Ellis Park Juvenile Winner Roger McQueen Headlines ‘Win And You’re In’ Iroquois Stakes

The 37-race “Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve” will officially begin Saturday evening under the lights at Churchill Downs as 11 promising 2-year-olds were entered in the 40th running of the Grade 3, $300,000 Iroquois Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile Iroquois is one of five stakes events on the first Saturday of the 12-day September Meet. The Top 4 finishers of the race will receive 10-4-2-1 points as part of the 21-race “Prep Season” that showcases foundation-building races in advance of the “Championship Series,” which begins in mid-February.

The Iroquois and the $300,000 Pocahontas (G3) for 2-year-old fillies are both part of the Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” series and will offer an automatic entry-fees paid berth to the season-ending championships held on Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

The Iroquois was carded as Race 9 with a post time of 10:11 p.m. The first of 11 races will begin at 6 p.m. The other stakes events on the evening's program are the Pocahontas, $400,000 Locust Grove (G3), $300,000 Open Mind and $275,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society.

In the Iroquois, Carolyn Wilson's $125,000 Ellis Park Juvenile winner Roger McQueen will attempt his first victory around two turns for trainer Larry Rivelli. The Unified colt, who was purchased for $530,000 at the 2021 OBS March Sale, was the half-length winner of the seven-furlong Ellis Park Juvenile under jockey Adam Beschizza, Roger McQueen drew post No. 3 with Beschizza back in the saddle again.

Among Roger McQueen's main rivals in the Iroquois is WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Saratoga debut winner Major General for newly-elected Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. The Constitution colt broke his maiden in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight contest as the 5-2 post time favorite. New York-based Javier Castellano will be in town to ride from post 8.

Also entered in the field is L and N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds' 5 ¼-length debut winner Stellar Tap. The son of Tapit arrived to Churchill Downs on Tuesday from Saratoga where he gave Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen his North American record-breaking 9,446th career win. Ricardo Santana Jr. will have the return mount from post 6.

The complete field for the Iroquois from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

  1. Tough to Tame (Sophie Doyle, Chris Davis)
  2. Lucky Boss (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek)
  3. Roger McQueen (Beschizza, Rivelli)
  4. Strike Hard (Leonel Reyes, Matthew Williams)
  5. Magnolia Midnight (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart)
  6. Stellar Tap (Santana, Asmussen)
  7. Red Knobs (James Graham, Dale Romans)
  8. Major General (Castellano, Pletcher)
  9. Guntown (Tyler Gaffalione, Asmussen)
  10. Husband Material (Florent Geroux, Jimmy Toner)
  11. Bourbon Heist (Joe Talamo, Ian Wilkes)

Thoroughbred Racing will meet Louisville Cardinals Basketball Saturday night when Louisville Live, the University of Louisville's annual preseason basketball event, comes to Churchill Downs for Downs After Dark. To celebrate the theme of “Horses & Hoops,” fans are encouraged to wear Cardinals gear to this one-of-a-kind experience. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and the first race is 6 p.m. The spacious 30,000-square-foot Plaza adjacent to the saddling paddock will showcase pulsating live entertainment featuring the Cardinals' men's and women's basketball teams on a portable court. The entertainment line-up will include official DJ for the Louisville Cardinals, DJ K-Dogg, who will spin game-time favorites from the Plaza stage.

UofL's 1986 NCAA Championship men's basketball team, guided by then future Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, will participate in the festivities and will be available to sign autographs prior to the Louisville Live main feature at 7:15 p.m.

Two specialty cocktails will be sold at the Old Forester Paddock Bar and the Spend a Buck Bar on the second floor of the Clubhouse in the Food Court: “The Cardinal Crush” and “The Slam Dunk.”

General admission to Downs After Dark is $12 and includes an official program. Guests under the age of 18 will only be admitted to the track if accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Limited premium dining packages are available starting at $76 per person. Outdoor-third floor box seats are on sale for $27 per person. Reserved seating can be purchased online at www.ChurchillDowns.com/Tickets.

Fans can bet and watch all of Churchill Downs races on www.TwinSpires.com – the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks.

