Flexibility shakes arch-rival in Jerome
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With several 3-year-olds of 2016 in his barn, trainer Chad Brown has the luxury of spotting them judiciously. According to the company he’s kept, Flexibility looks well spotted to kick off his 3-year-old campaign successfully in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.
The Jerome, contested at a mile and 70 yards over the inner track, is the first of four races on this circuit for 3-year-olds with hopes of making it to the Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs. The top four finishers from the Jerome earn qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the Derby.
Flexibility, a New York-bred son of Bluegrass Cat, won his debut against statebreds at Belmont. He then ran second to Mohaymen in both the Grade 2 Nashua, at a one-turn mile, and the Grade 2 Remsen, at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.
There are no horses the caliber of Mohaymen in the Jerome field.
“If he gets a clean trip, he’s supposed to handle this bunch,” Brown said Thursday.
In the Nashua, Flexibility sat about three lengths off the pace and allowed Mohaymen to get the jump on him. In the Remsen, Flexibility sat in second and got outfinished in the final furlong by Mohaymen while finishing 1 1/2 lengths clear of third-place Gift Box, also trained by Brown.
“Both times, he got good trips, and he fired and was just second-best,” said Brown, who added that Flexibility “is a work in progress.”
Flexibility will break from post 4 and likely will stalk Donegal Moon, the same horse he sat off in the Remsen. Bird of Trey, the winner of the Pennsylvania Nursery, and Condo King, a maiden winner sprinting, are others who could show speed.
Silent Assassin, In Equality, Vorticity, and Let Me Go First complete the field. King Kranz was expected to scratch to run in Friday’s Lost in the Fog.
KEY CONTENDERS
Flexibility (Last 3 Beyers: 93-86-74)
◗ He was competitive against the undefeated Mohaymen and looked comfortable sitting close to the pace in the two-turn Remsen. He also ran well from fourth position in the fast-paced Nashua Stakes.
◗ After working a lackluster five furlongs in 1:03.25 on Dec. 19, he came back last Saturday with a better half-mile move in 49.73 seconds, with a five-furlong gallop-out in 1:02.95.
Vorticity (Last 3 Beyers: 77-85-62)
◗ Won a seven-furlong maiden race over Aqueduct’s main track that produced three next-out winners. Vorticity won the Marylander Stakes by three-quarters of a length under Victor Carrasco on Dec. 5.
“He didn’t have it his own way; he was on the rail under pressure,” trainer James Lawrence III said. “The kid did a good job taking him back and going around, and he said he had horse in reserve.”
◗ Carrasco is being replaced by Jose Ortiz, who was aboard for Vorticity’s maiden win here.
Bird of Trey (Last 3 Beyers: 90-80-79)
◗ Coming off a monster 7 1/4-length victory in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes going seven furlongs at Parx on Dec. 5.
◗ Trainer John Servis said this son of Birdstone – who denied the Servis-trained Smarty Jones the 2004 Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes – should relish two turns.
“He’s become a push-button horse,” said Servis. “That’s the kind of horse you want when you get into these big races and you start jockeying for position and stuff like that. He’s got the right attitude, he’s got the right pedigree, and he’s got a little ability, so hopefully he’ll continue to get better.”
◗ Gets a rider change to the hot-riding Kendrick Carmouche.