Aqueduct: Jerome launches New York's path to Kentucky Derby

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Noble Moon heads a field of eight 3-year-olds hoping to take their first steps down the Triple Crown trail in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Jerome, at a mile and 70 yards, is the first race of the year that offers qualifying points for the May 3 Kentucky Derby, a system put in place last year by Churchill Downs which replaced a system that emphasized graded stakes earnings. Last year, the Jerome did not offer points. This year, it offers 17 points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers.

Noble Moon, a son of Malibu Moon – the sire of last year’s Derby winner Orb – has not raced since a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Nashua on Nov. 3. In that one-turn mile race, Noble Moon was hammered leaving the starting gate and was last of 12 before rallying to finish just three lengths behind Cairo Prince. Noble Moon was entered in the Grade 2 Remsen on Nov. 30, but had to scratch when he was treated for a case of hives that he developed the night before the race.

The hives did not impact Noble Moon’s training regimen, according to trainer Leah Gyarmati, who had the colt on the work tab four days after the Remsen.

“It didn’t really slow him down,” Gyarmati said.

Gyarmati, who graduated from the Allen Jerkens school of training, has put a pair of stamina-building workouts into Noble Moon, including a mile move in 1:45.20 on Dec. 28.

Gyarmati and owner Jeff Treadway are making a rider change for the Jerome, opting to go with inner-track leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who replaces Alex Solis, aboard for Noble Moon’s first two starts. Ortiz was going to ride Classic Giacnroll, who will now be ridden by Solis.

“Irad’s doing really well on the inner track. The inner track is tricky. If you’re not here riding it every day I think it’s a little bit of a disadvantage,” Gyarmati said.

Classic Giacnroll is one of two multiple winners in the field. A son of 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, Classic Giacnroll won a pair of sprints at Parx for part-owner/trainer Lisa Guerrero before finishing third in the Marylander Stakes going seven furlongs at Laurel last out.

Trainer Todd Pletcher entered Master Lightning, who won a first-level allowance race here going a mile on Dec. 22 after running ninth in the Nashua and fifth in the Remsen.

Completing the field are Lawmaker (a half-brother to Last Gunfighter), Mental Iceberg, Matuszak, Pin and Win, and the maiden Scotland.

Flipcup entered in Busanda

Less than two weeks after winning the East View Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies, Flipcup makes her 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s $100,000 Busanda Stakes, which goes as race 6.

The Busanda, run at a mile and 70 yards, offers 17 qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the first four finishers toward the May 2 Kentucky Oaks.

Flipcup was not an original nominee to the Busanda and had to be supplemented by her owners, Team Penney Racing and trainer George Weaver.

Blair Golen, Weaver’s New York-based assistant, said that Flipcup came out of the East View so well that she was in favor of wheeling her back on short rest.

“She came out of that race just fine. I’d be comfortable with it,” Golen said Wednesday morning before it had been decided that Flipcup would be entered. “She’s such a nice filly. All I have to do is not mess up all the fine work that Brian Lynch did with her.”

Before being sent to Weaver, Flipcup had made her first three starts at Woodbine for Lynch.

David Jacobson, the leading trainer in New York for 2013, entered the uncoupled entry of Alpaca Fina and Derek’s Girl, the latter coming off a third in the Grade 3 Tempted. Alpaca Fina has won three sprints from four starts.

Camille Claudel, Fierce Boots, Fleet of Gold, Ketel Twist, and Spanish Gold complete the field.

Uncle Sigh targets Withers

While the Jerome winner will be anointed the leader of New York’s 3-year-old division, he will have to deal with the talented New York-bred Uncle Sigh in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes on Feb. 1.

Uncle Sigh, a son of Indian Charlie, won a two-turn maiden race for New York-breds by 14 1/2 lengths on Dec. 27, 20 days after getting beat a head by Groupthink in a six-furlong race that was assigned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. Uncle Sigh earned a 93 Beyer for his victory.

Uncle Sigh is the type of horse that trainer Gary Contessa wouldn’t mind selling to the highest bidder. However, he noted that owner Chip McEwen, who races under the name Wounded Warrior Stables, wants to keep the horse.

Contessa said McEwen turned down an offer of $1.5 million for Uncle Sigh on Tuesday.

“He wants to go to the show,” Contessa said.

◗ Jockey Rajiv Maragh has retained Tony Micallef as his agent. Taylor Rice, the niece of trainer Linda Rice, is now riding in New York and will be represented by Roger Sutton.