The Jerome Stakes, scheduled for Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Aqueduct Race Park, is a prestigious race for three-year-olds with a purse of $150,000. This one-mile race is an important Kentucky Derby prep race, offering 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top five finishers.
Field Overview
The race features a competitive field of eight horses, each with unique strengths and challenges. Here’s a detailed look at each contender:
- Enduring Spirit (KY)
- Pedigree: Tiz the Law – Life Starts, by Into Mischief
- Jockey: Jose Jimenez
- Trainer: Sofia Vives
- Weight: 118 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 30/1
- Analysis: Enduring Spirit has shown potential with a maiden victory at Churchill Downs but has struggled in subsequent stakes races. The move to a new barn in New York could be a positive change, but he needs to rebound significantly to be competitive.
- Mansetti (ON)
- Pedigree: Collected – Gidget Girl, by Sky Mesa
- Jockey: Sahin Civaci
- Trainer: Kevin Attard
- Weight: 120 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 10/1
- Analysis: Mansetti has shown promise on the synthetic Tapeta track at Woodbine, winning the Clarendon Stakes. His ability to handle the switch to dirt at Aqueduct will be crucial for his performance.
- Ican (KY)
- Pedigree: Preservationist – We Love Lucy, by Majesticperfection
- Jockey: Manny Franco
- Trainer: Rick Dutrow, Jr.1
- Weight: 118 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 8/1
- Analysis: Ican has shown improvement with a second-place finish in an allowance race at Aqueduct. Trained by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., he has potential to be a strong contender.
- Omaha Omaha (VA)
- Pedigree: Audible – England Swings, by Kitten’s Joy
- Jockey: Raul Mena
- Trainer: Michael Gorham
- Weight: 120 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 8/1
- Analysis: Omaha Omaha has shown late-race speed with victories at Laurel Park. His ability to rally from behind could be an advantage in this race.
- Georgia Magic (KY)
- Pedigree: Good Magic – Nightlife Baby, by Flatter
- Jockey: Romero Maragh
- Trainer: Ray Handal
- Weight: 118 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 10/1
- Analysis: Georgia Magic won his maiden race at Aqueduct but will need to improve significantly to compete against tougher competition.
- Cyclone State (IA)
- Pedigree: McKinzie – Chanel’s Legacy, by Dominus
- Jockey: Luis Rivera, Jr.1
- Trainer: Chad Summers
- Weight: 120 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 7/2
- Analysis: Cyclone State has won two straight races at Aqueduct, showing strong early speed. His consistency makes him a serious contender.
- Studlydoright (MD)
- Pedigree: Nyquist – Peach of a Gal, by Curlin
- Jockey: Xavier Perez
- Trainer: Jerry Robb
- Weight: 123 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 5/2
- Analysis: Studlydoright has experience in stakes races and won the Nashua Stakes over this distance. He is a top contender with strong class lines.
- McAfee (KY)
- Pedigree: Cloud Computing – Sataves, by Uncle Mo
- Jockey: Juan Gomez
- Trainer: Rick Dutrow, Jr.1
- Weight: 118 lbs
- Morning Line Odds: 2/1
- Analysis: McAfee has shown potential with a win at Churchill Downs and is trained by the in-form Rick Dutrow, Jr. He is a strong contender for the win.
Conclusion
The Jerome Stakes promises to be an exciting race with a mix of speed and stamina among the contenders. Each horse brings unique strengths to the race, making it difficult to predict the outcome.
