The first Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifier of 2025 is Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, worth 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top five finishers.
The Jerome is a historic race dating back to 1866. For a time, it was a late summer contest carrying Grade 1 prestige. The roster of winners includes racing legends Bold Ruler, Coaltown, Kelso, Hill Prince, and Tom Fool.
The Jerome was reconfigured into a Kentucky Derby steppingstone in 2013. This year’s edition has drawn an eight-horse field. A couple of proven stakes winners are in the entries, but we view the up-and-coming #6 Cyclone State as the horse to beat for hot trainer Chad Summers, who has saddled four winners from 11 starters at Aqueduct since Nov. 7. That’s a lofty 36% win rate.
Cyclone State struggled in his first three starts sprinting on dirt and running long on turf, finishing fourth, sixth, and sixth. He’s been far more…
Leave a reply