Winning a stakes like the Jan. 3 $139,500 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct may earn a 3-year-old some Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying points but winning a one-turn mile like the Jerome and the testing 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby are light years apart. Nevertheless, My World certainly looked the part of a promising newly turned 3-year-old as he took over from 3-5 favorite Balboa in the home stretch and drew clear to a notch a two-length win in the Jerome that painted him as a horse who could have a bright future around two turns.

"He ran big. It took him a while to get by (Balboa) but maybe this was him telling us he wants to go two turns," trainer Brad Cox said. "This was very encouraging."

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His breeding could also be an asset for My World, a winner of three straight starts for owners Madaket Stables (which also owns a share of runner-up Balboa). He's by the sire Essential Quality, who won the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes for Cox in 2021.

"It's the first crop of 3-year-olds for his sire," Cox said, "but what we know about the stallion and from what we've seen in My World, it looks like the more distance, the better for him."

Cleary the 3-year-old loves Aqueduct as well as all three of his wins have come at the Big A, including a 3 1/2-length score in the Nov. 1 Nashua Stakes in his previous start. Not surprisingly, with that in mind, Cox is leaning toward keeping My World on the New York path to the run for the roses, with Aqueduct's Jan. 31 Withers Stakes at 1 1/8 miles the next stop.

"He's done very well in New York. He seems to like the track at Aqueduct. Maybe that's the path we take to get us where we want to go," Cox said. "Next is two turns and the Withers is a logical spot to get us to the Wood Memorial."

With just a field of four after Mailata was scratched following a romp in a Dec. 30 Stakes race at Parx Racing, the Jerome came down to a two-horse race. When Balboa, owned by "The Avengers" partnership and trained by Brittany Russell, forged to the front on the turn with Manny Franco, My World and Jaime Rodriguez moved up to challenge after six furlongs in 1:12.23.

Balboa, coming off a third in the longer Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in his last outing, held a length lead at the eighth pole, but My World, the 5-2 third choice ($7.24 to win), surged to the front at the sixteenth pole and covered the mile in 1:38.96.

The win earned My World 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and Balboa picked up five to give him nine points total. Enforced Agenda, who finished 3 3/4 lengths back in third, earned three points.

Dazzling Dame Dazzles 3-year-old Fillies in Busanda Stakes Win

Dazzling Dame led throughout and pulled away in the stretch with ease to record a 11 1/2-length win in the $145,500 Busanda Stakes for 3-year-old fillies later on the Jan. 3 card at the Big A.

Dazzling Dame. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

The victory in the mile prep race for the Longines Kentucky Oaks earned the multiple stakes winner Oaks qualifying points.

"She seems like she's progressed," trainer Brittany Russell said. "She's a big, nice filly who does things right. Hopefully, we'll keep her healthy. She was great today."

As the 2-1 second choice on the tote board ($6.24), Dazzling Dame completed the mile in 1:38.30, slightly faster than the 1:38.96 My World needed in the Jerome.

Owned by Roger "Rocky" Rashall Jr.'s Respect the Valleys and ridden by Jevian Toledo, the win was the fourth in five career starts for Dazzling Dame, who was exiting a victory in the Oct. 11 White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park.

Two Bits finished second while Repole Stable's Believable was 11 1/4 lengths back in third.