Kum doing just fine training horses on his own
?q=100)
Jerry Kum has owned a handful of horses who’ve raced at Emerald Downs over the years, keeping them in the care of various trainers. This year, Kum has decided to condition them himself.
“I’m just a new trainer this year,” Kum said. “I try my best to do a good job.”
Kum currently has a string of seven horses at Emerald, three of whom will race Saturday. Two look to be serious contenders in their respective races – the 8-year-old mare Nan Elizabeth in the fifth, an $8,000 claiming race for older females, and the 6-year-old gelding Bert’s Prospect in the sixth, a $15,000 claiming race at a mile.
Kum boasts a record of 8-1-3-1 on the meet, with Bert’s Prospect coming off a layoff of nearly nine months to wire a field of $3,500 claimers at a mile on May 31. For that 1 1/2-length win, he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 72, his best since August 2024.
“I sent him to the ranch for a long break,” Kum said. “First run, he ran really good. The timing was really fast. I hope to have a chance. The last race, he’s come back and is doing really good.”
That 72 Beyer stands as the best last-out figure in the race 6 field, and Bert’s Prospect could get loose on the lead again Saturday. Two things are working against him, however. For starters, he’s stepping up in class. Then there’s the defection of jockey Kevin Krigger, who has ridden him in two consecutive wins, to a rival horse, Owhatarush, in race 6. Owhatarush could vie for the early edge with Bert’s Prospect, who will instead be ridden by Adrian Castellanos.
Should there be a hot pace, Afjan and I’m Noble look best equipped to pick up the pieces.
Nan Elizabeth, a closer, also came back from a break of nearly nine months on May 30, finishing a respectable third in an $8,000 claiming race at six furlongs. That was a lot better form than she flashed in her 2025 Emerald debut, when she finished last of eight, beaten 12 lengths. She then went on to win consecutive sprints.
“Last year, she was really tired,” Kum said. “Like with Bert’s Prospect, I sent her to the ranch for a break. She was a little bit sore, but now it’s no problem. Last week, she went out in [46.60 seconds in a four-furlong workout] and is really relaxed. This is a tough race, but she’s ready. Last year, she would start slow. This year, I put the blinkers on and she’s not too far back in the race. Fast pacing is good for her.”
She could get such a pace if A Real Jewel and Bobby’s Genie, the likely favorites, lock horns early on the lead.
◗ Saturday is the 30th anniversary of Emerald Downs’s first day of racing. To commemorate the milestone, track officials will recognize the track’s original investors, 30-year employees, and 30-year trainers. Video memories from former announcers also will be shown throughout the day.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.