By easily winning Monday afternoon’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day feature at Aqueduct, the 25th running of the $70,045 Jimmy Winkfield for three-year-olds at six furlongs, Shadwell Stable’s Taqarub has pretty much served warning that he is ready for greater challenges.

He has now won all three of his career starts, and this was his first race of 2009. All three wins have come at six furlongs, all at Aqueduct, two on the inner dirt track and one over a sloppy strip.

The Aldebaran colt is full of promise and has everyone eager to see how he will handle more distance and two turns.

Certainly jockey Alan Garcia is among these. New York’s leading jockey in 2008, Garcia came up from Florida specifically to ride Taqarub in the Jimmy Winkfield.

It was an effortless turn around the Big A. Despite a slight bobble at the start, Taqarub quickly gathered himself and went to the lead that he would never relinquish.

“He stumbled at the break and re-positioned himself very quickly,” said Garcia, who left immediately after the race to catch a flight back to Florida.

Never seriously challenged, Taqarub set a pace of 22.81, 45.78 and 57.23, got stronger as the race went on and was an 8 ¼-length winner in 1:09.26.

“Alan (Garcia) did a great job recovering when he bobbled at the start,” said Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who is also wintering at Gulfstream Park . “We’re pointing him toward the Fred “Cappy” Capossela next ($65,000, six furlongs, 3yos, February 15), but he could go to Florida at any time.”

Magnuson said that the race reminded the winning connections of BobWitham, a verteran horseman who worked for Shadwell until his death on December 17. The 65-year-old Witham, who helped develop such horses as 2006 Belmont Stakes winner Jazil, died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill from his pony.

“With the Shadwell connection, we’re all thinking about Bob Witham,” Magnuson said.

Taqarub returned $3.90 to win. The Prince, a new gelding who ran as part of an entry with Fellow Crahser was second, followed by his stablemate, Great Debater, Giant Ryan and Naos.

Z Day was scratched.