The Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, formerly known as the King’s Bishop, attracted a deep field of 3-year-old sprinters. The eight colts entered will break from the chute and travel seven furlongs around one turn.
Bob Baffert ships in three runners despite the Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) being right in his back yard. He does have two older sprinters in that field and clearly opted to keep his 3-year-olds in their own division rather than pitting them against older runners.
Three runners in the field previously met in the Woody Stephens (G1), with Patch Adams winning that decision. And although most in the field have traded blows at some point, the Jerkens Memorial does feature a pair of new shooters in Midland Money and Verifire.
The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial is the 10th race on Saratoga’s 14-race Saturday card. It’s the second in a string of five consecutive Grade 1 events. Post time is slated for 4:22 p.m. EDT.
We review the past performances in search of a winner.
| Laurie | Ashley |
| 1. Patch Adams (3-1) | |
| After fading in a pair of Derby-trail races at 1 1/16 miles, Patch Adams returned to seven furlongs and bested optional claimers on the Derby undercard, earning a career-best 104 Brisnet rating. He equaled the performance in the Woody Stephens but showed a new dimension, settling off the pace before collaring Madaket Road in the stretch and drawing off by 2 1/4 lengths, earning a 103 Brisnet rating. Draw a line through the two-turn starts and we have a sprinter with triple-digit speed ratings and late-pace figures. Win Contender. | Trained by Brad Cox, Patch Adams returned to winning form on the Kentucky Derby undercard by winning a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer by 2 1/4 lengths in the slop. And if anyone still doubted whether he preferred sprinting, the colt then won the Woody Stephens. These two efforts came after a pair of dull efforts around two turns on the Kentucky Derby trail. Patch Adams has a win at Saratoga already and is 2-for-2 at the seven-furlong distance. Luis Saez has the return call from the Woody Stephens. Contender. |
| 2. Midland Money (8-1) | |
| Midland Money is a Bob Baffert special. After breezing a furlong in 9.2 seconds at last year’s OBS March sale, this dark bay, almost black colt sold for $650,000. After destroying a 2-year-old maiden field by six lengths in 58.15 for five furlongs at Santa Anita, Midland Money was put on the shelf until surfacing in a Saratoga allowance race 20 days ago, beating winners by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:09.83 for six furlongs. By Shancelot, who missed the victory in the 2019 edition of the Jerkens Memorial by a nose, Midland Money has little black type in the first three generations of his distaff line, but he hails from the family of Grade 1 winners Super Saver, Girolamo, Imagining and Bluegrass Cat. Midland Money fired a pre-race bullet four furlongs in 46.22. No doubt he’s fast and professional, and his speed ratings are in the 90s. But his late pace figures are some of the lowest in this field. Midland Money must deal with quality speed to his outside, but hey, it’s a Baffert Special. Live long shot. | Trained by Bob Baffert, Midland Money debuted a winner at Santa Anita in June 2024, winning a five-furlong event in gate-to-wire fashion by six lengths. He was shelved and finally reappeared Aug. 3 at Saratoga. Despite the 14-month layoff, the colt again won in gate-to-wire fashion, besting his elders in a seven-furlong allowance race. Midland Money’s debut race hasn’t produced anything of note, though the runner-up did win the Zia Park Juvenile Stakes. The allowance field was similarly underwhelming, with runner-up Aggelos the Great, stakes-placed in New York-bred events, being the best of the bunch. Joel Rosario, the colt’s third jockey in as many starts, has the mount. Exotics. |
| 3. Barnes (9-2) | |
| After his Kentucky Derby bid was derailed in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), Barnes went back on the shelf until now. He runs well fresh and has had a series of stamina works. The Baffert trainee has a triple-digit late-pace speed rating and a Grade 2 win at seven furlongs. Barnes might vie with his stablemate Midland Money on the lead, and although some like to hype him, I don’t buy into it. Exotics. | Also from the Baffert barn, Barnes cuts back in distance after finishing last of five in the Santa Anita Derby, crossing the wire 19 3/4 lengths behind winner Journalism. That rival also defeated him by 1 3/4 lengths in the San Felipe (G2). Barnes does have a Grade 2 victory at seven furlongs by virtue of his 5 1/2-length victory in the San Vicente in January. I like the cut back in distance for Barnes and the jockey switch to Jose Ortiz from J J Hernandez, who will remain in California. Contender. |
