Saturday's 55th running of the $300,000 Pocahontas (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs features an ultra-competitive group of nine 2-year-old fillies including Boarshorts Stables' Ellis Park Debutante heroine Hot Beach and Qatar Racing, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Kentucky Juvenile winner Youalmosthadme.
Run at one mile, the Pocahontas Stakes is the first race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks and will award qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward the 150th running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 3, 2024.
The Pocahontas Stakes will go as Race 7 of 11 with a post time of 3:50 p.m. Saturday's stakes bonanza will also feature the $300,000 Iroquois Stakes (G3), $400,000 Locust Grove (G3), $300,000 Open Mind (Listed) and $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society. First post is 12:45 p.m.
Hot Beach broke her maiden by two lengths in the Ellis Park Debutante under jockey Declan Cannon. The Brian Lynch-trained daughter of Omaha Beach defeated fellow Pocahontas rivals Riperton and Youalmosthadme one month ago in the seven-furlong race. Jockey Flavien Prat will pick up the mount on Hot Beach in the Pocahontas from post No. 9.
Chief among Hot Beach's rivals in the Pocahontas is Youalmosthadme, who returns to Churchill Downs where she demolished her rivals in the Kentucky Juvenile by 8 ¾ lengths. Trained by Brad Cox, Youalmosthadme stumbled badly at the start of the Ellis Park Debutante but recovered to finish third as the heavy 4-5 favorite. Tyler Gaffalione, who was in the saddle for the Kentucky Juvenile, will have the call in the Pocahontas from post 7.
Another intriguing filly that entered the Pocahontas is MJM Racing's V V's Dream, who finished second to future Grade I winner Brightwork in the Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park. Trained by Kenny McPeek, V V's Dream has been on the sidelines since her runner-up effort 10 weeks ago. Prior to the Debutante Stakes, V V's Dream convincingly won her debut at Churchill Downs by 6 ¼ lengths. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. will be aboard from post 6.
McPeek is not a stranger to winning the Pocahontas. The veteran conditioner previously won the race with Fun and Feisty (2022), Daddys Lil Darling (2016) and Dothraki Queen (2015).
Here is the complete field for the Pocahontas from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Empire Island (Ricardo Santana Jr., Norm Casse);
Peignoir (Luan Machado, Rodolphe Brisset);
Riperton (Cristian Torres, Paulo Lobo);
Raining Sugar (James Graham, Riley Mott);
Regal Rumor (Mickaelle Michel, Wayne Catalano);
V V's Dream (Hernandez, McPeek);
Youalmosthadme (Gaffalione, Cox);
Courbe (Rafael Bejarano, Todd Pletcher); and
Hot Beach (Prat, Lynch).
The Pocahontas Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup “Dirt Dozen” series where the top three finishers will be awarded partial entry fees toward the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (GI) held on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
The Road to Kentucky Derby 150 will begin Saturday at Churchill Downs where Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's impressive maiden special weight winner Risk It headlines a field of nine 2-year-olds that entered the 42nd running of the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes.
The Iroquois Stakes is the first of 37 races on the traditional Road to the Kentucky Derby where horses will attempt to qualify for the 150th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) to be staged on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The Iroquois will award the top five finishers points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale as the first of 21 “Prep Season” races.
Saturday's Iroquois, which was shortened in distance in 2023 from 1 1/16 miles to one-mile, will be run as Race 9 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). The first of 11 races will get underway at 12:45 p.m. The spectacular card will also feature the $300,000 Pocahontas (G3), the kickoff on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The other stakes on the program are the $400,000 Locust Grove (G3), $300,000 Open Mind (Listed), and $300,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will attempt to win his fourth-career Iroquois with his trainees Risk It and Edified. Risk It, a precocious 2-year-old son of Gun Runner, dominated a six-furlong maiden special weight contest on Aug. 19 at Saratoga by 4 ½ lengths under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Risk It earned a solid 91 Brisnet speed rating for his debut win. Gaffalione will be back aboard in the Iroquois from post No. 8.
