NEW YORK (AP) Sunny Ridge moved into the Kentucky Derby picture with a win over Vorticity on Saturday in the $250,000 Withers Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.
The son of Holy Bull bred in New Jersey earned 10 qualifying points toward a Derby starting berth.
Sunny Ridge won by three quarters of a length. The homebred gelding for Monmouth Park executive Dennis Drazin got his third win in six starts - and second stakes victory. He captured the Sapling at Monmouth last September.
Sunny Ridge, trained by Jason Servis and ridden by Manny Franco, paid $9.50, $4.20 and $5.30. Vorticity returned $6 and $7.90.
Adventist, making only his second start following an 11 1/4 length debut victory, got third. He paid $8.60 to show.
Flexibility, winner of the Jerome Stakes and the 1-2 favorite, finished fourth.
