Jerome Stakes

Aqueduct Race Course - New York, New York - January 4, 2025

The Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct is one of the oldest stakes races in North America, but its status as a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race is much more recent development.

First run in 1866 at long-gone Jerome Park, the Jerome was held for many years in mid-September, serving as a prestigious one-mile prize for talented three-year-olds. From the 1940s through 1960s, the roster of Jerome winners read like a “who’s who” of champions and Horses of the Year, including Hall of Fame inductees Coaltown, Hill Prince, Tom Fool, Bold Ruler, Kelso, and Carry Back.