Gold Square's Drum Roll Please (c, 3, Hard Spun–Imply, by E Dubai), a very solid third going against the grain of the track in the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct Dec. 2, took care of business as the 3-5 favorite while turning back in distance for Saturday's Jerome S. at the Big A.
He trailed the field of five in the early going after exiting from the fence. Given his cue by Javier Castellano on the far turn, he made a three-wide bid approaching the quarter pole and came rolling down the center of the stretch to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths. El Grande O (Take Charge Indy) was second; Khanate (Hightail) was third.
The top five finishers earned 10-5-3-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.
“We've seen a lot of growth with him physically and mentally in the mornings, so we were expecting something nice from him today, and he showed it,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to winning trainer Brad Cox. “We've always thought he would go all day, and now with that fitness and that physical development, he can.”
On a potential next start in the nine-furlong GIII Withers Feb. 3 at the Big A, Joe Hardoon, racing manager for Gold Square, said, “I think we have to look at the Withers and get him back to a mile and an eighth. 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.”
Drum Roll Please, a distant second behind subsequent GISW and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile third-place finisher Locked (Gun Runner) second out at Saratoga Sept.1, graduated over this same track and trip Oct. 6 prior to his aforementioned third over the muddy going in the Remsen.
Drum Roll Please becomes the 102nd stakes winner for Hard Spun. The winner's dam Imply, from the extended female family of Horse of the Year Holy Bull, is also represented by a 2-year-old filly by Practical Joke. She was bred to Uncle Mo for 2024.
JEROME S., $145,500, Aqueduct, 1-6, 3yo, 1m, 1:41.91, ft.
1–DRUM ROLL PLEASE, 118, c, 3, by Hard Spun
1st Dam: Imply (MSW, $772,728), by E Dubai
2nd Dam: Allude, by Orientate
3rd Dam: Ed's Holy Cow, by Bet Big
($295,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKJUL; $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Gold Square LLC; B-Barlar, LLC (PA);
T-Brad H. Cox; J-Javier Castellano. $82,500. Lifetime Record:
GSP, 5-2-1-1, $183,630.
2–El Grande O, 120, c, 3, Take Charge Indy–Rainbow's Song, by
Unbridled's Song. O-Barry K. Schwartz; B-Stonewall Farm (NY);
T-Linda Rice. $30,000.
3–Khanate, 118, c, 3, Hightail–Mongolian Shopper, by Any
Given Saturday. ($35,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-Calumet Farm; B-Mongolian Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$18,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, 7HF, 6. Odds: 0.60, 2.50, 10.90.
Also Ran: Regalo, Sweet Soddy J. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#1 DRUM ROLL PLEASE ($3.20) has a nice kick in the stretch to get up and win the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct and get 10 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The son of Hard Spun was ridden by @jjcjockey and is trained by @bradcoxracing. pic.twitter.com/0Z4cfKpUHX
— TVG (@TVG) January 6, 2024
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