Jerome 2022: See the field, jockeys and post time
The $150,000 Jerome on Saturday marks the second of five Kentucky Derby prep races that will be run at Aqueduct ahead of the 2022 Run of the Roses. A field of eight 3-year-olds will battle for qualifying points, paid on a scale of 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.
Since the Jerome became a winter race in 2013, it has not had much impact of the Kentucky Derby. Only two horses, Vyjack in 2013 and Firenze Fire in 2018) would go on to compete in the classic.
Cooke Creek will have the rail in Saturday’s one-turn mile event, with Manny Franco aboard. Trained by Jeremiah O’Dwyer, the Uncle Mo colt enters off of a second-place effort in the Nashua (G3) at Belmont on Nov. 7.
He won in stakes company at Delaware Park on Oct. 16, going one mile in the Rocky Run.
“He's a very game horse and very honest. He loves to train and a very forward going horse,” O’Dwyer said in a New York Racing Association press release. “The type of horse he is, I think he'll be a better 3-year-old - and he'll have to be to stay going along the road we hope he can stay on, chasing those nice stakes races and maybe get a few Kentucky Derby points along the way.”
Mr Jefferson will also enter out of a graded stakes, having finished fourth in the Remsen (G2) on Dec. 4 at Aqueduct. The Constitution colt, trained by Michael Trombetta, earned a single Derby point for his effort in that race.
Before the Remsen, he won going 1 1/16 miles in an allowance race at Laurel Park. He will start from post 7 with Mychel Sanchez in the irons.
Trying stakes company for the first time will be Courvoisier for trainer Kelly Breen. The Tapit colt will cut back in distance for the Jerome, after winning going 1 1/8 miles in an Aqueduct allowance on Dec. 21.
Courvoisier will break from post 6. Jose Ortiz has the ride.
Starting from the far outside of the eight-horse field, Hagler enters after wiring the field going seven furlongs in an Aqueduct allowance on Dec. 16. Running for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, he broke his maiden at Belmont Park on Oct. 29.
Jorge Vargas will ride the Tapiture colt.
The Jerome is carded as the eighth race on Saturday. Post time is set for 3:50 p.m. EST.