Drum Roll Please imposes authority in Jerome

Jan 06, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Gold Square’s Drum Roll Please left little suspense in Saturday’s $145,500 Jerome S. at Aqueduct. Sweeping from last to impose his authority, the 3-5 favorite added 10 more points to his Kentucky Derby (G1) portfolio.

Drum Roll Please was the only Jerome entrant already on the Derby points leaderboard. The Brad Cox trainee had earned three points in the Dec. 2 Remsen (G2), where he finished third to Dornoch (the full brother to 2023 Derby hero Mage) and Sierra Leone. In their absence on Saturday, Drum Roll Please ranked as the class of the small field, and he ran up to billing to increase his total to 13 points.

Confidently handled by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, Drum Roll Please was anchored at the rear of a compact group of five. Leading the way early was El Grande O, the 5-2 second choice, who was last seen wiring the Oct. 29 Sleepy Hollow S. for New York-breds over this same track and one-mile trip. El Grande O shrugged off pace rival Regalo, repelled a fresh challenge from Khanate turning for home, and tried to open up at the top of the stretch.

By that point, Drum Roll Please was gathering momentum out wide. The son of 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun rolled past a tiring El Grande O and drew off by 3 3/4 lengths. His final time for the one-turn mile, 1:41.91, was uninspiring, following leisurely fractions on a track that was playing slow.

The Pennsylvania-bred #1 Drum Roll Please earns 10 @kentuckyderby points in the Jerome S. at Aqueduct! 🥁🌹@jjcjockey was aboard for trainer @bradcoxracing.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/31GlZKum84

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 6, 2024

“We were a little worried how the track was playing after the first couple races,” said Joe Hardoon, the racing manager for Gold Square. “It looked real deep and slow and hard to pass horses, but he got the job done.”

El Grande O was a clear second by 7 1/2 lengths, opening his account with five points. Khanate checked in third (three points) in the strung-out field. Next came Regalo (two points) and Sweet Soddy J (one point).

Drum Roll Please has compiled a record of 5-2-1-1, $183,630. His only unplaced effort came on debut, an even sixth in a maiden at Saratoga. Moving forward to place second to Locked next time at the Spa, Drum Roll Please broke his maiden around Aqueduct’s mile on Oct. 1. In the 1 1/8-mile Remsen, he rallied into contention briefly before fading to third, but found the Jerome an easier spot.

Bred by Barlar in Pennsylvania and sold for $250,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling, Drum Roll Please is out of the multiple stakes-winning Imply, by E Dubai. This is the extended family of Hall of Famer Holy Bull.

Drum Roll Please is expected to continue on Aqueduct’s Road to the Kentucky Derby, with Hardoon penciling in the Feb. 3 Withers (G3) as the logical target.

“I think we have to look at the Withers and get him back to a mile and an eighth,” Hardoon said. “I think that's more his game than this one-turn mile. We’ll see how he comes out of this and bounces back and definitely look to getting him back around two turns.”