El Kabeir has hurdles to clear in Jerome

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Now that the calendar has turned to 2015, many horsemen with a 3-year-old have turned their thoughts toward the 141st Kentucky Derby, a mere 119 days away.

New York’s road to the Derby begins Saturday with the Grade 3, $200,000 Jerome Stakes at a mile and 70 yards over Aqueduct’s inner track. The Jerome offers 17 qualifying points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1) toward the Kentucky Derby.

El Kabeir, who has already earned 11 points by virtue of his victory in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and his fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Champagne, looms a heavy favorite in the Jerome. However, he must break from the outside post in the nine-horse field and possibly deal with some early pace pressure from the likes of Nasa, Ackeret, General Bellamy, and Ostrolenka.

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El Kabeir, trained by John Terranova for Zayat Stables, shows a series of solid workouts. Though Calvin Borel was named to ride, he is not expected to make it due to a death in the family. As of Thursday afternoon, Terranova had not firmed up a replacement.

KEY CONTENDERS

El Kabeir (Last 3 Beyers: 94-84-74)

◗ Used his early speed to wire the field in the Kentucky Jockey Club five weeks ago, holding off a late run from Imperia.

◗ After El Kabeir’s four-furlong work in 48.46 seconds Sunday – he galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.03 – Terranova said he’s been working on getting El Kabeir to relax regardless of where he is during the early stages of a race.

“See how nice and relaxed he was through the first half-mile and then he kicked it in?” Terranova said. “We’re trying to teach him that and develop him that way so he can switch off early, even though he’s got the speed.”

Nasa (Last 3 Beyers: 86-76-77)

◗ Trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, Smarty Jones, who won this race when it was known as the Count Fleet 11 years ago en route to victories in the Derby and Preakness.

◗ Trainer John Servis noted that offspring of Nasa’s dam, Shootforthestars, have been successful on turf and synthetics. Nasa has won twice on dirt, including a victory in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes on Dec. 6 over a sloppy track.

“I wonder if the slop helped him as much in the race he ran or just the fact he’s getting better,” Servis said. “He sure trains like he’s got some talent.

Mini Cosmo (Last 3 Beyers: 75-76-50)

◗ Finished fourth, a nose behind Nasa, when those two ran third and fourth in the Christopher Elser Memorial at Parx on Nov. 16. Came back to win a first-level allowance race going two turns at Parx on Dec. 14.

◗ Though Mini Cosmo won that allowance race on the front end, trainer and co-breeder Graham Motion believes Mini Cosmo will be better coming from off the pace, as he did when he won his debut at Laurel.

“I hope so,” Motion said. “I think with as much speed as there might be in this race, I love the fact he’s got the rail, with all the speed hung up on the outside.”