Asmussen's second entry in the Iroquois, Courtlandt Farms' Edified, broke his maiden on July 1 at Ellis Park by a widening 3 ½ lengths at odds of 9-1. The runner-up in that race, Liberal Arts, returned to break his maiden at Ellis Park and will once again face Edified in the Iroquois. Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the mount on Edified from post 4.
Asmussen previously won the Iroquois with Lucky Player (2014), Astrology (2010) and Capt. Candyman Can (2008).
Another visually impressive maiden special weight winner that entered the Iroquois is Mellon Patch's Patriot Spirit. Trained by Mike Campbell, Patriot Spirit powered clear to a six-length victory on debut at Colonial Downs. The son of Constitution arrived to Churchill early Monday morning in preparation for Saturday's race. He'll once again be ridden by veteran Jesus Castanon from post 9.
Here is the complete field for the Iroquois from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):
Liberal Arts (Cristian Torres, Robert Medina);
West Saratoga (Rafael Bejarano, Larry Demeritte);
Union Roll (Gerardo Corrales, Todd Pletcher);
Edified (Santana, Asmussen);
Market Street (Gabe Saez, Wayne Lukas);
Seize the Grey (Jaime Torres, Wayne Lukas);
Gettysburg Address (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox);
Risk It (Gaffalione, Asmussen); and
Patriot Spirit (Castanon, Campbell).
The Iroquois Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup “Dirt Dozen” where the top three finishers will receive a partial credit towards their entry fees in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.TwinSpires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Kentucky Derby. Handicappers Joe Kristufek, Scott Shapiro and Kaitlin Free will provide additional insight and selections on the simulcast feed which can be viewed on TwinSpires or the Churchill Downs App on smart TVs.
Fans can also watch all of the races from Churchill Downs on FanDuel TV and the FanDuel+ app. Several FanDuel TV hosts and handicappers will be live on-site throughout the September Meet including Andie Biancone, Christina Blacker, Caton Bredar, Matt Carrothers, Larry Collmus, Gabby Gaudet, Joaquin Jaime, Mike Joyce, Caleb Keller and Todd Schrupp.
For more information about the Churchill Downs September Meet, visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.
Another race at Kentucky Downs for Hidden Class means another trip to Kentucky Downs for James Atkins.
Hidden Class, a 2-year-old filly, will make her second appearance at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs on Wednesday when trainer Joe Sharp saddles her in the $500,000 Pepsi Untapable Stakes.
Atkins, from Culpeper Va., owns the daughter of Catalina Cruiser along with Erich Brehm Jr., Zachary Daigle, Bob Hogan and Richard Rawlings. Hidden Class won the second race on Kentucky Downs' opening day, Aug. 31. Atkins, who has owned horses dating back to the 1970s, said that win was the biggest of his career.
It was a $250,000 allowance race restricted to fillies that had been sold or gone through the ring at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Hidden Class, the 7-5 favorite in that race, won by 3 1/4 lengths. She was ridden by Joel Rosario, who has the return ride on Wednesday.
The Untapable, like the allowance race, is 6 1/2 furlongs.
“Joe kind of had his mind made up after that race that he was going to run in this one as long as everything was good,” Atkins, who owns Peppers Grill back home, said by phone. “He said that (allowance) race did not take a lot out of her and he felt pretty comfortable. I texted him (Monday) and asked if everything was still good, and he said she is doing good.”
Hidden Class started her career with a second-place finish at Saratoga on Aug. 3 and then broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs. Wednesday's race will be her third in 41 days.
Hidden Class is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the Untapable.
“The only thing that worries me is that it is kind of quick,” Atkins said.
That concern was alleviated somewhat after Adkins watched the Steve Asmussen-trained Aspenite win the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sunday. Aspenite was second in the boys division of the Keeneland September sales allowance on Aug. 31 and came back on short rest.
When he came to Kentucky Downs to watch Hidden Class run on Aug. 31, Atkins and girlfriend Susan Graves made the trip by car, a nine-hour journey from Virginia.
“We're flying out this time,” Atkins said with a laugh.
Built Wright Stables' Grade 2 winner Double Crown, just six days removed from competing in an out-of-town grass stakes, returned to the Maryland dirt and powered through an opening along the rail in mid-stretch en route to a 4 ½-length triumph in the $100,000 Polynesian at historic Pimlico Race Course.
