We know it’s early, but is there another run to the Kentucky Derby (G1) for longtime owner Al Gold after his Drum Roll Please rallied from last to first in winning the $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct?
Gold, who operates as Gold Square LLC, finally got his first Grade 1 win two years ago when Cyberknife won the Arkansas Derby (G1), ran 18th in the Derby but rebounded with a victory in the Haskell (G1) a few months later.
Drum Roll Please: Commanding Mile Victory, Derby Points Soar
At the Big A on Saturday, Drum Roll Please was sent off as the 3-5 favorite in the small field of five 3-year-olds. Ridden patiently by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the chestnut son of Hard Spun was bumped at the start, raced comfortably at the back of the pack, was taken six wide at the top of the stretch and took charge at the eighth pole, and won by 3 ¾ lengths over pacesetter El Grande O.
The win was worth 10 Derby qualifying points, giving Drum Roll Please 13 – he was third in the Remsen for 3 points. Next up: the Withers (G3) on Feb. 3 offering 20-10-6-4-2 Derby points.
“I think we have to look at the Withers and get him back to a mile and an eighth,” Joe Hardoon, Gold Square’s racing manager said. “I think that’s more his game than this one-turn mile. We’ll see how he comes out of this and bounces back and definitely look to getting him back around two turns.”
Trained by Brad Cox, Drum Roll Please broke his maiden at third asking before his third in the Remsen in December.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby: Castellano’s Winning Philosophy
Drum Roll Please returned $3.20 on a $2 win bet; El Grande O earned 5 Derby points, while Kahante was third (3 Derby points), followed by Regalo (2 points), and Sweet Soddy (1 point).
“It’s a good preparation for the Kentucky Derby,” Castellano, who won his first Derby in 2023 with Mage, said. “It’s the first step and we’re here to develop the young horses for the big picture in the future. I’m grateful to be a part of it and hopefully we have continued success. One step at a time.”
The Pennsylvania-bred was purchased for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Gold, a New Jersey guy who now has a home in Saratoga Springs, NY, has owned thoroughbreds since 2006.