Jerome Stakes

Road to the Kentucky Derby > Jerome Stakes

Jerome Stakes Race Facts

• Location: Aqueduct Racetrack, New York City
• Inaugural Race: 1866
• Distance: One mile
• Track Type: Left-handed, Dirt
• Age Qualifications: Three-year-olds
• 2024 Purse: $150,000
• 2024 Race Date: Saturday, January 6th

The Jerome Stakes is one of the early Road to the Kentucky prep-races in New York. Winners of the contest are awarded 10-5-3-2-1 points respectively.

2024 Jerome Stakes Race Race Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $1 Exacta (1-4) Paid: $3.65
• $0.50 Trifecta (1-4-2) Paid: $5.20
• $0.10 Superfecta (1-4-2-5) Paid: $1.65

Watch the 2024 Jerome Stakes

History of the Jerome Stakes

The Jerome S. 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 a 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.

Even during quieter periods, accomplished horses bolstered the Jerome’s reputation. Aristides, winner of the inaugural Kentucky Derby, claimed the Jerome in 1875, while Fusaichi Pegasus replicated the Derby/Jerome double in 2000.

The Jerome held Grade 1 status from 1984 through 1994, but slowly lost its status as richer races crowded the calendar. In 2013, the New York Racing Association shifted the Jerome from Belmont to Aqueduct and changed its date to early January, allowing the historic race to re-envision itself as a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race.

Slowly but surely, the Jerome has settled into its new position. Vyjack used victory in the Jerome as a springboard to competing in the 2013 Kentucky Derby, as did 2018 Jerome champion Firenze Fire. By offering Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis, the Jerome has helped fill a winter void on the New York circuit, offering Derby hopefuls a chance to gain a foothold on the qualification leaderboard without shipping out of state.

Jerome Stakes Past Winners