Hieronymus looks tough in Black Gold Stakes

Under the category of “the rich get richer,” find the 3-year-old colt Hieronymus.

Trainer Brad Cox’s stable already is loaded with graded stakes horses and Hieronymus looks like another one. His breeder and owner, Godolphin, also is stocked with an embarrassment of equine assets, and Hieronymus, if he performs as expected Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes, will be on to bigger and better things in Kentucky this spring and, if he can stay longer distances, New York this summer.

Races like the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational could be in play for Hieronymus, a son of Girolamo, if his stamina is up to the task.

“He should be able to get a mile and an eighth,” Cox said. “If he can go a mile and an eighth and a little beyond, it’d open up a lot of options for us.”

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In the Black Gold, Hieronymus only has to get 1 1/16 miles on turf, a distance at which he’s already won, although his one standout performance, in the Randy Romero Memorial on Feb. 1 at Fair Grounds, came at a one-mile trip. Hieronymus benefited from securing an easy lead in the Randy Romero, and facing just five foes Saturday, Hieronymus and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan look capable of dictating the terms of this race from the start. Hieronymus has shown he can finish fast off a slow pace and he’ll be nearly impossible to beat at a short price if he can come close to repeating his 9 3/4-length Romero romp. Cox sees a colt still thriving.

“His last two works, they’ve both been really good. I really like that horse,” said Cox.

Bodecream appears to be a worthy rival, but he will have to overcome Hieronymus’s apparent tactical advantage. Bodecream, off a Retama turf maiden win, rallied to finish only a half-length behind Hieronymus in a Dec. 28 Fair Grounds allowance race and validated that performance with a 3 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston. Bodecream closed into a strong pace in that race and faces a more challenging scenario this start.

Favorite posted wide in Ace

The $60,000 Dixie Poker Ace, for older Louisiana-breds at one mile on turf, is a stakes race, but the best horse in the race, Ninety One Assault, got a de facto handicap when he drew post 11.

Ninety One Assault is capable of overcoming the draw but because of it could wind up an underlay while racing a distance probably a tick short of his best.

Trained by Tom Morley, who co-owns the 7-year-old gelding with Paul Braverman, Ninety One Assault has excelled on the Fair Grounds turf, where his record stands at 5-1-2 from eight starts. He’s a two-time winner this meet, including the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf, and should at least turn in a competitive performance Saturday.

In the Navy, though, is the pick to post a mild upset. In the Navy set the pace and finished a close fourth in the Champions Day Turf, his most recent start, and a turn back in distance from 1 1/16 miles to one mile on Saturday works in his favor.