Firenze Fire makes 3-year-old debut in Jerome Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Regardless of how rocky it has become, the New York road to the Kentucky Derby is still trainer Jason Servis’s chosen path when it comes to his Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire.

Firenze Fire will finally – hopefully – kick off his 3-year-old campaign Saturday in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. The Jerome, at a one-turn mile, was scheduled for Jan. 1, but Aqueduct hasn’t conducted racing since Dec. 30 due to extreme weather and track conditions.

Still, Servis is not in any hurry, and despite a 10-day delay and revamped field for the Jerome, he still has the horse to beat in Firenze Fire, the only stakes winner among the eight entrants.

“Looks like the right spot to be in,” Servis said this week from Florida. “That’s why I left him there.”

The Jerome offers qualifying points to its top four finishers (10-4-2-1) to the May 5 Kentucky Derby. Firenze Fire already has 10 Derby points for his victory in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park last fall, when he defeated Good Magic, who came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Firenze Fire finished seventh in the Juvenile. He had developed a temperature when he first arrived at Del Mar from New York and, though he showed no other signs of illness, Servis knew in his gut he wasn’t going to see Firenze Fire’s best race.

Firenze Fire also didn’t fire his best shot in the Grade 1 Hopeful at Saratoga when he finished fourth. He was coughing the week leading up to that race.

Despite the bad weather, which forced training to be canceled four consecutive days, Firenze Fire got workouts in on Dec. 27 and earlier this week. In between, he has jogged in the barn.

The rescheduled Jerome did force Servis to make a rider switch on Firenze Fire. Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard for the colt’s last four starts, is committed to riding in south Florida. Manny Franco has picked up the mount.

Among the top challengers to Firenze Fire in the Jerome is Seven Trumpets.

Trainer Dale Romans shipped Seven Trumpets from Florida to Aqueduct in late December, never imagining his horse would still be here two weeks later. Romans said Seven Trumpets trained when “it was safe to train.”

“He’s not a horse that needs a lot of training,” he said.

Seven Trumpets won two 6 1/2-furlong races at Churchill Downs during the fall meet, with his last race a win in an optional claimer there on Nov. 25. Looking at the field for the Jerome, Romans figures his horse will be on or near the lead early, though he would prefer for him to come from off the pace.

“In a perfect world some pace would have been nice,” Romans said.

Paco Lopez rides Seven Trumpets because regular rider Robby Albarado has commitments at Fair Grounds.

There were three supplements to the Jerome, including Coltandmississippi, a two-time winner who finished fifth as the favorite in the Smooth Air Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Dec. 9. Trainer Todd Pletcher scratched Coltandmississippi from the Mucho Macho Man Stakes last weekend at Gulfstream in part because the colt drew the rail. As fate would have it, Coltandmississippi drew the rail for the Jerome.

Coltandmississippi will race with blinkers on and have Trevor McCarthy up.

Factor This, a maiden winner here Dec. 17, and Glennwood, last seen finishing seventh behind Seven Trumpets at Churchill Downs Nov. 25, also were supplemented to the field.

Regalian, Smooth B, and Old Time Revival complete the field.