Horse Racing News by Jack Shinar

It's a long way from the first Saturday in January to the first Saturday in May, but for newly-minted 3-year-olds the $200,000 Jerome Stakes and the $100,000 Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack could serve as a road map to the future.

The Triple Crown season at Santa Anita Park begins Jan. 5 with the Sham Stakes led by Goldencents, recent winner of the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot and runner-up in the prestigious Champagne Stakes.

Jimmy Creed, a disappointment in last month's Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint, rebounded with an emphatic victory in the $301,000 Malibu Stakes on opening day of the winter meet at Santa Anita Park Dec. 26.

Silentio, a lightly-raced son of Japanese-bred stallion Silent Name , registered victory in his stakes debut Dec. 26 in the $150,750 Sir Beaufort on the turf at Santa Anita Park on opening day of the winter meet.

Favored Violence remained unbeaten in three starts when he ran down front-running Fury Kapcori for victory in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity, the final graded stakes of the autumn meet at Betfair Hollywood Park Dec. 15.

He's Had Enough, who missed by a head winning the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile last month, and Nashua Stakes victor Violence square off against a quartet from the Bob Baffert barn in the $750,000 CashCall Futurity Dec. 12 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Pure Fun, the lone shipper in this year's Hollywood Starlet Stakes, turned in an electric performance in rallying from last at the quarter pole to win by one length Dec. 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

Class Included, overmatched when seventh at 38-1 in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic last month, should get some class relief in the $200,000 Bayakoa Handicap Presented by Oak Tree Racing Association Dec. 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park.

With a victory in the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes Dec. 8 at Betfair Hollywood Park, Executiveprivilege could set off quite a debate for the Eclipse Award in the juvenile filly division.

Nefertini disposed of heavily favored Fantasy of Flight on the turn for home and outfought a game Willet in the final furlong to register her first graded stakes victory in the $200,000 Go for Wand Handicap at Aqueduct.