While star attractions perform on the track during Saratoga’s Travers card on Saturday, August 23, the $500,000 Grade I H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes looks a most competitive race. Three-year-olds who have already faced off at the Spa meet again in this 1,400m contest.
One of the chief subplots is the rematch between Brad Cox’s Patch Adams and Bob Baffert runner Madaket Road from the Woody Stephens Stakes over course and distance during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival earlier this summer. In muddy conditions, the Into Mischief colt came with a sustained run in the home stretch and scored by a couple of lengths.
Cox has had the H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in mind for Patch Adams ever since, but he’s not alone in representing the barn either. The unbeaten Verifire, who landed a Listed race from re-opposing rivals Smoken Wicked and Captain Cook around Churchill Downs over this trip, now takes a big step up in grade.
Dallas Stewart trains the second, who advertised that form when his son of Bobby’s Wicked One romped to victory in the Grade II Amsterdam Stakes over 1,300m here at Saratoga last month. Not to be outdone by Cox, meanwhile, the Baffert barn has three entered in this.
Chief among those is Madaket Road, who chased home Patch Adams in the Woody Stephens. After starting his campaign on the Kentucky Derby trail, the Quality Road colt went for the Pat Day Mile during the big meet at Churchill Downs where he also placed.
Although Madaket Road didn’t appear to stay, his prior Florida Derby fourth saw him cross the wire just four lengths behind leading three-year-old Sovereignty. He also turned the tables on Neoequos, who split the pair in third, in the Woody Stephens.
Baffert, Brown Bring Course Winners Back to Spa
Also representing the Baffert barn is Saratoga 1,200m allowance scorer Midland Money. This son of Shancelot posted a decent speed figure here when last in action and connections show no hesitation in stepping him up in both distance and class. Midland Money, to use a horse racing cliché, could be anything after winning both career starts.
It’s the third and final Baffert runner favored most by the Morning Line and guide price for Belmont Stakes betting sites, however, in Barnes. We haven’t seen this other colt by Into Mischief since he trailed in fifth and last in the Santa Anita Derby. A break of 139 days off the track suggests Barnes may have had some problems.
Another concern is that Baffert also nominated him for the Grade II Pat O’Brien Stakes closer to home at Del Mar. This isn’t necessarily the plan for Barnes’ return to action, then. Chad Brown’s barn has the best recent record in the H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes with three wins since 2017, meanwhile.
He runs Chancer McPatrick, who could never get into contention from the back in the Woody Stephens and finished seventh. Perhaps he got stuck in the mud that day, but the son of McKinzie returned to the Spa and landed an 1,800m Listed race in the Curlin Stakes. Like a few of his rivals here, Chancer McPatrick started the year with Triple Crown hopes.
While those never materialized, he does boast a 3-4 record around Saratoga, winning the Grade I Hopeful Stakes over course and distance as a juvenile. Now another year older, however, further may be better for Chancer McPatrick who hasn’t reproduced his best form that also includes landing the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct.
H Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes 2025 Post Positions Draw & Morning Line Odds
- Patch Adams 3-1 fav
- Midland Money – 8-1
- Barnes – 9-2
- Chancer McPatrick – 5-1
- Verifire – 4-1
- Smoken Wicked – 6-1
- Captain Cook – 12-1
- Madaket Road – 6-1
Our Handicapper’s Verdict
With other options for Barnes and the lack of a recent run, this could be going to Cox’s barn. Patch Adams sluiced up in the mud, so must now prove he can win a Grade I under different conditions, but sets the form standard. Verifire is 2lb worse off with subsequent Amsterdam winner Smoken Wicked, but looked well on top at Churchill Downs.
Madaket Road has something to find with Patch Adams, but often makes the show, so looks the most solid option from the Baffert trio on all known form. Chancer McPatrick is probably better than his Woody Stephens effort, but needs to recapture his best from last season.
WATCH: Patch Adams Beat Madaket Road in Woody Stephens Stakes
