Bernardini colt Alpha is likely to stay in New York in readiness for the Kentucky Derby in May.

Alpha (3c Bernardini – Munnaya by Nijinsky) won the G3 Withers Stakes (1700m) by three lengths at Aqueduct on Saturday and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said the colt will run in either the G3 Gotham Stakes on March 3 and/or the G1 Wood Memorial on April 7.

“I will talk to (Godolphin racing manager) Simon Crisford and see if we want to run him once or twice before the Derby,” McLaughlin said.  “We like having him here in New York.”

The Withers was Alpha’s third win in five starts.  The Sheikh Mohammed homebred had scored by six lengths on debut at Saratoga and was then runner-up in the G1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont.  He closed out the year with an unplaced effort in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but bounced back for a Listed victory in the Count Fleet Stakes (1670m) at Aqueduct on January 7.

Bernardini colt Algorithms is already on the Kentucky Derby trail.  He powered home to a five length victory in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park last month.

The Darley shuttler also has Gamilati going for the jugular in the Gulf.  She won the G2 Cherry Hinton Stakes in Newmarket last July and claimed the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas on Friday.

Gamilati (3f Bernardini – Illustrious Miss by Kingmambo) won by five lengths and Sheikh Mohammed indicated all options are now open for the filly.  “We will have to think about the UAE Oaks,” he said.  “The English 1,000 Guineas is also an option and so is Royal Ascot.”

Bernardini has sired 11 stakes winner in his first two northern crops and they have won 21 black-type races headed by G1 winners Stay Thirsty (Travers Stakes), To Honor And Serve (Cigar Mile), A Z Warrior (Frizette Stakes) and Biondetti (Italian Gran Criterium).