Cox works Drum Roll Please, Comparative for weekend stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Brad Cox figures to be well represented in this circuit’s first stakes of 2024 next Saturday when he sends out Drum Roll Please in the $150,000 Jerome for 3-year-olds and Comparative in the $150,000 Ladies Stakes for older females at Aqueduct.

On Saturday morning, at Belmont Park, both put in their final workouts for those stakes engagements. Drum Roll Please went five furlongs in 1:02.42, going in company with Air Cav, who also is nominated but not expected to start in the Jerome.

Comparative worked five furlongs in 1:01.41, sitting just off the 2-year-old Bergen and finishing a few lengths in front. Bergen also is a Jerome nominee but not expected to run.

Drum Roll Please, coming off sa third in the Grade 2 Remsen, shows his connections more in the afternoon than in the morning, according to assistant trainer Dustin Dugas, who was aboard Drum Roll Please on Saturday morning.

“He doesn’t ever give you that ‘wow’ factor, but he’s never done anything wrong,” Dugas said. “He handled himself well in the Remsen. Hopefully, he can take that next step forward.”

Drum Roll Please, a son of Hard Spun owned by Al Gold, took three tries to win his maiden, doing so in a one-turn mile race on Oct. 6 at Aqueduct before his Remsen, where he finished 4 3/4 lengths behind Dornoch and Sierra Leone.

Comparative, a Godolphin homebred daughter by Street Sense, has won three of her last four starts. Her lone defeat in that span came in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan, where she finished eighth, 14 3/4 lengths behind Taxed. She came off a six-month layoff to win a second-level allowance going one mile here Nov. 25.

“She’s one she’ll only do as much as you ask,” Dugas said. “Manny had to ride his butt off to earn that win. I really liked the way she breezed this morning. Bergen was a bit aggressive in his breeze this morning, the filly sat off him and went about it really good.”

Entries for both the Jerome and Ladies are to be taken Monday.

Monday ‘Madness’ on tap

Full Moon Madness showed a new dimension in his last start that may serve him well when he heads a field of five in Monday’s first-level allowance feature on Aqueduct’s eight-race card.

A speed horse for most of his early races, Full Moon Madness came from off the pace when he finished second in this condition Nov. 24. He was disqualified to fifth for lugging in and bumping with Mariachi. His jockey, Trevor McCarthy, said that occurred when he tried to make him switch leads.

“He’s a big horse, needs room to switch,” McCarthy said.

Full Moon Madness figures to sit a good trip with Kool Kathmandu and Kupp likely duking it out on the front end.

A hot pace could also aid Who Hoo That’s Me, who rallied from last to finish third in the same race Full Moon Madness raced in last out.

Notah, who has blinkers removed from his equipment, and Bezos complete the field for what will go as race 2 on the card.