Tag: Jerome Stakes

Courvoisier (center) outdueled Smarten Up (left) and Cooke Creek in the Aqueduct slop to win Saturday's Jerome Stakes. Connections for all three eye Aqueduct's next Kentucky Derby prep: the Feb. 5 Grade 3 Withers, next. (Image: Chelsea Durand/Coglianese Photo)

Jerome’s Top Three Finishers Come Out Ready for Next Big A Derby Prep

Seeing enough in their charges coming out of Saturday’s Listed Jerome Stakes, all three trainers of the top three finishers, Courvoisier, Smarten Up, and Cooke Creek, plan running their colts in Aqueduct’s next Kentucky Derby prep, the Grade 3 Withers Stakes. That 1 1/8-mile prep, set for Feb. 5 at […]

Cooke Creek, seen here winning the Rocky Run Stakes at Delaware Park, is the 5/2 favorite in Saturday's Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. (Image: Hoofprintsinc.com Photo)

The Jerome Stakes Provide a New York Fork in the Derby Road

The Listed Jerome Stakes, one of four New Year’s Day Kentucky Derby preps, generally doesn’t prove anything come Derby time. But the Aqueduct one-turn mile race for 3-year-olds that dates to 1866 does serve as a proving ground of sorts. The eight newly minted 3-year-olds competing for the 10-4-2-1 Derby […]

Aqueduct Racetrack spent much of 2021 as a New York State COVID vaccination center. It reverts to its regular racetrack duties starting Thursday. (Image: NYRA/Aqueduct)

Aqueduct Racetrack’s Shots Now Come on the Track, Not Off of It

After serving time as a New York State COVID vaccination center, Aqueduct Racetrack reverts back to its traditional duties as the state’s winter home for racing on Thursday. The track opens to fans on Veteran’s Day for its 18-day fall meet. That meet runs through Sunday, Dec. 5 with a […]

Life Is Good won Saturday's Sham Stakes by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Medina Spirit. Kentucky Derby futures bettors rewarded Medina Spirit with an odds cut, while leaving favorite Life Is Good alone. (Image: Benoit Photo)

How Close is Too Close? Derby Futures Boards Reward Sham Stakes Runner-Up

Proving that Kentucky Derby futures boards and futures bettors view such matters through a kaleidoscope, Medina Spirit finished second in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park. At 9/1, he needed a furious stretch rally to even get near race winner and fellow Bob Baffert stablemate, Life Is […]

Capo Kane and his 7/1 odds went gate-to-wire en route to the Jerome Stakes title. It put Capo Kane on the Kentucky Derby Trail. (Image: Chelsea Durand/NYRA)

Capo Kane Introduces Himself to Derby Watchers With Decisive Win

Capo Kane was the forgotten horse in the Jerome Stakes, the horse without a Kentucky Derby futures number next to his name on the two prominent Las Vegas futures boards: Circa Sports and William Hill Nevada. Now, Capo Kane is tied for fourth on the Derby points ladder with the […]

Sittin On Go turned in a go-go performance winning the Iroquois Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He makes his 3-year-old debut as one of the sophomores to watch in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. (Image: Jamie Newell/Twin Spires)

Life Is Good for Derby Prep Watchers on this Weekend’s Stakes Slate

Life Is Good returns this weekend as the leading player among several Kentucky Derby contenders and would-be contenders among three Derby preps on both coasts. And those Derby contenders and would-be Derby contenders? They lose their juvenile status and become official 3-year-olds on Friday. Aqueduct, Santa Anita Park, and Gulfstream […]