshuffled by a deep freeze in New York and features a stakes-heavy lineup that includes the Toboggan, Ruthless, Ladies and Interborough Stakes.

For racing fans and Derby watchers, Mailata presents an intriguing profile: quick improvement since blinkers, dominant margins at Parx, and a team weighing risk against reward for a colt with upside. Connections must finalize entries in the coming days; whether Mailata ships for the Withers or waits for the Gotham will shape his early road to the Triple Crown.