The 19th running of the 1 1/16-mile Polynesian for 3-year-olds and up was the last of three stakes on opening Sunday of Pimlico's boutique nine-day fall meet, following Whiskey and Rye's victory in the $100,000 Sensible Lady, which was rained off the grass, and Swill's win in the $75,000 Challedon.
Ridden by Jeiron Barbosa, who notched seven wins over opening weekend, Double Crown ($15.80) earned his fourth career stakes victory and first since a 42-1 upset of the one-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) last October at Aqueduct.
“We knew it was going to be a short field, and last [fall] this horse won a Grade 2 on seven days' rest,” owner Norman 'Lynn' Cash said. “He's always the high odds. When he fires, it doesn't matter about the rest. We're going to give him two or three weeks of rest this time. He's one of those horses that when he fires, he's good.”
Multiple stakes winner Ournationonparade, breaking outside three of his four rivals, was intent on the lead and held it through an opening quarter mile that went in a deliberate 25.93 seconds. Zabracadabra, a winner of two straight but unraced since July 7, forced the issue in second with Un Ojo, 72-1 upset winner of the 2022 Rebel (G2), in third and Double Crown saving ground along the rail in fourth. Be Better, riding a three-race win streak that included the July 29 Deputed Testamony at Laurel Park, trailed the field.
Ournationonparade remained ahead after the half went in 49.59 still tracked by Zabracadabra as Double Crown moved into third narrowly ahead of Un Ojo on the outside and Be Better between them. Un Ojo swung three wide to challenge Zabracadabra for the lead as Ournationonparade began to fall back and Be Better was tipped to the far outside to launch his bid. Barbosa stayed patient and had plenty of room once straightened for home to rally on the inside of Ournationofparade and draw clear in 1:45.09 over a main track rated good.
Un Ojo held second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Be Better. It was another 1 ¾ lengths back to Zabracadabra in fourth with Ournationonparade fifth.
“[Barbosa] had him in great position. He saved ground and it was a slow pace, so it was surprising that the rest of them didn't come running, too,” Cash said. “It's kind of like the day when he won the Kelso in New York. It was a slower pace and he just came through. This was a good field, too.”
Bred in Maryland by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman and Rebecca Davis, Double Crown won his 2019 debut at Laurel for trainer Lacey Gaudet before being purchased privately by Dean Reeves. At 3 he won the Roar and Carry Back, was second in the Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico and third in the Smile Sprint (G3) for trainer Kathy Ritvo.
Double Crown ran six times for trainer Tom Amoss, including a second in the 2021 Maryland Million Sprint, before being claimed by Cash for $40,000 out of a runner-up finish last June at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old Bourbon Courage gelding was second, beaten 7 ½ lengths by Benevengo, in last year's Polynesian.
“It seems like he's running really good. He didn't like the track at Charles Town two back and I got sucked into the turf because of the short field last time,” Cash said. “We'll probably look for a stakes similar to this. The Mid-Atlantic is full of these.”
The Polynesian is named for the 1945 Preakness (G1) winner that put together a record of 27-10-10 with purse earnings of $310,410 from 1944-47, 16 of his victories coming in stakes. Named the U.S. champion sprinter in 1947, he went on to a successful stud career most notably as the sire of Hall of Famer Native Dancer, the 1953 Preakness winner, and grandsire of 1966 Preakness winner Kauai King.
Whiskey and Rye Smooth Winner of $100,000 Sensible Lady
Mens Grille Racing's Whiskey and Rye, freshened since her prior run in late June, surged past front-running Spicy Marg exiting the far turn and kept on going through the stretch to spring a four-length upset in an off-the-turf edition of the $100,000 Sensible Lady for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting five furlongs.
Sent off at odds of 9-1, Whiskey and Rye ($20.80) came into the Sensible Lady having run fifth in the five-furlong The Very One on grass at Pimlico May 19 and second in an off-the-turf optional claimer June 23 at Delaware Park, her prior start.
“She needed a little break,” winning trainer John Robb said. “Five-eighths has been her great distance and she loves the turf, so we were looking forward to running her [on it]. But it worked out great.”
