Expert Pick of the Week: 2024 Jerome Stakes

Jan 04, 2024 John Mucciolo

A compact field of five three-year-olds will travel a one-turn mile in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome S. at Aqueduct. The 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top-five finishers with qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis towards the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on May 4.

The Brad Cox-trained Drum Roll Please put in a trio of very good efforts in succession following an unplaced debut as a juvenile and looks best in this field. By Hard Spun, the chestnut comes off of a strong third in the recent Remsen S. (G2) on the oval and will cut back in trip for his sophomore bow. He is the Expert Pick of the Week.

Drum Roll Please finished second to Locked in his second career outing, and first at a route of ground, in September at Saratoga, and graduated well at Aqueduct in his third outing, which preceded his Remsen performance. The $250,000 yearling purchase made a strong middle move in that event before tiring some in the lane, and the move to eight panels seems ideal for him at this stage of his development. The Keystone State-bred will rally from off the pace after saving ground early beneath Javier Castellano.

Is Drum Roll Please on his way to the @BreedersCup Juvenile (G1) and/or Road to the @KentuckyDerby?

It’s not out of the question after the @bradcoxracing trainee broke his maiden at Aqueduct last Friday.

Here is your BC Juvenile Maiden Watch 👀 ⤵️ https://t.co/VLiBD1XSV7

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 9, 2023

Maryland invader Regalo comes in with clear tallies in two straight and gets a perfect draw on the outside of the small cast for conditioner Brittany Russell. The son of Maximus Mischief was a $280,000 juvenile buy and looks well worth the investment to this point, and the bay passed his route test with ease last time out when dusting allowance foes at Laurel Park on Dec. 9.

Regalo has posted a pair of solid morning drills in advance of Saturday, and his running style will find him tracking a contested pace to the top of the lane while always in the clear, as well. The Kentucky-bred will face his first class test in this spot, but he gives the impression of a colt with further improvement in him, and I expect the talented three-year-old to be challenging for the win inside the final furlong with regular pilot Sheldon Russell in the stirrups.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #1 Drum Roll Please on top of #5 Regalo in the 2024 Jerome Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.