El Kabeir vs. the Rest in Jerome Stakes

The Jerome Stakes kicks off is the first New York prep race for colts aiming to enter the starting gate in the Kentucky Derby. The Withers, Gotham and Wood Memorial make up the quadrumvirate.

Eight colts will take on the morning line favorite, El Kabeir, who was last seen winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Read his pedigree profile.

Greatest Challenge:

The only colt in the field with blacktype is Nasa (Smarty Jones - Shootforthestars, by Seattle Slew). The bay colt galloped to a 2 ½ length victory in the restricted Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, a race his sire won. Like the popular 2004 Kentucky Derby champ, Nasa races for the same connections as his sire. Nasa has a quality pedigree. He’s a full brother to the G-1 winning sprinter CENTRALINTELIGENCE; a ¾ brother to My Elusive Star and a half to General Consensus and Golden Rainbow, all stakes placed. Nasa’s unraced dam is a half sister to Super Derby (G-2) champ FANTASTICAT. Their dam LOTTA DANCING (by Alydar) is a graded stakes winner and third dam LOTKA (by Danzig) was a multiple graded stakes winner from a mile to 1 ½ miles. Like El Kabeir, Nasa has won each of his victories on the lead.

 

Allowance Winners:

Three Jerome Stake’s entrants won at the allowance level last time out.

Mini Cosmo (Unbridled Energy - Eyedontblink, by El Corredor) won his debut, but was nosed out for third by Nasa in his next start. Mini Cosmo came back to beat allowance foes at PARX by 1 ½ lengths. Mini Cosmo has no blacktype earners in his first three generations.

 

Now We Are Free (First Samurai - Ice Cool Kitty, by Tomorrows Cat) enters with a two-race win streak under his girth. After besting maiden claimers by 1 ½ lengths at 1 1/16 miles, the Michelle Nevin trainee beat allowance foes by a head. Now We Are Free’s dam is a multiple stakes winner from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. There isn’t much blacktype in his family, however, the colt is inbred to the good mare Sand Buggy through full brothers DIXIELAND BAND, First Samurai’s damsire and NORTHROP, Now We Are Free’s third damsire.

 

Ackeret (Mach Ride - Lady Zieg, by Touch Gold) sandwiched a loss in a listed stakes between his maiden and allowance victories. All three starts were at six furlongs. Ackeret’s dam is a half sister to the turf stakes veteran CLASSIC CAMPAIGN and Ackeret’s second dam is a G-3 stakes veteran over the lawn. Ackert’s owners won the 2013 Jerome with VYJACK.

 

Getting another chance:

Todd Pletcher sends out two charges who disappointed in the Remsen Stakes, where they finished last and second to last.

Ostrolenka (Musket Man - Pumpkin's Pride, by Louis Quatorze) raced four and five wide in the Remsen and gave up by the half, fading to 32 lengths behind Leave the Light On. He owns victories at the state-bred level. Ostrolenka is a half brother to multiple stakes placed miler Great Gracie Dane (by Royal Academy). We have to go back a few generations to find the class in his distaff line. Third dam is Champion Filly and blue hen QUEEN EMPRESS. She’s the fifth dam of Champion Older Mare JEWEL PRINCESS.

Royal Burgh (Street Sense - Amazed by Grace, by Bowman's Band) for another try for a graded stakes win. After winning his maiden by a neck, Royal Burgh bobbled at the start of the Remsen and was never in the game, finishing 28 lengths behind Leave the Light On. There’s little blacktype in Royal Burgh’s female family, although his dam is a stakes winning sprinter and placed in a grade three race.

 

Bringing up the field:

General Bellamy (Bellamy Road - Sweet Again, by Awesome Again) found the third time is the charm, winning his maiden by 3 ½ lengths going a mile at Aqueduct. The colt’s dam is an unraced daughter of Alabama Stakes (G-1) winner SWEET SYMPHONY. Bill Mott trained the G-1 winner and also trains her grandson.

Tencendur (Warrior's Reward - Still Secret, by Hennessy) is still a maiden. The son of the top ten Freshman Sire is a half brother to the multiple restricted stakes winner MOTHER RUSSIA.

Selections

There are no world beaters here and it looks like a good opportunity for El Kabeir to pick up an easy check and more points towards the Kentucky Derby. However, there’s a lot of speed in here. Nasa, Ostrolenka, Now We Are Free and possibly Mini Cosmo could all vie for the lead.

Nasa may give the graded stakes winner his toughest challenge. Roya Burgh could rebound and Ackeret could get a nice stalking trip.

#9 EL KABEIR

#8 NASA

#4 OSTROLENKA

#1 MINI COSMO – LONGSHOT PICK

Teardrops in the Debutante

For over 200 years, aristocratic fillies have won the Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes. The roll call of winners include Alcibiades, Bewitch, Furl Sail, Hollywood Wildcat, Silverbullitday, Chilukki, and Cashiers Dream, who set a 5 ½ furlong record of 1:02 2/5. Fillies that placed in the Debutante but later went on to championship seasons are Countess Dianna and Rachel Alexandra.