As she did last year, when she ran fourth by two lengths in the Sensible Lady, Wesley Ward-trained Spicy Marg broke sharply and quickly led the way through a quarter-mile in 22.02 seconds on a main track rated good. Whiskey and Rye and jockey Xavier Perez raced just off her right hip with 6-5 favorite Self Isolation third and Sassy Beast fourth.
Perez brought Whiskey and Rye alongside Spicy Marg midway around the turn and shifted down to the rail once clear of the pacesetter in the stretch, crossing the wire in 58.72 seconds. Sassy Beast came with a late run to edge Spicy Marg by three-quarters of a length for second, and it was another three-quarters of a length back to Self Isolation in fourth.
“I've got to give all the credit to Xavier because no one could gallop her. He changed the bit and she's been galloping for the last three weeks,” Robb said. “She laid back there and finished great.”
Whiskey and Rye now owns five wins from starts, the last eight for Robb. When trained by Hamilton Smith she ran behind current stablemate Street Lute in four stakes over the winter and spring of 2020-21. This spring's The Very One was her first stakes race on the grass.
Turf sprinter Sensible Lady took consecutive runnings of Pimlico's The Very One in 2012 and 2013, two of her seven wins in 14 starts at 3 and 4. The Street Sense filly was trained by Tim Salzman for Three Lyons Racing, who purchased her for $9,500 as a 2-year-old at Ocala's April sale. She went on to earn $436,640 from 22 starts. From May 2012 to June 2013, the filly won six stakes while racing at Pimlico, Colonial Downs, Penn National and Saratoga and placed in three others during the 10-race streak.
Swill Runs Down Al Loves Josie in $75,000 Challedon
Keuber Racing and Ten Strike Racing's Swill, off for nearly two years before making his comeback this summer, edged clear of pacesetter Al Loves Josie approaching the finish line following a stretch-long duel to capture the $75,000 Challedon for 3-year-olds and up which had never won an open sweepstakes.
It was the third start this year and second straight win for Swill ($4.40), a 5-year-old gelding that had gone 660 days between races prior to running second in his June 17 comeback at Laurel Park. Previously trained by Brad Cox before moving to his former assistant, Maryland's leading trainer Brittany Russell, he rolled to an easy optional claiming allowance victory July 20 at Colonial Downs leading into the Challedon.
“This horse always had a lot of talent,” Russell said. “Obviously, you think about stakes but he's also a gelding that had a lot of time off so it was sort of a progression. Get him back to the races was step one. He wins the two-other-than impressively, great. We were going to run him in a three-other-than, but this looked like a neat little spot to try.”
Al Loves Josie took the early initiative and was in front through a half-mile in 46.24 seconds with Grade 1-placed Borracho, the even-money favorite, racing along the rail and Swill given clean air by jockey Sheldon Russell in the two path. Swill ranged up to the leader as Borracho began to drop back on the turn and the two matched strides down the stretch until Swill nudged past inside the sixteenth pole to win by 1 ½ lengths. The winning time was 1:13.87 over a main track rated muddy.
“I wasn't worried about the track,” Russell said. “He's just the man. He'll show up.”
Swill, by Munnings, was a $265,000 yearling in July 2019 that won one of seven starts for Cox . He had run fourth in three prior stakes attempts including the 2020 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) to cap his juvenile season and the Robert Hilton Memorial in August 2021, his last start before the layoff.
“This horse always had a lot of talent. Brad had him, and they chose to give him some time off. It was sort of one of those things, kick him out in a big field 24-7 and let him just be a horse,” Russell said. “I don't want to say he was forgotten about but he was left out for a long, long time. It became sort of a 'let's get him going' thing. It was a team effort. He spent some time at Fair Hill, he spent some time at Delaware and we got him down to Laurel. A nice horse, all you've got to do is get them fit and stay out of their way.”
The Challedon honors the Maryland-bred son of Challenger II that won 20 of 44 starts and $334,660 in purses from 1938 to 1942, was recognized as Horse of the Year in 1939 and 1940, and inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1977. Winner of the 1939 Preakness and 1939-40 Pimlico Special, Challedon also sired 13 stakes winners before his death in 1958.
