all in Triple Crown

His 3-year-olds may not be eligible to run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, but nevertheless trainer Bob Baffert surely has an abundance of horses with the potential to be Triple Crown contenders in any other year.

Trainer Kenny McPeek, coming off a career-best year by earnings in 2021, might be poised for an even better 2022 judging by the way Jan. 1 went.

Considering how much uncertainty is already woven into a Jan. 1 stakes for 3-year-olds, a wet day at Aqueduct only complicated matters in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes.

Aside from having to navigate a one-turn mile in search of qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, the eight newly turned 3-year-olds had to cope with a sloppy sealed racetrack.

Eight horses are entered in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, which kicks off the Road to the 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep series of races in New York.

Happy New Year!

A trio of Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve prep races will take place Saturday, Jan. 1, across the country to kick off 2022. By far the most competitive on paper is the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, which drew a full field of 14 newly turned 3-year-olds.

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