Drum Roll Please faces four in Jerome

Jan 03, 2024 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

The $150,000 Jerome S. on Saturday is the first of four Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races that will be held this year at Aqueduct through early April. The one-mile test attracted a field of five, with all starters guaranteed Derby qualifying points based on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.

Drum Roll Please, third in the nine-furlong Remsen (G2) when last seen in early December, shortens up to the distance over which he broke his maiden two months earlier by two lengths. Before that, the son of Hard Spun had run a distant second to Locked, subsequent winner of the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and third-place finisher in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

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

'He's one that you just play the break. He can be a little sluggish sometimes, but once he grabs the bridle, he'll get in there for you,' said Dustin Dugas, assistant to trainer Brad Cox. 'We'll see what the pace is and where he'll be.'

Eight-race veterans El Grande O and Sweet Soddy J both enter the Jerome off stakes wins. El Grande O prevailed in the Oct. 29 Sleepy Hollow S. over a mile, his second against New York-bred stakes company, and has tended to catch off tracks in most of his main track endeavors to date. Sweet Soddy J, meanwhile, snapped a five-race losing skid with a six-length romp in the Dec. 30 Heft S. at Laurel over seven furlongs.

Maryland invader Regalo has won two of three starts for trainer Brittany Russell, dominating allowance foes over 1 1/16 miles at Laurel most recently. The Jerome is rounded out by the Todd Pletcher-trained Khanate, who followed a 10-length graduation at Keeneland with a disappointing sixth in a hot allowance at Churchill Downs around two turns.

Here is a 2-year-old to keep an eye on going forward, #9 Khanate for HOF trainer Todd Pletcher and Calumet Farm.

Khanate was ridden to victory by jockey @iradortiz to take race 2 from Keeneland. #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/nD2os1tA7M

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 11, 2023

Scheduled post time for the Jerome, the third race on the Aqueduct card, is 1:19 p.m. ET. It can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.