Balboa shortens up for Jerome

Expectations were relatively low for the speedy Balboa lasting 1 1/8 miles in the Dec. 6 Remsen (G2). But at odds of nearly 30-1, Balboa ran a commendable race, finishing 3 1/2 lengths third to Paladin.

On Saturday, Balboa will be vastly lower price in the $150,000 Jerome S. at Aqueduct, a Road to the Kentucky Derby series prep which attracted only four other entries.

Balboa should be far better suited to the one-turn mile of Jerome. Although unable to keep pace against Southern California's better two-year-olds last fall when under the care of Bob Baffert, Balboa perked up moving east to the barn of Brittany Russell.

Prior to the Remsen, Balboa knocked out nine rivals in the six-furlong James F. Lewis III S. at Laurel.

"I think going from three-quarters to nine furlongs last time was a big ask," Russell said. "He handled it pretty well, I kind of like the cutback for him."

My World enters the Jerome off a track-and-distance score in the Nov. 1 Nashua S., in which he pulled away late to win by 3 1/2 lengths. The son of Essential Quality is now 2-for-3.

Also entering on a two-race win streak is Mailata, who followed up a maiden win over a two-turn mile at Parx with a decisive 3 1/2-length triumph in the Pennsylvania Nursery over the same track. Both wins occurred while sporting blinkers.

"The blinkers really sharpened up his speed and helped with his concentration a bit," trainer Butch Reid said. "Early on, he was worried about the other horses a little bit too much."

Enforced Agenda sprung a 23-1 upset in his debut over one mile on Nov. 23, while Freedom's Echo dominated maiden claiming foes by 11 lengths at Parx in early November.

The Jerome offers Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points of 10-5-3-2-1 to the respective top five finishers.

Later in the card, six three-year-old fillies will duke it out over a mile in the $150,000 Busanda S.

Dazzling Dame will attempt to notch her third stakes win after prior scores in the Sorority S. at Monmouth Park and the White Clay Creek S. at Delaware Park, both two-turn miles. Shilling and Believable, one-two in the Nov. 6 Tempted S., shorten up after going unplaced in the nine-furlong Demoiselle (G2) last month.

Stepping up off maiden wins are Britain, who graduated second out over seven furlongs for Chad Brown; Midnite Ginny, who led throughout at first asking in mid-September at Monmouth; and the American Pharoah filly Two Bits.

The Busanda offers Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points of 20-10-6-4-2 to the top five finishers.