all in The Sport

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.

The past two years, the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park has been a key prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, producing the last two winners of the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The New York stretch of the Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct with the Jerome Stakes offering eight newly turned 3-year-olds the opportunity to pick up a few qualifying points, which could come in handy should those runners still have Triple Crown aspirations in the spring.

Fans returned to tracks with great enthusiasm after a year’s absence due to the pandemic. Business was brisk on all fronts as racing celebrated some sense of normalcy and looked hopefully to what shows every sign of being a bright future. Tom Pedulla recalls some of the year’s most significant moments:

Welcome to 2022 Kentucky Derby Prospect Snapshots, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from the Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule from which the racehorses earn points toward qualifying.

The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 7, 2022, at Churchill Downs.

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