Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire waited an additional two weeks, but will commence his 3-year-old campaign as part of a field of eight in the $150,000 Jerome Stakes Jan. 13 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Contested at one mile, the Jerome was originally scheduled for New Year's Day before inclement weather canceled the card.
Firenze Fire, a two-time graded stakes winner, won his first two career starts, including a one-length victory over Free Drop Billy in the Sanford Stakes (G3) July 22 at Saratoga Race Course. After running fourth in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, the Poseidon's Warrior colt rallied from 10th to capture the Champagne Stakes (G1) by a half-length over Good Magic Oct. 7 at Belmont Park.
Good Magic then won the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Del Mar, with Firenze Fire settling for seventh. After a nearly two-month break, the Jason Servis trainee will make his Aqueduct debut.
Firenze Fire has been training at Belmont, where he breezed four furlongs in :50.88 on the training track Jan. 8. Temperatures are expected to climb into the high 40s Saturday according to the National Weather Service.
"We still entered, but the training hasn't been ideal," Servis said.
West Point Thoroughbreds' Seven Trumpets will make the jump to stakes company after back-to-back wins at Churchill Downs. Trained by Dale Romans, the colt followed a fifth-place finish in his July 15 debut at Ellis Park with two straight victories at 6 1/2 furlongs.
A son of Morning Line , Seven Trumpets will try a one-turn mile for the first time with Paco Lopez in the irons from post 2.
The Jerome is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, where 10 points will be awarded to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher, and one point to fourth place. The points are used to determine the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) field.