| 4. Chancer McPatrick (5-1) | |
| Chancer McPatrick is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. He kicked off his career with three straight victories and was a disappointing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He had a bumpy road on the Kentucky Derby trail and didn’t like getting his hooves dirty in the Woody Stephens over a muddy track. Then the Chad Brown trainee grabbed the restricted Curlin Stakes by a head, earning this field’s highest late-pace figure. Now what do we do with him? Is Chancer McPatrick back to his winning ways? As a closer in a field of speed, he has a shot, and Ashley has the stats on the Brown/Ortiz team. Exotics. | Laurie summed up this Chad Brown trainee perfectly, I believe. Chancer McPatrick did well racing up to a mile as a juvenile, taking the Hopeful (G1) and the Champagne (G1) before falling flat at 1 1/16 miles in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. After a couple of dull performances on the Kentucky Derby trail, I felt that Chancer McPatrick was best suited to sprinting, but then he pulled off a win in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Stakes. That field wasn’t particularly strong on paper, so maybe that’s how he pulled it off. I do have to respect that Chancer McPatrick is 4: 3-0-0 at Saratoga, with his lone loss at the Spa coming in the mud in the Woody Stephens. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode the colt for the first time in the Curlin Stakes and gets the return call here. Ortiz and Brown are 20% wins with a 46% in-the-money clip together over the last year. Contender. |
| 5. Verifire (4-1) | |
| Verifire proved he wasn’t a one-trick pony in the Maxfield Stakes. The contest drew a full field of stakes winners and was a good test of Verifire’s class. He settled three wide behind Captain Cook and Smoken Wicked early. The trio fought through the lane, with Captain Cook the first to bail, then Smoken Wicked fizzled out while Verifire opened up by 2 3/4 lengths. The Brad Cox trainee’s speed ratings have improved in each start, concluding with a 104 for his Maxfield Stakes effort. Contender. | Another from the Cox barn, Verifire is undefeated in three career starts. In his most recent outing, he won the Maxfield Stakes over Smoken Wicked and Captain Cook. The 104 Brisnet Speed Rating he earned in the Maxfield is tied for the best in the field. Verifire is a road warrior, having won his three starts at three tracks. Regular jockey Flavien Prat has the return call. Contender. |
| 6. Smoken Wicked (6-1) | |
| Every once in a while, a local boy does good and outruns his pedigree. This Louisiana-bred has earned $551,392 in 13 starts, placing worse than fourth only twice. After his defeat by Verifier in the Maxfield, Smoken Wicked dominated the Amsterdam (G2) field by 6 3/4 lengths. A true sprinter, the Dallas Stewart trainee is a powerhouse up to 6 1/2 furlongs but is iffy beyond that. He’ll be in the thick of things, and Smoken Wicked’s determination can carry him to an exotics placing. | Trained by Dallas Stewart, Smoken Wicked rebounded from his defeat in the Maxfield Stakes to win the Amsterdam by 5 3/4 lengths. It was his first open-company stakes win. I’m hesitant to get too excited about this colt because the Amsterdam came up weak. In previous starts Smoken Wicked has finished behind Verifire, Madaket Road and Chancer McPatrick. Brian Hernandez Jr., who has been aboard in every start in 2025 except one, has the mount. Exotics. |
| 7. Captain Cook (12-1) | |
| Captain Cook sails to the third barn in his career. The son of 2017 Jerkens Memorial hero Practical Joke floundered behind Verifier and Smoken Wicked in the Maxfield after setting early fractions of 22.36 and 44.56. He has shown speed and faded in all three starts this year. End even though he’s in Todd Pletcher’s capable hands, I don’t expect a different result unless Ricardo Santana Jr. explores the option to rate him. Even then, Captain Cook must prove he has the class to run with this group. Pass. | Now in the barn of Todd Pletcher, Captain Cook was last seen finishing third behind Verifire and Smoken Wicked in the Maxfield Stakes. The Withers Stakes winner also has a fourth-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2) and a third in the Peter Pan (G3). Pletcher opts to remove the blinkers and is 38% wins with a 63% in-the-money rate with that angle and is just 5% wins with a 33% in-the-money clip with runners first off a trainer switch. Ricardo Santana Jr. gets the leg up. Pass. |