The post Ellis Park Juvenile Winner Roger McQueen Headlines ‘Win And You’re In’ Iroquois Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pricey OBSMAR Grad a Second Stakes Winner for Unified

OBS March bullet breezer (:20.2) Roger McQueen (Unified) fended of all challengers Sunday to become the second stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}). Third as the favorite on debut at Churchill May 22–one slot behind GII Saratoga Special S. runner-up Gunite (Gun Runner)–the dark bay stepped forward to air by five lengths here July 17. Displaying ample zip once again to attend the pace through a :46.99 half, Roger McQueen took over approaching the stretch but was immediately tackled by Lucky Boss (Street Boss). He continued to stiff arm that foe in the lane, and even-money Costa Terra (Gun Runner) joined the fray late, but there was no wearing down Roger McQueen. The winner is the most recent registered produce for his now 13-year-old dam, who was a stakes winner at two herself in New York. Unified has also been represented this year in Kentucky by Debutante S. winner Behave Virginia.

RUNHAPPY ELLIS PARK JUVENILE S., $124,750, Ellis, 8-15, 2yo, 7f, 1:23.67, ft.
1–ROGER MCQUEEN, 120, c, 2, by Unified
1st Dam: Promise Me a Cat (SW, $320,820), by D'wildcat
2nd Dam: Promise Me Magic, by Pentelicus
3rd Dam: Halo Ho, by Halo
($77,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $530,000
2yo '21 OBSMAR). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Carolyn Wilson;
B-Gatewood Bell (KY); T-Larry Rivelli; J-Adam Beschizza.
$75,760. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $112,640. *Second stakes
winner for freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}).
2–Lucky Boss, 120, c, 2, Street Boss–Lucky Striker, by Van
Nistelrooy. ($35,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Lucky Seven Stable
(Mackin); B-De Sousa Stable LLC (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
$24,600.
3–Costa Terra, 120, c, 2, Gun Runner–Teardrop, by Tapit.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$12,300.
Margins: HF, HD, 6 1/4. Odds: 4.80, 8.10, 1.00.
Also Ran: Texas Red Hot, Desert Ruler, Candy Landing, Mr. Halftime.
Click for the Equibase.com chart.

The post Pricey OBSMAR Grad a Second Stakes Winner for Unified appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Thursday’s Insights: $500k Bernardini 2yo Debuts at Belmont

3rd-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, post time: 4:09 p.m. ET
VELVET SISTER (Bernardini) brought $500,000 from Stonestreet Stables after breezing an eighth in a powerful :10 1/5 at Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the bay is a half-sister to the tough-as-nails 7-year-old gelding MSW My Boy Tate (Boys At Tosconova). Stonestreet has enjoyed top- level success with Bernardini's Cavorting and Rachel's Valentina. Gerrymander (Into Mischief), a half-sister to last Saturday's runaway GII Brooklyn S. winner Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior), is the 2-1 morning-line favorite. The Klaravich Stables colorbearer brought $375,000 as a KEESEP yearling. Chad Brown trains. TJCIS PPs

2nd-AP, $30K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), post time 3:53 p.m. ET
ROGER MCQUEEN (Unified), a $530,000 OBS March bullet breezer (:20 2/5), was third as the favorite with some trouble in his unveiling on dirt at Churchill Downs May 22. The most expensive of 25 sold from the first crop of Unified is owned by Carolyn Wilson and trained by Larry Rivelli. The dark bay is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in this first try on synthetic. TJCIS PPs

The post Thursday’s Insights: $500k Bernardini 2yo Debuts at Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

May 22 Insights

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

PRICEY UNIFIED COLT DEBUTS AT CHURCHILL

1st-CD, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 6:00p.m.

Carolyn Wilson's ROGER MCQUEEN (Unified) makes his career bow in this spot for trainer Larry Rivelli. A $77,000 KEENOV weanling turned $190,000 KEESEP yearling, the dark bay summoned $530,000 at OBS March after breezing in a sharp :20 2/5, making him the most expensive offspring by his first-crop sire. TJCIS PPs

The post May 22 Insights appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights