El Areeb takes next step toward Kentucky Derby with an eye-catching performance in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. The son of Exchange Rate was educated in his debut in June, was out in the marooned post 12 in his next race, but now turned the hat track with the Jerome success.
His 3-race win streak started by breaking his maiden by almost 9 lengths. He followed that up showing career speed taking the $100,000 J F Lewis at Laurel with a career best 94 Beyer Speed Figure. In El Areeb’s first start in a route in the Jerome, the $340,000 purchase sat off the lead early, opened by over 10 lengths turning for home and then extended his winning margin.
He earned 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby and the Jerome was the first 2017 prep toward the Derby.
Trained by Irishman Calthal Lynch, El Areeb has been carefully managed by his up-and-coming conditioner. He had a good foundation under him going into the Jerome with a couple of 9-furlong workouts under his belt. The trainer considers El Areeb one of the best horses he has trained in his 20-year career.
El Areeb covered the mile and 70 yards of the Jerome in 1:46.17 but the slow nature of the muddy track was responsible for the clocking. It was the fastest time by 2.51 seconds of the three races run at the same distance on the card on Jerome Day.
El Areeb is the first stakes winner produced by his dam Feathered Diamond. The dam is a sibling to double stakes winner and near $300,000 earner Dixieland Diamond and also to near $550,000 earner Sky Diamond.
The next logical move for El Areeb, considering he comes out of the race no worse for wear, would be the Grade 3 $250,000 Withers at Aqueduct on February 4 or the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4.
Nine other America-based runners have earned points toward the Kentucky Derby and four runners from Japan earned rewards for the big race.
Iroquois winner Not This Time got his 10-point head start by taking the Churchill Downs stakes last September. Three runners earned 10 points winning in October. Gormley took the FrontRunner Stakes, Practical Joke celebrated winning the Champagne and Classic Empire took the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.
Classic Empire than proved it was no fluke when the won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for another 20 points in the pocket.
Three November successes propelled Gunnevera, Mo Town and McCracken into the points standings and Mastery won the final qualifying race in 2016 when he took the Los Alamitos Futurity.
The top Beyer figure of these runners was the 102 that was recorded in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Gormley earned a 93 figure but then he regressed a bit when troubled and 7th when beaten by Classic Empire.
Mo Town’s Remsen Stakes win was impressive for a few reasons. It was only his third career start and his first around two turns. He was also coming off a 2-month layoff and he had missed his prior assignment in the Nashua with a sore muscle.
Mastery also must be given his props. He made it 3 for 3 taking the Los Alamitos Futurity and it was his first try going a route of ground. The Bob Baffert trainee had blinkers for his debut, took them off for his second win and then was equipped with blinkers in his last race of 2016. The rivals he was beating in the Los Alamitos Futurity were nothing to write home about but the fractions were fast and the pacesetter that Mastery chased ran up the track.
As far as pedigree goes for these runners, Not This Time could be the leader in the clubhouse. His Grade 3 winning dam Miss Macy Sue won 11 of her 25 starts and earned nearly $900,000. Miss Macy Sue has dropped three others foals and two were stakes winners. The best by far was Liam’s Map, who won 6 of his 8 races, took the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile even though he had a horrible trip and banked over $1.3 million.
Next race up with qualifying points on the line is the Sham Stakes at Saturday on January 7. Look for the selection in the very near future.
