Drew’s Gold perfect, quirky

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Drew’s Gold still has some figuring out to do, so the fact he’s won both of his starts – albeit eight months apart – is a promising sign for the 3-year-old Violence colt.

Saturday, Drew’s Gold makes a quick turnaround and his stakes debut in the $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield going six furlongs at Aqueduct. The Winkfield, named to honor the African-American jockey who won two Kentucky Derbies, drew just five horses and is carded as the third on a 10-race program that also includes the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers.

Drew’s Gold debuted last May 12 at Churchill Downs, breaking a step slow out of the gate, rallying five wide in the lane, and edging clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Drew’s Gold was sidelined with an injury to the tibia bone in a hind leg that required time, but no surgery, according to trainer and part-owner James Chapman.

After races in New York failed to go, Drew’s Gold returned on Jan. 28 in a first-level allowance at Laurel. This time he leapt coming out of the gate, was last early, raced four wide, and drew off for a 3 3/4-length victory.

“He watches the doors. He’s real weird about little things,” Chapman said. “It spooks him a second; with racing it’ll get better.”

Chapman was originally planning to run Prove Right in the Winkfield, but opted to give him another shot going long in the Withers, a 1 1/8-mile race on Saturday’s card.

Wheeling Drew’s Gold back in two weeks was not problematic to Chapman.

“It wasn’t a real stressful race on him,” Chapman said.

Jose Gomez, who rides his last day as an apprentice on Saturday, has the call on Drew’s Gold from post 4. Since it’s a stakes, Gomez – the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2022 – does not get the fivepound weight allowance in this race.

Kool Kathmandu and Clubhouse are both coming out of maiden wins. Kool Kathmandu recorded his maiden score in the slop here on Dec. 16. Dylan Davis rides Kool Kathmandu from post 3.

Clubhouse, trained by Todd Pletcher, earned his maiden victory on Jan. 14, his sixth career start. John Velazquez, who was scheduled to ride Classic Catch in the Withers before that horse did not ship up from Florida, is in town anyway and has the call on Clubhouse, well positioned in post 5.

Joey Freshwater won a starter allowance first off the $50,000 claim for Linda Rice. His two wins from three starts have come over wet tracks.

“He’s trained plenty well on a dry track,” Rice said. “I think he’ll be formidable.”

Daydreaming Boy ships in from Parx Racing following a second and a fourth in two listed stakes tries at the Bensalem, Pa., track.