Three-year-olds clash in Grade 2 Jerome
October 5, 2008 by Jarrod Horak
Filed under Handicapping, Horses, Jockeys, Miscellaneous, Racetracks, Stakes Races, Trainers
Sunday’s Grade 2 Jerome Handicap from Belmont Park features a small but select field of seven, including the Nick Zito entry of Da’ Tara and Cool Coal Man, but Todd Pletcher may have the one to beat with 2-1 favorite Harlem Rocker.
The Stronach Stables colt won the first three starts of his career, all around one-turn, including a razor sharp Withers (G3) tally at this distance with a 106 BSF.
The Ontario-bred was immediately prepared for the Queen’s Plate, but he failed to handle synthetic ground in his Woodbine prep, so those plans were scrapped. He ended up winning the $500k Prince of Wales at 9.5f in July, than it was back to the US to prepare for the Travers.
He ended up an even 4th in the ten furlong Mid-summer Derby, and he is not quite the same horse at or around the ten furlong distance. He is 2-2 at a flat mile and can nab his 2nd graded prize in this spot.
Pletcher also trains Z Humor, an uncoupled stablemate previously conditioned by Bill Mott. He has lost all six of his 2008 starts after a dead-heat score in the Delta Jackpot (G3) to end his juvenile season.
Tale of Ekati sports the look of a live wire at this shorter trip. He is 2-3 at Big Sandy, with his lone setback a stalk and fade in the Test of Champions. He has not been able to make a dent in graded routes, with the lone exception being his Wood Memorial (G2) win at Belmont. At 9-2, he looks like the value play.
Da’ Tara scratched out of Friday night’s Meadowlands Cup, and the surprise Belmont Stakes hero looms the controlling speed today. He returns to the scene of his greatest triumph but will not offer much value, especially with the coupling of Cool Coal Man. The latter, winner of the Fountain of Youth (G2) in February, owns fine tactical speed.
Visionaire has won two straight since donning the hood and cutting back in distance. He will be finishing under Alan Garcia, and note that the 5-2 shot is 2-2 at a flat mile.
You And I Forever was wide from post 13 in the PA Derby last time. He was steadily improving before that, and he ran subsequent Travers (G1) runner-up Mambo In Seattle to a neck at the Spa in July.
Top 3 selections: (1st) Tale of Ekati, (2nd) Harlem Rocker, (3rd) You And I Forever
Below is a YouTube replay of the 2008 Travers, featuring Harlem Rocker, Da’ Tara, Cool Coal Man, and Tale of Ekati.
