The Jerkens Memorial (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
SAR- For Three Year Olds
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
August 24, 2019

Looking forward to covering this race, due its implications for the BC Sprint (or BC Dirt Mile). It’s a talented field of twelve that comprises the 17th running of the Jerkens Memorial, which was also known as the Kings Bishop when I was regularly going up to Saratoga for Travers Day. I won’t be there this year, but I was hoping to still be here, for this race. I wanted to run Socotra Island here badly (since it’s a race that in real life I have often attended), but made the tough decision in that a little more rest may be good for him. Instead, I’ll be excited to watch some his rivals that he has gone up against lately duke it out in what should be a thriller. Last year, D J C Racing Stables picked up the victory with Fox News, though he would opt for the BC Dirt Mile, where he was second. Enjoy the race, here’s our field!

#1- Traveling Band (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by J Bravo)- On the rail, this Command Attention colt is in search of his third straight win. However, neither of those prior two wins were at the stake level. Traveling Band has a couple of graded tries, but his claim to fame right now is a win in a $50.000 ungraded stake at TP. Undoubtedly, he has earned the chance to try again, and the trainer is going big in the try here in the Jerkens Memorial.

#2- A Beagle Named Boo (John Henry, ridden by J Talamo)- Had a strong two year old season with wins but none were for significant purses. The gelding has not won this season (but has had some seconditis), and was picked up by John Henry for $60.000 in private sales in February. Has never attempted a graded stake, but has been competitive in ungraded races. This seems like a big jump, but that was a real nice bullet work last week!

#3- Candlestick (Mb Stables, ridden by A Beschizza)- He has won three of fourteen races, and has only hit the board in five of them. That seems below the Mb Stables standard that I often see in a race like this in regards to at least running in the top three. His last race at seven furlongs came at PRX in April, and it was a win in an impressive time. However, this can be an inconsistent horse, and despite working well, I’ll check out the trainer’s other two runners over him.

#4- Made Out Of Glass (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)– Despite the name, this is a fairly well conformed horse, though the legs could be better. His dam is Snow Peak, who a couple years ago was a very exciting short lived horse to watch. Made Out Of Glass has won once in seven starts this year, coming in the Eddie S in April. After that, he was second to Socotra Island in the Grade 3 Barrera, the last time he ran seven furlongs. Certainly is a threat in this field.

#5- Rainstorm (Fractious, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This was the horse, more then any other one in the field that made me wish I did decide to run Socotra Island here. Never had been able to get that rematch yet since our dead heat for the win in the Grade 2 San Vicente. For Rainstorm, that was because he was able to run longer with a tactic shift to coming from behind, and that earned him a second place showing in the KYD, of all races. Last seen here in optional claimer at the start of the meet, in which he won. He likes running seven, and he’s the horse to beat in this field.

#6- Lots Of Pride (Spankys Barn, ridden by F Prat)- The gelding has been a bit of a late bloomer, taking a while to break his maiden, needing to so at EMD on the same day Rainstorm was finishing second in the KYD. Spankys Barn picked him up in private sales two months ago for $40.000, and show his faith in him by immediately entering him in the Grade 1 Crosby at DMR. There, he gained ground in the stretch to run fifth. The trainer will be hoping that the progress continues, much like he has seen with Ghost In The Shell, who runs in the Personal Ensign.

#7- Blowberg (Estero Farms, ridden by L Contreras)- Since being gelded this March, Blowberg has run four times, twice running well and twice not as much. In May, he would win the $200.000 Lang Stakes, and last month he ran second to Kill Command in Grade 2 Amsterdam. He has also had a couple of uninspired seventh place finishes. Blowberg remains inconsistent, so it all depends on which Blowberg decides to show up here. Tough to otherwise get a handle on this type of horse. We know he has the talent, but never know if he is going to fully show it.

#8- Russian Dictator (Gdp Inc, ridden by E J Wilson)- The Forestry gelding makes his 10th start here, and will be looking for win number three. It’s the second time we have seen him in a graded stake, as he was also in the SA Derby in April, and was well up the track at the end. He’s mostly been in optional claimers since then, but has not won any of them (two seconds). However, before you might want to write him off, one of those optional claimers saw him run into Rainstorm here, and he was the runner up by half a length at exactly this distance. He’s a sneak play in here. Watch the odds board.

#9- Kill Command (Fractious, ridden by D Van Dyke)- On the day where Fractious was finishing second in the KYD with Rainstorm to Joshua Stables’ Beach Dandy, he quietly made this $20.000 claim from PRX from Joshua. Kill Command had not done all that much to that point, but has thrived with Fractious, putting together a four race winning streak. The last of the wins came right here at SAR, in his graded debut, winning the Amsterdam against a strong field. We should expect to see more of the same here, and a 1-2 Fractious finish cannot be ruled out.

#10- Fahrenheit (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- After running third in the $75.000 Rahway, Fahrenheit was sold the next day by Waldo to Mb Stables for $200.000. The new trainer attempted the FL Derby with him later in the month, and would run in the middle of the field. A month later, he won the Grade 3 TX Mile, and has recently put back to back strong performances together in both the Grade 1 Stephens and Grade 2 Nerud. Loses his regular rider, T Gaffalione in favor of M Franco.

#11- Marx On The Moon (Court Jester Racing, ridden by E Jaramillo)– Picked up the biggest win of his career so far back in April, when he captured the Grade 2 Bay Shore at AQU, a seven furlong race. The temptation to run longer got to the trainer, and while he did run well in his second place Peter Pan effort, the results declined from there. Now, he returns to sprinting, and he is a perfect 2-for-2 when running this exact distance. Jaramillo has been his regular jockey, including being the rider in the Bay Shore. Always seems to end up with double digit odds, or greater.

#12- Cherokee People (South Beach Racing, ridden by J Navarro)- Getting the unlucky far outside post is this gelding by Cherokee Desires. He will be making his stake debut here after scoring an impressive allowance win, at seven furlongs, right here at the Spa last month, carrying just 114 pounds. He’s won two of ten for this career, but won both times he ran seven furlongs. Overcoming this post is tough for even the best of horses, though.

Prediction: 5-9-7-11

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES