Swill faces four in Jerome

Dec 30, 2020 by James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Following a fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, Swill will look to gain additional qualifying points toward a Kentucky Derby berth when he lines up for Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome S. at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old will meet four rivals over a one-turn mile in the New Year’s Day feature.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier will award points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers.

Trained by Brad Cox, Swill rolled to a convincing wire-to-wire win at Churchill Downs two starts previously. The Munnings colt jumped straight to stakes competition in the Nov. 28 Kentucky Jockey Club, and he was in position to challenge turning for home before coming up a little empty.

Swill is eligible to improve upon his last experience. Look for him to be forwardly-placed with new jockey Kendrick Carmouche.

A pair of New York-bred stakes winners, Eagle Orb and Hold the Salsa, can’t be dismissed from win contention.

Eagle Orb will try open rivals for the first time following a 2 3/4-length victory in the restricted Notebook S. on Nov. 14. Manny Franco has the call for Rudy Rodriguez. Hold the Salsa exits a late-running win in the Dec. 6 Great White Way division of the New York Stallion Series S. By Hold Me Back, the Richard Lugovich-trained colt will be ridden by Romero Maragh.

Capo Kane invades following a 4 1/2-length maiden victory at Parx in his second outing. Dylan Davis rides the son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense. Original, a turf maiden winner in his last outing, completes the field.