| 8. Madaket Road (6-1) | |
| After a hit and mostly miss experience on the Derby trail, Madaket Road shortened up for the Pat Day Mile (G2) and finished second. He shortened up another furlong for the Woody Stephens. Despite stumbling at the break, Madaket Road rushed into second place and stayed there. In deep stretch, he lost the mental battle with Patch Adams and settled for another also-ran position. The Bob Baffert trainee has delivered the same good, but not good enough, performance throughout his career and is clearly a polite horse, deferring to others. Exotics. | The third entrant from the Baffert barn, Madaket Road last was seen finishing second to Patch Adams in the Woody Stephens. Madaket Road consistently picks up checks and never has been worse than fourth in his career. What he doesn’t do, however, is win, having just a 7: 1-4-1 record. I can’t make any excuses for the colt. He just is a cut below every time he steps hoof on the track. John Velazquez gets the return call from the Woody Stephens. Exotics. |
Final thoughts
Laurie: Only one of the last 15 heroes of the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial placed worse than third in his previous start, and that was because of a troubled trip. The winners prepped in a variety of races, including the Amsterdam, Woody Stephens, Haskell and allowance contests. Only three lost ground in that start, which was a route.
Speed doesn’t hold. Four pacesetters won, the last in 2018. Closers and pressers rule.
The Jerkens Memorial typically attracts a full field, resulting in decent payouts. Four of the last six years resulted in double-digit payouts, with the smallest being $16.40. But include the favorites on your tickets. Five won, and seven others placed second through fourth. Jack Christopher in 2022 was the last winning favorite.
Inside posts are favorable, producing 10 winners from posts 1 through 4.
Patch Adams, Verifire and Chancer McPatrick are my top picks.
Patch Adams is undefeated at the distance, possesses tactical speed and is riding a two-race win streak with a pair of double-digit speed ratings.
Verifire is the promising undefeated newcomer. He looked Smoken Wicked in the eye and kept going in the Maxfield. Granted, seven furlongs isn’t Smoken Wicked’s distance, but Verifire proved he can challenge and not back down.
Chancer McPatrick loves Saratoga as long as it isn’t raining. He has tactical speed and can settle behind the pace before unleashing his speed.
Practically anyone can hit the board, and I wouldn’t be surprised if all three of Baffert’s charges hit the board. Baffert last visited the Jerkens Memorial winner’s circle in 2016, so is he due?
I’m going with a Brad Cox exacta.
Ashley: Although a good bit of speed is signed up for this race, Race Lens predicts that the pace won’t be as heated as one would expect. With that said, this could easily set up for a colt to come from off the pace to win.
Midland Money is the inside speed. Directly to his outside sits Barnes, who tried to wire the San Felipe (G2) field but typically takes up a stalking position. Verifire also has early speed but did press the pace in the Maxfield Stakes. Smoken Wicked and Captain Cook could contest the pace, too.
You could run this race eight times and get a different winner each time. Nobody stands out as the one to beat, which is great for betting purposes.
Patch Adams, Barnes, Chancer McPatrick and Verifire are my top four. Patch Adams comes in with a two-race win streak and back-to-back triple-digit Brisnet Speed Ratings. He already has a victory over the Saratoga oval, but I’m leaning toward his stablemate Verifire, who has proven quite versatile in his short career.
Madaket Road is an ATM, but I’m choosing to go with Barnes from the Baffert trio. I believe he stands a better shot at actually winning this race rather than simply filling out the exotics.
Chancer McPatrick likes the Saratoga track except when it’s muddy, as Laurie pointed out. And although he won at nine furlongs last out, I do still believe he does better sprinting. A dry track and cutback in distance could easily land him in the winner’s circle.
Selections
| Laurie | Ashley |
| 1. Patch Adams (3-1) | 5. Verifire (4-1) |
| 5. Verifire (4-1) | 4. Chancer McPatrick (5-1) |
| 4. Chancer McPatrick (5-1) | 1. Patch Adams (3-1) |
| 3. Barnes (9-2) | 3. Barnes (9-2) |