The Debutante past performances read more like an allowance race than a stakes. All eleven fillies are last out maiden winners. Six of them appear to have a strong shot of having their picture taken in the winners' circle.

The pretty gray TEARDROP (Tapit - Wild Vision, by Wild Again) is one of the best bred fillies in the Debutante. She's a full sister to War Echo, who placed in the Golden Rod (G-2) as a juvenile and was victorious in the Silverbulletday (G-3) at three. Teardrop is also a ¾ sister to the multiple graded stakes winning miler Pyro (by Pulpit), hero of the Forego (G-1), Louisiana Derby (G-2), etc. Another ¾ brother, Longview Drive, is a stakes winning juvenile and placed in the Delta Jackpot (G-3). Teardrop was very green in her debut. She broke slow, veered to the outside, blew the turn going seven wide and passed the rest of the field in the stretch like they were tied to the rail. She flashed under the wire 3 ¾ lengths in front, getting 5F in :58 2/5.

Teardrop's stablemate DEL MAR HOLIDAY (Sharp Humor - Harvest Girl, by Apollo) needed two starts to win her maiden. She dueled on the lead, then pulled away to win the over a wet-fast track by two lengths, getting 5F in :59 1/5. Next out winner Mi Perlita finished fourth. Del Mar Holiday is a half sister to the multiple stakes winning sprinter Winning Image (by Southern Image).

YOKOHAMA MAMA (Purim - Mon Cherie, by Afleet) came from off of the pace to win her debut. She owns a last out bullet breeze of 4F in a sharp :47 2/5. Her half sister to Flying Kiwi (by More Than Ready) placed in a stakes at two. Trainer Randy Morse takes over her conditioning. The stable is 9% with maidens to stakes angle.

FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD (My Golden Song - Hadif Cat, by Hadif) sat behind the pace until being loosed in the stretch, blowing them away by 10 lengths at Lone Star in a very sharp :57 3/5 for 5F. The pretty gray is a half to two Texas stakes winners. Fiftyshadesofgold has been training forwardly with two strong works at Churchill. Her trainer Bret Calhoun wins with 25% of his shippers

MORE THAN BEAUTY (More Than Ready - Brown Eyed Beauty, by Miswaki) zipped 4 ½ F in :52 flat in he debut, beating Debutante entrant Deliver by more than five lengths. She's posted three consecutively faster breezes including a last out bullet. The Borel brothers team up here and trainer Cecil is 31% with two year olds.

SILVER VALLEY (Silver Train - Panorama Valley, by Peaks and Valleys) won her debut at Lone Star by 4 ¾ lengths. Her dam went 3-3 in her career, including two stakes as a juvenile.

MEDALBU (Medallist - Malibu Moment, by Malibu Moon) could be an interesting long-shot. She made up over nine lengths in her 4 ½ F debut. Her times weren't the greatest, but she owns the second highest speed figure in the field. Her sire Medallist produced last year's Debutante winner Blueeyesintherein.

SELECTIONS

TEARDROP is the top pick based upon sheer talent and class. She can't goof off with this field and hopefully gained some experience in her first start. When a trainer has two horses in the field, always pay attention to the less-notable stablemate. That would be DEL MAR HOLIDAY. She has more experience than Teardrop, although Rosie jumped off of her, Del Mar Holiday's speed figures show improvement. FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD has the highest Bris speed figure in this group and on paper, appears the fastest. She doesn't appear to be speed crazy and will be dangerous. Have to respect the Borel brothers. MORE THAN BEAUTY has been working very well. MEDALBU and SILVER VALLEY are long-shots to watch.

#8 TEARDROP

#10 FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD

#7 MORE THAN BEAUTY

#2 SILVER VALLEY – long-shot pick

It’s Never Too Soon to Talk Breeders’ Cup

The Breeders’ Cup will be held in three months. More precisely, two months, 28 days. A lot will happen in that time period. Heck, the Juvenile Division has barely begun to form.

With the summer festivals at Saratoga and Del Mar in full swing, we will be treated to a preview of possible contestants for the Breeders’ Cup races. Babies can mature seemingly overnight, and a spectacular performance by a hitherto unknown maiden can make last week's sensation yesterday's news.

During the next two months and twenty-something days, this blog will focus upon up-and-coming two year old colts and fillies that may enter one of the four Breeders’ Cup Juvenile races. There’s no time like the present to become familiar with the names, pedigrees and accomplishments of future stars.

Stakes events will be plentiful leading up to the Breeders’ Cup. Below is a list of races that will help shape the Juvenile Divisions. Races with asterisks (*) are designated Breeders' Cup win-and-you're-in competitions. 

Are you new to racing or want more information on the Breeders’ Cup? Check out the official site: http://www.breederscup.com/. Read the latest Breeders’ Cup news and reminisce in the history area. Not only are there charts from all of the previous races, you can re-live some of the thrilling moments of past contests.

*NEW*  Breeders' Cup 360 includes articles on handicapping the Breeders' Cup and invites your participation!