Weather Wiz trying marathon distance in Bernardini

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – In the Grade 2 winner Rocketry, who broke Man o’ War’s 98-year-old track record for 1 5/8 miles in the Temperence Hill last fall at Belmont Park, Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens have a proven marathon specialist. Might that owner-trainer team have another in Weather Wiz?

That could be determined Saturday at Aqueduct when Weather Wiz attempts to stretch out to 1 5/16 miles in the inaugural running of the $100,000 Bernardini Stakes, the featured event on Aqueduct’s nine-race program.

Though still eligible for a second-level allowance race, the 5-year-old Weather Wiz ran well enough in his last start, a second-place finish behind Stan the Man in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race, to be entered in his first stakes.

“He seems to be comfortable having a lot more leisurely early pace than the other way around,” Jerkens said. “I thought he ran really well last time trying to chase that horse who’s turned out to be a really nice horse. He took a lot of shots at him and I thought he was gaining slightly at the very end.”

Dylan Davis rides Weather Wiz from post 5 in the seven-horse field.

Shalako, trained by Michelle Nevin, stretched out from a mile to 1 3/16 miles winning a starter handicap here on Jan. 27.

“We were thinking of distance all along,” Nevin said. “Last year, in a lot of his previous races, he’d been running late, but too late. He was just not getting there in time. We thought it might help him out going a little farther, which it looked like it did.”

With Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, expect Shalako to be a front-running presence as he was in his most recent victory, which came under Jose Lezcano.

Royal Albert Hall is only 2 for 40 but he is making his second start for trainer Rob Atras – who is winning at 60 percent at the meet – and is coming off a solid second going a mile in a $40,000 claiming race here in the slop on Feb. 21.

KEY CONTENDERS

Weather Wiz, by Tiznow
Last 3 Beyers: 93-64-93

◗ Finished a hard-trying second behind Stan the Man on Jan. 13. Stan the Man came back to win another allowance with a career-best 102 Beyer.

◗ Has run well at 1 1/8 miles, including a win in a Saratoga allowance last September over Plainsman, the subsequent Grade 3 Discovery winner.

Shalako, by Malibu Moon
Last 3 Beyers: 81-76-86

◗ Beat the stakes winner Turco Bravo in a starter handicap going 1 3/16 miles last time.

Royal Albert Hall, by Royal Applause
Last 3 Beyers: 90-73-82

◗ He has lost his last 23 starts, but he has 9 seconds and 10 thirds, and makes his second start for Atras, who is 9 for 15 at this meet.

Leitone, by Dunkirk
Last 3 Beyers: 86-66-53

◗ Twice finished second behind Wow Cat in Chile. Wow Cat won the Grade 1 Beldame and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.