My World Storms by Balboa in the Jerome, NYRA photo
Christian Abdo
Robert V. Penta and Stabs’ Stabs’ My world got past 3-5 favorite Balboa late to win Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome, a one-turn mile for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
My World, trained by two-time Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, received 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the victory. The Essential Quality Gray came in after a 3 1/2 length victory over double stakes winner Probably Dreaming in the listed Nashua over course and distance on November 1.
Connections opted to skip the nine-furlong Grade 2 Remsen on Dec. 6 here, a similar 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby points qualifier, and wait for the Jerome. Saturday’s score marked My World’s third consecutive local win, having also graduated second here on October 4 by sprinting six furlongs.
“We skipped the Remsen for this one to give him more time,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox’s assistant at Belmont Park. “He’s a smaller horse and the other race was a mile and an eighth, so this gives him another mile race under his belt and then maybe we can step forward with a bit more distance. He’s really improving, mentally more than anything.”
Piloted by Jaime Rodriguez, who was also aboard the Nashua, My World cleanly left post 3, but settled in at the rear of the four-horse field, on the outside of the breaking in Enforced agenda as The echo of freedom posted an opening quarter mile of 23.58 seconds over the fast dirt while being pressured Balboa.
“It broke pretty well and the race went the way I was handicapped,” Rodriguez said. “I said, ‘Maybe the two.’ [Freedom’s Echo] goes a little ahead and then Balboa sits behind the two.’ I just sat behind both of them, just to have a nice trip.
Freedom’s Echo and Balboa battled for command heading into the turn, while My World took third position outside Enforced Agenda through the half mile in 47.12. Balboa then took command under Manny Franco as Freedom’s Echo retreated, with My World improving wide in the turn with its sights set on the new leader.
At the top of the track, Balboa held a one-length lead over My World as three-quarters passed in 1:12.23. When straightened it was a two-horse race, with Balboa holding his lead until almost the last sixteenth before My World moved past, with the rivals trading some bumps, to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:38.96.
“Once I hit him on the left side, he corrected himself,” Rodriguez said of My World trudging in. “Once we got to the top of the track and he changed the lead, he just gave me another gear and he exploded.”
Enforced Agenda finished 3 3/4 lengths back in third, with Freedom’s Echo completing the finishing order. Mailata, who won the Parx Future Stars by 19 lengths on Tuesday at the circuit of the same name, was scratched.
“Every time he gets next to horses, he wants to rush in. Once he’s out, he’s fine,” Rodriguez added. “As soon as he changes his lead, he gives me that kick again and I think, ‘My God, he’s going to go again!'”
Dugas agreed that My World has some room for improvement. At the Nashua, My World collided with a rival on the three-eighths pole before kicking clear.
“This horse is still figuring things out. With each race he’s maturing mentally, but it’s still like he’s not quite there yet. You’ll see it every time he passes a horse; he’ll still want to lean forward,” Dugas said. “Right now he’s doing things at pure capacity. Even in the morning he’s still messing around. If he concentrates and you sit down and ride him, he’ll run further. He’s a very talented little colt, but he can still get in his own way.”
Franco said the Brittany Russell-trained Balboa, who finished third and final clear in the Grade 2 Remsen, had suffered a defeat as he left the outer post 4.
“That’s the journey I wanted. I wanted to stalk someone. I don’t want to – with the outpost – just go to the railing and be chased. I just stayed there and moved when I wanted to,” Franco said. “We had a little attack, but at the same time I hit with my left and came out to try it [let] my horse sees him. I was second best. He beat me.”
Balboa picked up five Kentucky Derby points for his second-place finish in the Jerome, bringing his total to nine points after earning three points in the Remsen [3rd] and one point for a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 American Pharoah in October at Santa Anita Park.
My World, a $350,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase bred in Kentucky by Cove Springs, is out of the Grade 3-placed Into Mischief mare Quebec. He earned $82,500 in the win while improving his record to 4-3-0-0 and returning $7.24 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes on Sunday at Aqueduct Racetrack with an eight-race card. First post is 12:40 Eastern.
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