UPI Horse Racing Weekend Preview: Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct first major test of 2018

Aqueduct hosts the Jerome Stakes on New Year's Eve. Laurel Park and Fair Grounds host the 2-year-olds before their birthday. Santa Anita hosts a trio of graded stakes on the New Years Eve, Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs and Nakayama Racecourse in Japan.

Diamond King, A Different Style and Whirlin Curlin are the oddsmaker's picks among 10 entered to go 7 furlongs in Saturday's $100,000 Heft Stakes at Laurel Park. Saturday’s $200,00 Damon Runyon Stake at Aqueduct is restricted to state-bred juveniles. Sunday's Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds attracted a dozen statebreds. The morning-line favorite is Givemeaminit by first-crop sire Star Guitar. The 2-year-old events on Saturday and Sunday feature New Mexico- bred juveniles going 6 furs.

Limited War is the 7-2 favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park. Minit to Stardom is 6-5 morning-line favorite after winning the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie by 7 1/4 lengths. Champagne Diva is 9-4 second favorite under Chantal Sutherland.

There is a big field for Saturday's $300,000 American Oaks at Santa Anita. Six horses signed up for the $100,00 Robert J. Frankel at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. There is also a $75,500 Blue Norther for 2-year-old fillies on grass on Sunday and $ 75, 000 Joe Hernandez for 4- and up down the hillside turf course on Monday. The Great Race Place also has the Eddie Logan for two- year-olds on turf on Friday and the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct.

Turf Dash and Lightning City for fillies and mares are on Saturday's card at Tampa Bay Downs.

There are four turf stakes on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The H. Allen Jerkens at 2 miles, the Via Borghese for fillies and mares at 1.3 miles and the Tropical Park Derby and Tropical park Oaks are also on the agenda.

Time Flyer won the Grade I Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan. He's a Heart's Cry colt and grandson of Sunday Silence. Time Flyers trainer Cristian Demuro hopes he'll be ready for next year's Japanese Classics. He could also make an impact on the world stage before the year is up. The Grade II UAE Derby on World Cup night in Dubai is available. A victory in the Hyacinth Stake at Tokyo Feb. 18 would earn him points in a Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct is the first major test of 2018.

It's 2018. There are only a few months left of the Pegasus World Cup, three months until the Dubai World cup, a little more than four months of Kentucky Derby and a bit more more that 10 months till Breeders' Cup. The Cubs pitchers and catchers report to camp in Mesa, Arizona in less than seven weeks.