Jerome Stakes Racing Roundup

©2019 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The first race of 2020 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby takes us to the Empire State Wednesday where INDEPENDENCE HALL will go the starting gate as the 1-5 morning-line favorite in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Post time is 3:55 p.m. ET.

Undefeated in two starts, Independence Hall comes into this race off a blowout win in the Nashua Stakes (G3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

INDEPENDENCE HALL away in good order, was a contender for the top in short order, going about the task in the two path, picked in interest when let out a notch in the form of some hand encouragement to begin to edge away from the competition in the final stages of the run around the bend, settled in upper stretch and got called upon more, took charge, came in one path from one right side shot leaving the eighth pole, ducked out two to three paths a few strides later after the pilot switched the whip to the opposite, saw the rider resort to a hand drive, became professional and drew even farther away from the others, most impressively.

Independence Hall looked good tracking the leader Chase Tracker to the far turn when he took command and pulled away in the stretch to win by an impressive 12 lengths. The final time of 1:34.66 is racehorse time and what I like to see in young colts on the Derby trail.

Constitution, the sire of Independence Hall, didn’t race until he was three years old but was a competitive runner that compiled a 4 -0-1 record in eight starts with $1,031,596 in career earnings.

Despite the late start, Constitution showed promise and was undefeated in three starts including a win the Florida Derby (G1). But a hairline fracture kept him out of the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1). He came back eight months later to close the season with a third-place finish in the Clark Handicap (G1).

At the age of four, Constitution was 1-0-0 in three starts with a win in the Donn Handicap (G1).

As a stallion, Constitution’s first runners are two years old in 2019 and some other runners of his on the Derby trail are Tiz the Law, By Your Side and Gouverneur Morris.

Independence Hall has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race. He looms large as the horse to beat.

CELTIC STRIKER (12-1) comes into this race with a 1-1-0 record in two starts for trainer Raymond Handal including a nice maiden win at Monmouth Park on October 27. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

CELTIC STRIKER dueled inside for the lead, shook free on the turn, responded when roused and held well under urging in the stretch.

Celtic Striker led from the start and looked good breaking his maiden with a 1½ length victory.

Congrats, a full brother to Flatter and the sire of Celtic Striker, did his best running at 8½ furlongs and farther. His most notable stakes wins were the 7½ furlong Ack Ack Handicap, the Alysheba Stakes and San Pasqual Handicap (G2), both at the 8½ furlongs, and he won 9-furlong San Antonio Handicap (G2). In addition, Congrats finished second in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and third in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), both at 10 furlongs.

As a stallion, Congrat’s best runners include Turbulent Descent, Jupiter Gold (AUS), Haveyougoneaway, Polar River, Pat On the Back, I’m Steppin’ It Up, Toasting, Bravo Watchman (AUS) and Top Decile to name a few.

Celtic Striker has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and I look for him to take another step forward.

A long shot I like is POLAR BEAR PETE (30-1) who comes into this race with a 1-0-1 record in two starts for trainer Edward Barker including a third-place finish last out at Aqueduct. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

POLAR BEAR PETE sat forwardly placed three wide, was put to a ride stepping into the lane, went at it with HIM SHE KISSES for second, came up the vanquished one.

Polar Bear Pete ran in third place just off the leaders and fought valiantly in the stretch for second place honors but missed the place by a nose.

Broken Vow, the sire of Polar Bear Pete, did not race as a 2-year-old but he was a good middle-distance runner that only finished out of the money once in 14 starts and in 12 route starts he compiled an 8-2-2 record.

At the age of three, Broken Vow was undefeated in four starts including the Sir Barton Stakes. As a 4-year-old, Broken Vow won the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G2), Ben Ali Stakes (G3), R.R.M. Carpenter Jr. Memorial Stakes and the Skip Away Stakes.

At stud, Broken Vow sired the outstanding middle-distance runner Unbridled Belle who had over $1.9 million in career earnings. And his best runners to date on the Derby trail have been Interactif, Private Vow and Done Talking.

Polar Bear Pete has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race.

Honorable mention goes to Bourbon Bay (5-1) and Prince of Pharoahs (8-1).

*****

A total of 35 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, there are seven races on the European road to the Kentucky Derby and there three races on the Japan road to Derby glory.

2019/2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351

2. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000

3. Tiz the Law, 12, Barclay Tagg, $304,100

4. Shoplifted, 10, Steve Asmussen, $336,000

5. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000

6. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,351

7. Silver Prospector, 10, Steve Asmussen, $197,351

8. Shotski, 10, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $143,466

9. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800

10. Thousand Words, 10, Bob Baffert, $121,000

11. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000

12. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000

13. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $75,000

14. Green Light Go, 4, Jimmy Jerkens, $210,000

15. Gouverneur Morris, 4, Todd Pletcher, $100,000

16. Answer In, 4, Brad Cox, $80,000

17. American Theorem, 4, George Papaprodromou, $60,000

18. Finnick the Fierce, 4, Rey Hernandez, $58,200

19. +Enforceable, 3, Mark Casse, $64,500

20. Embolden, 2, Mike Stidham, $164,000

          + = Scabbard (Hip 802) and Enforceable (Hip 76) were colts we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Kameko, 14, Andrew Balding, $192,894

2. Innisfree (IRE), 14, Aidan O’Brien, $127,856

3. Victor Ludorum, 10, Andre Fabre, $250,958

4. Royal Donarch (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $115,813

5. Alson (GER), 4, J.P. Carvalho, $135,572

6. Shekhem (IRE), 4, Dermot Weld, $24,068

7. Year of the Tiger (IRE), 3, Aidan O’Brien $36,086

8. Armory (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $258,793

9. Iberia (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $25,389

10. Gold Maze (GB), 2, Jessica Harrington, $12,034

11. Mogul (GB), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $111,879

12. Ecrivain (FR), 1, Carlos Laffon-Parias, $69,202

13. Camorra (IRE), 1, Ger Lyons, $3,610

JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609

2. Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526

3. Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736

4. Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395