Jerome Kicks Off 2025 Derby Trail in New York

A field of eight three-year-olds will line up in the $150,000 Jerome on Saturday, kicking off the 2025 Derby Trail in New York.

The Jerome is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race with 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points to the top five finishers in the race.

The other Derby points race to be run in New York this year are the Withers (G3) on Feb. 1, the Gotham (G3) on March 1 and the Wood Memorial (G2) on April 5.

Dutrow Has Pair for 2025 Derby Trail

The red hot Rick Dutrow Jr. barn started two runners in the Jerome including the 2-1 morning line favorite McAfee (2-1). The colt made his first two career starts at Churchill Downs, a debut win and a head loss versus allowance foes in his first start against winners.

The colt is a half brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Thorpedo Anna. “He’s huge. He’s a big horse and we love him,” Dutrow, Jr. said. “We were so happy with him [in defeat], he ran like a true racehorse on the inside, kept coming, just stuff you really love to see for a second-time starter.”

Dutrow will also saddle Ican (8-1), who ran second versus Alw-1 optional claimers going a mile over the Big A main track on Dec. 6.

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2M2P Stats

The Jerome is the eighth race on the nine race card that gets underway with a first post of 12:10 ET.

Let’s head out to Aqueduct for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Aqueduct Race 8 The Jerome Post time 3:39 ET

2 Mansetti 10-1

8 McAfee 2-1

7 Studlydoright 5-2

6 Cyclone State 7-2

Mansetti

The Canadian invader is coming off a gate to wire score on the tapeta in the Clarendon going six furlongs. The colt set a fast pressured pace and drew clear in the stretch, winning by 1 ¼ lengths. The colt broke his maiden in his debut three back and then pressed the pace and weakened to finish sixth in the Display two back in his stakes debut. The third-place finisher in that race was He’s Not Joking who won the Grey (G3) in his next outing on Nov. 3. He picks up a jock upgrade to Woodbine’s leading jock Civaci. The colt has enough pedigree to handle the extra ground, and the 10-1 morning line looks more than fair.

McAfee

This colt is one of two saddled by the Dutrow barn that has been on fire in recent months. Dating back 60 days over the Big A surface the barn is hitting at a 45% clip. The colt broke his maiden in his debut coming from off the pace. Seven he beat have come back to run with one next out winner. He then missed by just a head on the stretch out to a mile versus Alw-1 foes. The $40,000 Keeneland purchase is a half to multiple Grade 1 winner Thorpedo Anna ($3.8 million). Looks as if he is going to get some pace in front of him.

Studlydoright

The Robb trainee has made two trips up from Maryland, winning the Nashua two back at a mile and then regressing last out in a fourth-place finish in the Remsen (G2) going nine furlongs. In that race he was tracking the early pace, made a move while toward the outside and weakened after getting bumped in the stretch. The cut back to a mile should suit him.