Jerkens would like to add Carter Handicap to his trophy case

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Jerkens has amassed a pretty impressive list of graded stakes victories with older males over the last two years, including last month’s Santa Anita Handicap and last year’s Oaklawn Handicap.

In New York, his home base, Jerkens has won historic races such as the Woodward, Suburban, and Brooklyn. Back in 2007, he won the Metropolitan Handicap.

One race Jerkens would like to add to his résumé is the Grade 1 Carter Handicap, and he will have an excellent chance to do just that Saturday when he sends out Unified as the likely favorite in the 117th renewal of the Carter at Aqueduct.

Jerkens finished second in the 2006 Carter, where Sir Greeley was beaten a neck by Bishop Court Hill.

Unified will take on eight challengers in the seven-furlong Carter, the first Grade 1 stakes to be run on this circuit in 2017. It is one of four graded stakes on the undercard of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial.

Unified is 4 for 4 in one-turn races, including the Grade 3 Bay Shore going seven furlongs here on last year’s Wood Memorial program. In his only start this year, Unified won the Gulfstream Park Sprint by a neck over Mind Your Biscuits. That horse came back to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Unified won the Gulfstream Park Sprint on the lead. Since he had the rail that day, Jerkens wanted him to break running. Toward that end, he blew Unified out a quarter-mile the day before the race. On Saturday, he has post 8, with Green Gratto and Awesome Banner, the field’s other two speed horses, to his inside.

Javier Castellano, aboard for Unified’s debut victory in February 2016, is back aboard, replacing Jose Ortiz, who is riding at Keeneland on Saturday.

“If he breaks, I’d want Javier to go on with him a little bit and make them really run to get the lead from him, and then he could sit off, and it [would] probably work out,” Jerkens said. “You got to pretty much leave it up to Javier.”

Jerkens did say that on Monday, he had Unified work just off another horse, Drop Shot, who is entered in Saturday’s third race.

“We had him sit off him early and then move up, and then they finished together,” Jerkens said.

If Unified gets caught up in a duel, the two best closers in the field figure to be Tommy Macho and Spartiatis. Tommy Macho is cutting back from a third in the Gulfstream Park Handicap at a mile. Spartiatis is stretching out off a two-length win in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap over the inner track March 11.

The Carter goes as race 9 and is the last leg of a pick-four wager that is exclusive to NYRA Bets advance-deposit-wagering account holders and New York state residents.

KEY CONTENDERS

Unified, by Candy Ride
Last 3 Beyers: 101-71-99

◗ Was sent to the sidelines after finishing a well-beaten fifth in the Grade 3 Pegasus last June, his only try around two turns.

◗ Came back running with a neck victory over Mind Your Biscuits in the Gulfstream Park Sprint, a race from which Mind Your Biscuits emerged to win Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Tommy Macho, by Macho Uno
Last 3 Beyers: 93-105-87

◗ Connections are hoping to get this multiple Grade 3 winner a Grade 1 victory.

“His most impressive races have been one-turn miles,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “If he gets pace to run at, seven-eighths could be within his range, hopefully.”

Spartiatis, by Scat Daddy
Last 3 Beyers: 96-99-90

◗ Seven-year-old gelding comes off a career-best performance where he closed from midpack to win the Tom Fool by two lengths.

◗ Gets four pounds from Unified.