Ohtwoohthreefive switching to dirt for Jerome Stakes
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – On Dec. 18, Geno, after making his first three starts on turf, tried dirt for the first time and won the $500,000 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series.
The connections of Ohtwoohthreefive are hoping the same surface switch works for their son of Union Rags when he tries dirt for the first time in Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. The Jerome, at a mile, is the first stakes for newly turned 3-year-olds and does offer its top four finishers points (10-4-2-1) toward the May 7 Kentucky Derby.
Ohtwoohthreefive, trained by George Weaver for owner James Politano, made all six of his starts in 2021 on turf. He won a one-mile maiden race by four lengths at Belmont Park on Oct. 15 and after finishing fifth in the Awad Stakes, also at Belmont, came back with a solid second-place finish, beaten a nose, in the $100,000 Central Park Stakes going 1 1/16 miles over Aqueduct’s turf course.
Since the Central Park, he has worked three times over Belmont Park’s dirt training track, including a half-mile move in 49.85 seconds on Sunday.
Blair Golen, Weaver’s New York-based assistant, said jockey Kendrick Carmouche has worked the colt twice and told her, “He hits the ground the same on dirt as he does turf so we’ll see. He’s always been a good work horse.”
Others under consideration for the Jerome as of Monday include Cooke Creek, the Nashua runner-up, Courvoisier, Mr Jefferson, Rumble Strip Ron, and Smarten Up.